Lincoln-Way East’s Jayden Cawthon wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice.
Cawthon, a senior receiver and kick return specialist, will probably laugh about it someday. But he actually got his directions mixed up, taking an erroneous turn that led to nowhere.
“On the first kickoff, I ran completely the wrong way and that was on me,” Cawthon said with a smile. “The second time, I saw a hole and took it back and I was able to get a really nice gain.”
It was exactly what the Griffins needed Friday night.
Cawthon set up his own touchdown catch with a 54-yard kickoff return, sparking Lincoln-Way East’s comeback in a 38-17 SouthWest Suburban Conference win over host Sandburg in Orland Park.
Junior quarterback Evan LeFevour threw three TD passes and also ran for a TD to lead the Griffins (5-0, 3-0). Senior running back Aidan Cavanaugh added a 65-yard TD run.
Junior safety Vinny Annel blocked a punt and had an interception to spark Sandburg (3-2, 0-2) to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Cawthon, however, knew he had to change the narrative.
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“That kickoff return was definitely the moment we took over the game, kept our foot on the gas and kept going,” LeFevour said of Cawthon, who finished with seven catches for 113 yards. “He’s always able to get open. He’s gotten much better with his routes.
“And he’s very good with yards after the catch.”
Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar pointed out that Cawthon’s kick return mirrored a return TD that ignited the Griffins’ earlier comeback win over Kankakee.
“He’s a Division I football player,” Zvonar said. “He’s just a playmaker, an electrifying player, regardless if it’s on special teams or offense. He’s makes people miss.
“Any time he touches the ball, he’s a threat to go the distance.”
Four plays after his big return, Cawthon grabbed a 15-yard TD catch to spark a 38-3 closing run.
“The return turned me up and I think the whole team because we were down a little bit,” he said. “We needed to pick it up, and I did what I had to do. It was a good result.”
Cawthon has 13 Division I offers but is still undecided while waiting for something to pop.
“All 13 of schools are the same level right now,” he said. “I’m just hoping to have a big season.”
Cawthon is in his second season as a starter for the Griffins after playing his first two years at Plainfield East. His junior year was marked by transition and an adjustment period.
“I came here looking for a new start and I was the second or third wide receiver,” Cawthon said. “I didn’t really like that, so I knew that I was going to play a bigger role this year.”
Growing up, baseball was his preferred sport. His older sister was a softball player. The slow pace of baseball frustrated him, so he turned to football, the sport of his father and several uncles.
In his first varsity game as a freshman at Plainfield East, Cawthon made 10 catches for 150-plus yards. He took up pickleball when he moved to Frankfort to fit in with his new teammates.
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“Leadership is something I’m very good at,” he said. “All the guys look up to me, and I have to lead by example. My hands and routes are definitely my top skills. If I see the ball, I go and get it.”
Quiet and self-effacing by nature, his personality changes once he’s on the field. His play on specials teams epitomizes that part of his sensibility, but he never returned kicks until this season.
“I’ve always been a receiver and that’s my heart,” Cawthon said. “You always have to put in the work and I’ve been doing that since I was young.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.