When Naperville Central sophomore wide receiver Mark Williams got the word that he had made the varsity team last month, he knew he was taking a big jump up in class.
After all, moving from the freshman A team to varsity in one year is a chance not many players get.
Not surprisingly, Williams had a few butterflies in the season opener against Oswego.
“At first, I was scared,” he said. “I was scared and nervous the first couple games, but I had a lot of help around me, so it was good. I enjoyed it.”
The 5-foot-11, 155-pound Williams scored a touchdown in the Redhawks’ 31-15 loss to Oswego, the first of three straight losses.
But Williams proved he belonged, as Naperville Central coach Mike Ulreich knew he would. Williams is one of six sophomores brought up to varsity.
“He’s a guy who didn’t miss an offseason workout,” Ulreich said. “He was a guy who didn’t miss a summer practice.
“To be a varsity football player, there’s a lot of skill guys, but he is committed. He is determined. It means a lot to him.”
Williams is not the only varsity newcomer for whom that’s true. Another wide receiver, junior Kyle Clark, is committed to helping the Redhawks continue their winning tradition.
Williams and Clark both caught touchdown passes from junior quarterback Jackson Loth on Friday as the Redhawks beat host Neuqua Valley 24-17 for their first win of the season.
“This is the first game Kyle has started, and we knew that meant a lot to Kyle, so we were going to get a chance to get him the ball and take the top off the defense,” Ulreich said. “Both of those guys are everyday guys in the weight room. We just needed to trust them more than we had.”
That trust was rewarded. Clark scored the first touchdown on a diving catch in the first quarter, and Williams scored the second one, reeling in a 75-yard fade pass from Loth in the second quarter.
It was Williams’ sixth and final catch of the game. He finished with 111 receiving yards.
“He played great,” Loth said. “He stepped up to the occasion. It’s been everybody stepping up to the occasion today, and you’ve just got to love to see it.”
Clark certainly loves watching Williams, who caught Loth’s pass on the right sideline at Neuqua Valley’s 35-yard line with a defender on his hip and sprinted untouched into the end zone.
“I like to think I’m fast, and then I look at him, and I’m like, ‘It’s not even close,’” Clark said. “He’s the fastest guy on the team. We saw that on that play.”
Clark, in fact, said he had seen that Williams had a chance to exploit a seam in the defense.
“We saw it open up real quick,” Clark said. “I said to coach, ‘Throw that ball up to Mark. He’s going to make that play.’”
Ulreich knows that and is determined to get Williams more involved.
“We spent a lot of time watching our film from the previous game, and one of things I was frustrated at myself is we just didn’t give the ball to Mark enough,” Ulreich said. “So we tried early and often to get him the ball, especially because he can scoop and get the ball behind the defense. That was a big part of it.”
They say you never forget your first touchdown. But for Williams, the second score was extra special.
“It was life-changing,” he said. “I could see my teammates on the sidelines cheering for me. I see my family in the stands. I see my teammates — Kyle, Jackson — running down to me. It was like the best thing ever.”
As is playing varsity football.
“I love the atmosphere,” Williams said. “I love the team. I love everyone around me.”
There was a light rain Friday, making for slippery conditions. That didn’t slow Williams.
“We were on a grass field in the mud,” he said. “Everyone was sliding. It was just fun.
“I have good traction in my cleats. I stay up. I don’t make hard cuts. I try to keep myself up and create balance, just persevere.”
Clark is eager to see what else Williams will create.
“He’s only a sophomore,” Clark said. “I can’t imagine how much better he’s going to get the next two years.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.