The last name is pronounced like pause, so appropriate for the highly touted Lincoln-Way quarterback whose deliberate style affords him second and third looks down the field.
The perfectionist in Casey Paus needs to arrange things in just the right order. As a 7-year-old linebacker, he already was positioning teammates on his youth football team. He needs to know where everybody is on the field at all times.
The 6-foot-5-inch, 210-pound signal-caller who has orally committed to Washington is meticulous in his game preparation. Without fail, there is the afternoon nap, two peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches and large glass of water at 4 p.m. and the same tie-dyed T-shirt and compression shorts he has worn for the last four years.
He studies defensive tendencies with an equal fervor, taking nothing for granted and leaving little to chance. With such an investment in research and planning, the payoff should be perfection.
As the quarterback at the freshman and sophomore levels and with two years on varsity, Paus has led the Knights to a 36-0 record in the regular season. An overall winning streak of 30 games was snapped last November when Lincoln-Way fell to Schaumburg 20-10 in the Class 6A semifinals.
For most of us, one loss in four years would be no more than a speed bump on the road to success. For Paus, it was a nightmare that wouldn’t go away.
“I felt I let the team down,” Paus said about his three interceptions. “I felt responsible because I didn’t play my best game.”
Now comes the second chance for Paus to bring a second state title home to his family when Lincoln-Way opens the 6A playoffs at home Saturday against SICA Blue nemesis Thornton.
Three years ago, older brother Cory enjoyed an All-State season in leading the Knights to their first title.
That is both a sense of immense pride and a sticking point in a healthy sibling rivalry.
“I was a freshman brought up to the varsity at the end of the season,” Casey said. “I was standing on the sideline watching my brother, and it was amazing to be a part of that atmosphere. It’s one of those memories I’ll never forget.”
It is also the last of the bragging rights for big brother.
“He’s bigger than me, and now he’s also stronger than me–it’s depressing,” said Cory, a sophomore who is Cade McNown’s successor at quarterback for UCLA after redshirting two years ago. “He is also faster than me and is a better drop-back quarterback. I’m just learning right now how to pick up my secondary reads, and he’s been doing that for the last four years. Casey is more advanced than any high school quarterback in the country.”
During a recent visit home, the brothers were at it again.
“They were kidding around about stuff and Casey pointed out that Cory had more losses as Lincoln-Way’s varsity quarterback,” said their father, Rick Paus. “They had fun going back and forth. But it always comes down to Cory has that championship.”
That could all end Thanksgiving weekend, this time with big brother watching from the sideline. Lincoln-Way (9-0) is the No. 2 seed in 6A, and is favored to advance to the semifinals, where the Knights would welcome a rematch with Schaumburg (9-0).
“All the seniors have a bad feeling about that Schaumburg game last year–especially me,” said Casey, who has passed for 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns. “Yes, winning a state championship is a very big goal of mine. I want to do it for my teammates and myself.”
Rick and Nancy Paus passed along some athletic genes to their offspring. Rick was a track standout in high school and played competitive hockey until he was 45 and competitive soccer until he was 48. Nancy excelled at 16-inch softball into her 30s.
This weekend dad will fly to Tucson and watch UCLA take on Arizona while mom and 14-year-old sister Caitland, a volleyball and softball player at Lincoln-Way, will stay home and watch Lincoln-Way battle Thornton.
Cory believes his younger brother could walk in and start for Washington next year. After all, Casey is rated among the top high school quarterbacks in the country, and Huskies senior QB Marques Tuiasosopo will graduate.
That would be both a delight and a dilemma for mom and dad.
“We would probably take turns watching Cory play one week and Casey the next, and the third week we’d stay home and watch Caitland,” Rick said. “We should be so lucky to have such a problem. When UCLA plays Washington, we’ll sit in the end zone halfway between both teams and hope that both of them throw for 400 yards and five touchdowns.
“And we’d hope that the game was won by a spectacular special-teams play so that neither quarterback would be the reason for the loss. But we’ll be winners no matter what.”
Actually, it was Cory’s West Coast presence and spirit for adventure that influenced Casey to choose Washington over Michigan, Oklahoma, Miami, Colorado and Arizona State.
“I told him you’ve got to take chances,” said Cory, who is as impetuous and spontaneous as Casey is deliberate. “I said he should take advantage of the good fortune he has and come across the country and see what’s happening.”
Although UCLA wanted him, the Bruins realized the younger brother didn’t want to sit and watch for two years.
“Wanting my own identity has motivated me to step out of Cory’s shadow and do something about it,” Casey said.
“I’ve got to do my own thing and not worry about what’s going to happen. People will always compare us. That’s fine. All I can do is play my game and let them form their own opinions.
“We push each other, but both of us were very supportive of each other growing up. Not too many big brothers would come out and watch a little brother play.”
After pausing for a moment, Cory said: “He’s a good kid. I wouldn’t trade him for any other brother.”
