Raising the Curtin: Two TD catches by Jimmy Curtin spark Lincoln-Way East in Class 8A state quarterfinals. ‘It was something special to watch.’

Jimmy Curtin knew it was his time to step up and be a big-play threat for Lincoln-Way East.

So, the senior receiver put a lot of time into speed training with his uncle Kevin, a two-time Division II All-American and Harlon Hill Trophy finalist at Winona State.

Curtin also has been emulating Christian McCaffrey, an All-Pro running back for the Carolina Panthers who was recently traded to the San Francisco 49ers.

“My uncle knows McCaffrey’s trainer, so we base what we do off his workouts,” Curtin said. “We work three or four times a week. It’s helped a lot. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot faster.”

Curtin showed off that speed Saturday, turning a short pass into an 80-yard touchdown.

He finished with five catches for 111 yards and two TDs as the host Griffins rolled to a 35-14 victory over Warren in a Class 8A state quarterfinal game in Frankfort.

Braden Tischer completed 12 of 16 passes for 152 yards and three TDs, while James Kwiecinski ran for 84 yards and a TD on 18 carries for top-seeded Lincoln-Way East (12-0), which will host either Glenbard West or Maine South in next week’s semifinals.

Adam Behrens threw a 7-yard TD pass to Niko Mantzoros for eighth-seeded Warren (10-2).

The Blue Devils did a solid job slowing down Lincoln-Way East’s ground game, but the Griffins were ready to pass.

“We knew they were going to load the box up, and we were able to hit some throws,” Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said. “Jimmy’s been doing that for us all year.

“The Curtin family is a big football family, and it’s great to see Jimmy step up and be a leader for us.”

Curtin has been inspired by both his uncle, Kevin, and his dad, Jim, who played in college at St. Francis.

“Coach Z asked us to play for somebody this week and I picked my uncle, Kevin, because he’s why I’m where I’m at,” Curtin said. “He’s basically my speed coach.

“Last year, I didn’t play as much as I would like to, but toward the end of the season, I started to step it up. I knew I had to work hard over the offseason so I could come out here this year and be that guy.”

Curtin caught a 13-yard TD pass Saturday from Tischer for the game’s opening score with three seconds left in the first quarter.

Then, he hauled in a short pass along the sidelines, ran past multiple defenders and dashed 80 yards for his second TD to make it 14-0 late in the first half.

“The coaches were making fun of me the last five or 10 yards,” Curtin said of the 80-yard TD. “They said I looked a little slow. But I scored, so that’s all that matters.”

Tischer also threw a 6-yard TD pass to Petey Olaleye and Dylan Weathers returned a fumble 20 yards for a TD to boost the Griffins.

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Caden O’Rourke and Jake Scianna each had a sack and led the defense as Lincoln-Way East built a 35-0 lead.

“You don’t expect to be up 35-0 against a team like Warren,” Zvonar said. “It was a great all-around effort.

“After losing to Loyola in the quarterfinals last year, one of our goals was to get past the quarterfinals this year, and we’ve got that one.”

Going forward, Tischer knows he has a reliable target in Curtin.

“Jimmy is doing a great job,” Tischer said. “We had a ton of offseason work together and it all showed in this game. He’s done everything right, everything we ask of him.

“He’s been working on his speed all offseason, and it showed on that long touchdown. That was like another level of speed. He accelerated past everyone else. It was something special to watch.”

Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.