Aidan Gray was a little more fired up than usual when Naperville North played Glenbard North in the second week of the season.
Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald was watching his future quarterback from the sidelines. Gray committed to play for the Wildcats in February.
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“It was awesome being able to play in front of him,” Gray said. “I love everything that him and his coaching staff are doing up in Evanston.
“Of course, it was a little bit nerve-wracking, him being the great coach that he is, but being able to see him at my game was great motivation. I can’t wait to play for him.”
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Naperville North coach Sean Drendel is willing to wait awhile before Gray, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior, does that.
“Aidan is just special,” Drendel said. “He does the little things that we ask. He’s been with us for three years, and we want five more games with him.”
Gray will have at least one more game with the Huskies (7-2), who host Marist in a Class 8A playoff opener at 7 p.m. Friday.
He is an elite dual-threat quarterback. Gray’s performance in a 31-3 rout of Naperville Central in the regular-season finale was instructive. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 148 yards and rushed 15 times for 78 yards.
“He can do a lot of things,” Drendel said after that game. “We didn’t show off his arm too much tonight, but we made enough plays, so we didn’t need to.
“He’s a special kid, and he’s a great role model for anyone at Naperville North.”
With a strong arm and sturdy body, Gray has the capability to take over a game by himself. But he’s smart enough to know that hogging the spotlight isn’t wise and that utilizing his supporting cast is much more effective in the long run.
That’s why Gray heaps praise on running backs Nathan Jacobs, Danny Eloe and Cole Arl, receivers Luke Williams and Luke and Brock Pettaway, and linemen Jack Provenzano, Troy Salela, Jackson Kerstin, Zion Lee and Drew Jennings.
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“We have a great group of running backs, so we can rely on them at any point, and when we’re able to run the ball with great success, it just makes it easier on me,” Gray said. “My linemen, half of them I’ve been playing with for three years now, and they’re making it easy for me, and I’m able to get the ball to my receivers quickly.
“Throwing to guys like Luke Williams and the Pettaways is a great scenario. They run great routes, and they’re willing to put their body on the line for the team.”
So does Gray. Senior defensive end Jackson Bauer, a former tight end who caught passes from Gray beginning in fifth grade, said watching him run is a sight to see.
“It can be a little frustrating at times in practice when he pulls that ball and takes off with it,” Bauer said. “But in games it’s an absolute spark plug. He electrifies the entire team when he does that.
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“It really gets the defense going when we see him make big plays like that. It absolutely encourages us to go out there and keep getting him the ball.”
The Huskies have been effective even when Gray doesn’t keep the ball. He has completed 112 of 170 passes (65.9%) for 1,380 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions, while also rushing 62 times for 382 yards and one score.
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Arl had his first two-touchdown game against Naperville Central, while Jacobs and Eloe also scored.
“Coming up on varsity and having a quarterback like Aidan, who is D-I, is really great,” Arl said. “It’s kind of a relief.”
Gray will be the first Naperville North quarterback to play in the Big Ten since Scott Kavanagh, who played at Wisconsin from 1996 to 1999. Gray is happy about that but is savoring what’s left of his high school career.
“I’m so close with all these senior guys here,” Gray said. “I’m trying to embrace everything right now, staying in the moment and going out and playing five more games.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
