C.J. West played quarterback for the IC Catholic football team for three years, but the senior did not become the Knights starter until the sixth game of this season after injuries to two other players.
West led the Knights to a 51-14 Metro Suburban Blue victory over Glenbard South on Friday in Elmhurst by throwing for 311 yards and four touchdowns and running for two more. IC Catholic and Glenbard South both entered the game undefeated in conference.
West, a senior from Elmhurst, began the year starting at tight end and wide receiver. Knights coach Bill Krefft said senior starter Luke Ricobene tore his ACL in the second game of the year. Khalil Saunders, a junior wide receiver, handled the position until he too was injured three games later.
“I played quarterback last year but I wasn’t the starter,” West said. “When Khalil (Saunders) got hurt I was the next guy up.”
Though Krefft said Saunders healed quickly and he returned to the lineup, he was back at receiver on Friday and caught two passes for 16 yards against the Raiders (5-3, 3-1). Krefft has settled on West at quarterback.
“We never gave a thought to taking him out,” Krefft said. “He threw it well.”
Krefft said the win over Glenbard South was the first time West threw for more than 300 yards. He completed 12-of-16 passes and threw one interception.
Running back Lazerick Eatman, a senior from Romeoville, caught five of those passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 70 yards and a third score. He said West makes his job easier.
“Anywhere I am on the field he hits me,” Eatman said. “He can sling it 60 yards in the air.”
West said his arm strength comes from baseball workouts. He pitches and plays third base for the Knights. As much as he likes football, West said he hopes to play third base for a Division III or Division II college baseball team.
“I’ve played baseball all my life,” West said. “I take pitching lessons. I do arm strengthening exercises for my pitching and it helps me throw the football further.”
IC Catholic (7-1, 4-0) had a 16-0 lead before Glenbard South ever touched the ball. The Knights kicked off, but the Raiders fumbled into the hands of junior Ryan Malek on the Glenbard South 24. Six plays later, West found Eatman with a 32-yard touchdown pass.
On the ensuing kickoff, the Knights recovered a popup onside kick on the Glenbard South 38. West found Khali Saunders, Khalil Saunders’ twin brother, open in the end zone to give IC Catholic a 16-0 lead less than four minutes into the game. The score was 31-0 before the first quarter ended.
“There was no safety in the red zone,” West said of the Raiders defense, adding, “I was able to do a lot in the red zone because of that. I made my reads and if no one was open I just tucked the ball and ran for as many yards as I could get.”
It took IC Catholic less than two minutes to go 60 yards for the third touchdown after forcing the Raiders to a three-and-out. West threw to three different receivers, gave the ball to Eatman twice and carried it himself on the last two plays of the drive to make the score 24-0.
Steve Sadin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press
