It’s a torrid pace.
If East Aurora’s Kenneth Cooley maintains it — five catches for 201 yards and three TDs, plus four punt returns for 179 yards and two TDs — he’ll be known as “Mr. Touchdown.”
A 5-foot-11, 160-pound senior speedster, Cooley is a two-way starter at wide receiver and defensive back and also excels as a return man for the Tomcats on punts and kickoffs.
East Aurora is only two outings into the 2023 season, with a 56-21 loss to Glenbard South and a 28-0 victory over Elgin, but Cooley has scored three times in each game.
On opening night, they came on a punt return and two TD passes from senior quarterback Amado Martinez. The following week, Cooley returned another punt for a TD, brought back a fumble for a defensive TD and added the third score on a 54-yard pass play.
“That’s Cooley,” Martinez said. “That’s him. That’s what he’s made of. He’s a showtime player. He can do a little bit of everything.
“Receiving, returns, running it or carrying interceptions back, Ken’s a very, very big player for us on both sides of the ball.”
Cooley made it known, only to a lesser degree, in the same roles last season.
On offense, he had 13 catches for 346 yards and five TDs. Defensively, he made 19 tackles (18 solo) with 13 pass breakups and five interceptions. He was all-conference and all-area.
“We’ve got a better connection, me and (Martinez),” Cooley said. “We gained a lot of chemistry from last year to this year.
“It’s fun, especially getting into the end zone. After the fact and enjoying it with your teammates is a great feeling.”
Martinez split duties with two other players last year at quarterback after not playing as a sophomore. He and Cooley were freshmen in the spring season delayed by the pandemic.
Last winter, Martinez put in more work on his own. He trained at Throw it Deep, the quarterback academy started by Jeff Christensen, often having Cooley join him for the sessions and improving their bond.
“I’ve had a couple long passes to him,” Martinez said. “He can outfoot anyone defending him. Fly, wheel, any route really, he’s outrunning someone.”
The Tomcats, who went 4-5 last season for the second year in a row, return to action Friday at home against Bartlett (1-1), which has a 19-8 win over Streamwood and a 21-14 loss to West Chicago.
It could be a key game for East Aurora in its bid to end a 40-year playoff drought. Last season, the Hawks won the matchup 21-14, one of two one-score losses that prevented the Tomcats from becoming a playoff qualifier.
“That score did catch my eye,” Martinez said of West Chicago-Bartlett. “But the goal here is to go 1-0 every week. We want to play like they took something from us. Every week.”
Cooley, who still plays basketball but hopes to continue in football at the next level, thinks this team has a ton of potential with chemistry that continues to grow.
East Aurora coach Nick Kukuc likes the growth Cooley has shown.
“Kenneth is really developing into a special player,” Kukuc said. “And the thing I’m most proud about him is his mentality and how he carries himself has grown.
“He’s really matured as a young man, and I think it’s translated to the field.”
It’s shown in his development into a leader as well, according to Kukuc.
“As you see from the last two weeks, he’s done some special things on the field for us,” he said. “It’s a testament to his practice habits and how he carries himself when he gets his reps every single day out here.
“He has pretty impressive speed and the ability to run by quite a few kids, but that’s not his only talent.”
