Senior receiver Quentin Burrell came to Mount Carmel for several reasons. Partially because of the pageantry of the football program. Partially because of the glory that surrounds it.
The Michigan recruit also makes the trek every day from Evanston knowing, while Ann Arbor holds his future, the final year of being a star high school athlete is something to cherish and relish.
“I’m going to be in college soon, but right now, i have to play where my feet are and do the best things I can,” Burrell said with his trademark smile. “My life revolves around this building.
“I’m very glad that all the hard work is paying off.”
That payoff came in bunches Friday night for the host Caravan. Burrell contributed four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown in a 49-14 Catholic League crossover win over Providence in Chicago.
Coming though with another big game, senior quarterback Brady Cloherty completed 25 of 33 passes for 373 yards and seven TDs to lead the way for Mount Carmel (5-2).
Senior tight end Hunter Long scored on a 93-yard pass from junior quarterback Dominic Vita for Providence (5-2). Osborne finished with three catches for 155 yards. Vita threw for 218 yards.
Burrell, meanwhile, caught an 11-yard TD pass at the end of the second quarter as the Caravan rolled into halftime with a 28-14 lead. Junior receiver Marshaun Thornton was impressed.
“He’s just a humble guy who goes out there and is always dependable,” Thornton said of Burrell. “He doesn’t care if it’s me or anybody who’s eating. He’s always doing something positive.”
Burrell isn’t the only Michigan recruit for Mount Carmel. Senior defensive back Tavares Harrington is joining him. They have played together since they were 13 years old with the Naperville Patriots.
“You wouldn’t expect Q to be Q,” Harrington said. “You see the things he does on the field and then you see him in school. He’s so personable. He introduces himself to everybody.
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“You won’t find anybody who has a bad thing to say about him.”
His unselfishness in stretching the field vertically helped junior tight end Ty Kennedy end up with three TD catches. Thornton also caught a TD pass.
“We have a lot of playmakers here, so we’re going to have to spread the ball around,” Burrell said. “We have a tight end balling, a QB doing everything we need. It’s everybody playing their part.”
Family is the other dominant thread of his young life. His role model is his older sister, Kali. She was a two-time academic all-conference forward in the Big Ten for Michigan in women’s soccer.
“My family has really raised me into this light,” Burrell said. “I wanted to be like my sister. There was always a little competition with her and I wanted to do something to one-up her.”
Spending all that time on campus watching his sister play in college set the stage for his own future. Burrell selected the Wolverines over Notre Dame, Alabama, Auburn and Boston College.
Interestingly, Burrell was ready to give up football in eighth grade to focus on basketball. His father convinced him to stick with it. Now, he’s a three-year starter with two state championship rings.
During his first two seasons, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Burrell set a program records with 142 catches and 2,396 yards. He scored 34 TDs, combining size, length and a sharp feel for the game.
“I came into the varsity my sophomore year and we won state and I’m trying to leave as a senior winning state,” he said. “I know my journey is ahead, but I have to keep getting better every day.”
Burrell only played the first half Friday, paving the way for senior receiver Danny Leyden to score a TD in the third quarter.
“There’s nothing more I could ask for than being with my guys,” Burrell said. “I know there’s a limited amount of time that I’m going to be with them. I’m cheering everything and being grateful.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.