Starting on the same offensive line as his younger brother would have made Grayslake North left tackle Evan McMahon’s senior season memorable, regardless of the outcome.
But doing so while winning the Northern Lake County Conference title is more than he could have been expected.
“It’s cool because we’re going to the playoffs and being conference champions, but doing it with him makes it even better,” Evan McMahon said. “I never have to worry about how he’s doing. It’s nice to know that my little brother is almost right next to me.”
Evan and Sean McMahon paved the way for the Knights’ 31-13 home win against previously unbeaten Wauconda in the regular-season finale on Friday, a victory that clinched their first conference championship since 2014, in their Fox Valley days.
Grayslake North (8-1, 6-1), which shares the title with Wauconda and Antioch, will take a four-game winning streak into the playoffs. The Bulldogs (8-1, 6-1) had won 19 straight regular-season games.
Having two McMahons on the offensive line is icing on the cake for the Knights.
Two-year starter Evan McMahon, shifted from left guard this season, has been steadfast in protecting right-armed quarterback Jacob Donohue‘s blind side.
“They warned me about it all summer, so I just worked hard and made sure I was as prepared as possible,” Evan McMahon said.
It was a different scenario for sophomore Sean McMahon, who was ticketed for a jack-of-all-trades backup role after a promotion to varsity. But that changed drastically when guard Mario Vizzini’s preseason knee injury forced a shuffle up front.
All of a sudden, Sean McMahon was the starting center, which he wasn’t entirely comfortable with initially.
“Even during the offseason, I’m not going to lie, I was so scared just knowing I would be backing up everywhere,” he said. “But once I was starting, knowing I had (guards) Nik (Green) and Nate (Alfaro) right next to me, if I ever needed help, they were always there. It’s been great.”
Big brother’s been there too.
Sean McMahon said he felt a world of pressure peel off his back after the season opener against Vernon Hills.
But there has still been plenty of discussion at home, in car rides to and from school, and even in the huddle. One memorable in-game chat came in the waning moments of the Knights’ Week 3 win against Grant when Sean McMahon didn’t have much left in the tank.
“All of us were winded, and I didn’t know if I could keep going,” he said.
Evan McMahon was plenty tired, as well, but recalls doling out the timely advice to keep his brother on the right path.
“I remember telling him that we would be off the field soon and to make sure you leave it all on the field,” Evan McMahon said.
Sean McMahon also had the not-so-minor responsibility of snapping the ball to Donohue in the shotgun on virtually every play.
“I did not want to screw that up,” Sean McMahon said. “Last year my first snap on the frosh team was a screw-up, and I was scared that was going to happen again this year. When that didn’t happen, I knew I’d be OK.”
The Knights’ offensive line in general has performed well, both in keeping Donohue clean in the pocket and playing a primary role in the Knights’ running game becoming much more polished as the season has progressed.
What began as a wide-open passing attack has become a balanced unit featuring receiver-turned-halfback Michael Jefferson routinely churning out large swathes of yardage.
“Sean’s done a fabulous job,” Grayslake North coach Brian Johnson said. “Having his older brother being close by, being able to talk to him in the huddle, really helped with his growth. Being a sophomore center is not the easiest thing, and he’s done a bang-up job.”
Johnson has slept well at night, too, knowing Evan McMahon is at left tackle.
“We ask him at tackle to do a lot more one-on-one stuff, and he leads the team in pancakes,” Johnson said. “He’s on an island an awful lot.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.