Naperville North junior left guard Craig Prentice had never touched the football during a game, which is not surprising considering offensive linemen rarely get their mitts on it.
But Prentice, who wears a mitt when he plays third base, was prepared when his time came on the football field against host Neuqua Valley on Friday, and the result was truly shocking.
With the game tied and time running out, Naperville North senior quarterback Dante Colasante rolled to his left and threw a pass intended for junior wide receiver Shawn Kyereh. What happened next will be etched in everyone’s memories — except Prentice’s.
“I was in pass protect, and no one was really on my guy,” Prentice said. “I had my eyes to that side, saw the ball coming to Sean. His DB pops the ball up, and I look up, and I’m right there. So I’m like, ‘I’ve got to go get that,’ and I grab it and I hold onto it as tight as I can.”
Don’t ask Prentice what he did next.
“I don’t even remember what really happened,” he said. “It’s kind of like a blur.”
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To the astonishment of onlookers, Prentice raced up the sideline for a 29-yard gain before he was tackled at Neuqua Valley’s 14-yard line.
Two plays later, junior running back Charlie Neumann scored on an 8-yard touchdown run with 43 seconds left, giving the Huskies a 14-7 victory that clinched the DuPage Valley Conference title.
Just how it was drawn up, right?
“Yep, that’s what we were trying to work on earlier in the week,” Naperville North coach Sean Drendel said facetiously.
Senior tight end Aiden Trasatt, whose 16-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter tied the game at 7-7, was stunned to see Prentice’s improbable catch.
“I was across the field,” Trasatt said. “I was running back toward the ball because Dante was rolling out. I was trying to get over to him, and I see the ball pop way up in the air above a group of people. I see Craig bust out with it. It was shocking.”
Neumann, who was on the sideline at the time, also was stunned.
“I see it tipped up to Craig,” he said. “There’s no faster man than an O-lineman that gets a chance. He knows what to do. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an offensive lineman run that fast in my life.”
That speed is a hidden talent.
“He made a huge play for us when we needed it,” Drendel said of Prentice. “He did a great job. He’s a really good athlete. Our guards are really good athletes with all the things we do.”
Indeed, Prentice’s main responsibility is blocking, which is when he usually showcases his mobility. He was the lead blocker on Neumann’s winning touchdown run.
“He’s so mobile, and he always gets his head down and knocks his guy over,” Neumann said. “I love running the ball to the right side because Craig’s going to be pulling. I know to just follow Craig, and he’ll bring me up for big gains.”
The Huskies (7-1, 5-0), who extended their winning streak to seven games, didn’t have many big gains as the Wildcats (3-5, 2-2) forced four turnovers. But neither did Neuqua Valley, which rushed for only 103 yards, including 56 on junior running back Jack Mackey’s first-quarter touchdown run.
“They definitely came out shooting,” Prentice said. “They came out with everything they had, and we really just fought back, and it just feels amazing.
“I love those types of hard games. It’s great to battle through a win.”
Prentice said he gets his speed from a lifetime of playing baseball. His older brother, Jackson, a junior pitcher at Western Michigan, didn’t play football and never got to experience what it’s like to participate in the battle of the trenches.
“It’s been awesome,” Prentice said. “The guys that are beside me, all my O-line brothers, are amazing people. They’ve made the games even so much more fun than it would have been without them.
“I love communicating and just fighting hard through every game and working hard alongside my brothers.”
It’s a football life lived mostly in anonymity, which is why Prentice never expected to be in the spotlight, answering questions alongside Trasatt.
“It was a great pick-me-up,” Trasatt said of Prentice’s catch. “It just happened to bounce our way, and Craig made it happen. I’m so thankful for it.”
So are the Huskies going to throw more passes to Prentice?
“I hope so,” he said. “They should.”
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This story will be updated. Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.