There isn’t room on a roster to list all the positions where North Chicago senior Amari Earl could play in a single game.
The 6-foot, 165-pound Earl’s selflessness as he shifts seamlessly from one position to another pays dividends for the Warhawks.
“Honestly, I love playing football, so it doesn’t matter where I play,” he said. “With me being a senior and a leader on this team, I feel like my role is to elevate everybody — and as you saw today, we can win games like that.”
Indeed, Earl replaced injured starting sophomore quarterback Gavin Bone late in the first quarter and proceeded to throw four touchdown passes to lead the Warhawks to a 54-0 nonconference road win over Waukegan on Friday.
Behind Earl, who started at wide receiver and also played safety, North Chicago orchestrated a one-week turnaround for the ages, putting its 61-12 season-opening loss to Zion-Benton in the rearview mirror.
“Amari has always been that steady warrior we depend on,” North Chicago coach Wilton Hill Jr. said. “It’s a blessing to be able to have him as that guy we know we can depend on to come in and steady the ship.
“He’s a senior, so the moment isn’t too big for him. Most backups that step in, there’s a little culture shock, and you drop down a notch or two. Not with Amari.”
Bone, who suffered a bone bruise on his right leg, did get the Warhawks started with 8-yard and 27-yard TD runs in the first five minutes of the game. But after he was sidelined, Earl ran the offense without skipping a beat. He completed 6 of 9 passes for 135 yards.
Earl showed precision with both short and deep balls, like on successive 45-yard scoring tosses. His last TD throw was a 5-yard swing pass to junior running back Jamir Moore that prompted a running clock midway through the third quarter.
Earl also displayed raw athleticism when he was on the run. On his 17-yard scramble on the first play of the second half, the pocket broke down, and he eluded several Waukegan players. Earl finished with 50 rushing yards.
“It was great the way he came in and did what he did,” Moore said. “That’s a big help and something you love to see from the backup. No matter where he is, I’m looking forward to seeing more the rest of the season.”
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Earl makes an impact behind the scenes too.
“This week, I wanted to make sure all of us had our boosted morale,” he said. “There was no time for any laziness, none of that. We were straight business all week.
“Leading up to this game, we were able to take our time with things, get our bearings — and once we did that fully tonight, we just took off from there.”
Earl relishes that role.
“I was born to be a leader,” he said. “Being a leader isn’t just a moment. It’s a lifestyle. You have to live it. You can’t just wake up and change to be a leader.”
When Earl woke up Friday morning, he didn’t know how he would make a difference in this game. But he knew he would contribute one way or another.
“I look at Gavin as my younger brother,” Earl said. “I took him in. That’s my brother to me. We play quarterback evenly. He’s the starter, and when he’s there, he relies on me as a receiver.
“Whenever he needs me, I’m there for him, and whenever I need him, he’s there for me.”
North Chicago needed Earl on Friday, and he delivered.
“This game meant a lot to me,” he said. “Throwing four touchdowns today was able to help me express myself on the field and help me show what I can do, show how much damage I can do.
“I have to take every game seriously because I won’t be able to play high school football again.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.