Junior quarterback Lebarion Gilmore, who is receiving interest from several Division I schools, is determined to turn around Stagg’s football program.
Gilmore helped end the Chargers’ 23-game losing streak, throwing two touchdown passes Friday night in a 14-8 win over Reavis.
“I’m proud,” said Gilmore, who has an offer from South Dakota. “My latest Instagram caption was, ‘A part of a change.’
“That starts from our coaches who have been here about the same amount of time as me and have come from winning teams. They lost the first two seasons, but now we’re 1-0.”
Stagg lost its final eight games in 2019, went 0-6 in the 2021 pandemic spring season and finished 0-9 last fall. But Gilmore believes this victory is just the beginning.
“It’s exciting after a no-win season to get that first win, but it’s not something that we should be too happy about because it’s expected,” Gilmore said. “We want to keep rolling through the season and keep getting wins.”
Gilmore, who also plays basketball and runs track, started at quarterback as a sophomore last season and earned all-conference honors in the SouthWest Suburban Red.
Senior receiver/defensive back Justin Obradovich, who caught a TD pass against Reavis, said he and Gilmore are clicking.
“We’ve definitely developed a connection after playing together last year, too,” Obradovich said. “I feel like I can definitely trust him to place the ball where I want it.
“I know if none of the receivers are open, I can trust him running to make a play. He’s definitely a great athlete.”
Stagg coach Colt Nero appreciates Gilmore’s leadership qualities.
“Obviously, he’s very athletic, he’s a competitive and a gamer,” Nero said. “But I think his best trait is how he interacts with his teammates — how he interacts at school and in the community.
“He’s a very likable guy. I think in order to have success, especially at quarterback, your teammates have to like you and trust you.”
Gilmore said the win was not just for the current Chargers but those who graduated and suffered through the losing streak.
“Seeing some of them after the game, having them give me hugs and shake my hand, that was a big bonus for me,” he said. “I definitely wish they were part of the team when we did that.”
Showing support: St. Rita, Mount Carmel, Marist, Brother Rice, Providence, De La Salle and St. Laurence were among a large group of teams wearing a special helmet decal Friday night.
The stickers honor Danny Golden, a St. Rita graduate and Chicago police officer who was paralyzed in a July shooting. They feature Golden’s initials and badge number inside a shamrock, along with the hashtag #FightLikeAGolden.
The idea came from Bill Murphy, the football commissioner for the Southside Catholic Conference, a grammar school league.
Murphy coached Golden at Queen of Martyrs.
“When this happened, I knew I wanted to do something in our league,” Murphy said. “We had the decals made and then it kind of leaked to St. Rita, where Danny went, and they were on board right away. Then all these other schools wanted to be a part of it.
“It just built up. It’s a cool thing everyone’s doing.”
Swan song: Todd Kuska announced this will be his 25th and final season as St. Rita’s coach.
Kuska has won 205 games, highlighted by the Class 7A state championship in 2006.
Now, the task at hand is to get the Mustangs going after a 35-3 loss to Mount Carmel in the season opener.
“We’ll regroup and find out who we are,” Kuska said. “As long as we’re getting better every week, there’s a prize at the end of the tournament and not the beginning of the season.”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.