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| Wednesday, July 16 |
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| Casey at the helm By Matthew Stabley SchoolSports.com | ||||||
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At many high schools, the football team and the boys' soccer team compete with each other to be recognized as the best fall sport. Often times, this is done in jest. But sometimes, the teams root against each other with sincere ill will. At Lincoln-Way High (Ill.), this rivalry would be having an historical year. The Lincoln-Way boys' soccer team is considered the best in Chicagoland and is ranked third nationally. Meanwhile, the football team is ranked No. 24 in the country by SchoolSports.com.
But according to quarterback Casey Paus, the two powerhouses coexist amicably in New Lenox, Ill. "I just watched [the soccer team] this evening," said Paus on Oct. 10. "They beat Sandburg, 2-1. Usually, the stereotype is (the football and soccer teams) don't get along. I have a couple friends on the (soccer) team. It's just fun to watch them play and watch them excel at their sport. It can be pretty amazing." Paus can be pretty amazing to watch as well. For a 9-0 Lincoln-Way squad this season, he has completed roughly 55 percent of his passes for more than 1,000 yards, making him one of the most highly recruited quarterbacks in the nation. Next year, Paus will head to the University of Washington and play football in the same conference as his brother, Cory, who was lured to the Pac-10 by UCLA in 1998. Cory was considered one of the best quarterbacks to ever come out of Illinois, but Casey might prove to be better. When the brothers were knee high, Casey got a head start in football. "I was in the first grade when my brother started playing as a third-grader, and my mother thought she might try me in it as well," says Casey. Casey is a 17-year-old senior now, and he has grown into a classic 6-foot-4, 210-pound pocket passer. One of his most valuable assets, though, is his ability and willingness to move outside the pocket when the situation dictates. "I like to think of myself as a drop-back passer," says Casey. "A lot of people say there aren't too many drop-back passers left, but that's how I like to play. And at the same time, I like to get out and move and throw on the run and let things happen that way." Having a brother who went on to play Division I football has certainly helped Casey's development as a high school quarterback -- and in particular as a hotly recruited high school quarterback. Casey chose Washington for athletic and academic reasons, and also to follow his gut feelings. "I was very pleased with what I saw and what the school had to offer," says Casey, a budding artist who will probably study industrial design if it fits into his football schedule. "At the same time, it's a very good program. It's returning to the dominance that it once had."
Material from SchoolSports.com.Visit their web site at www.schoolsports.com | |
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