By Kevin Schmit Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted on November 23, 2001
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Phil Horvath |
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Phil Horvath basked in the glow of the
beaming lights.
His Naperville Central teammates were by his
side that night, including wide receiver Tyke
Spencer and running back Jason Paquette.
Horvath - as always - played quarterback as
helmets and pads awkwardly clanked together on a
crisp field of grass.
They ran play after play, until it got too
close to their bedtime.
They were first graders, embarking on what
would be a decade of football success.
"It was great, our parents would hang lights
in the trees for us and we'd play all night,"
Horvath said. "Tyke's dad would get us pads and
helmets. It was a whole group of us out there."
They'll be out there again on Saturday as
Naperville Central (13-0) plays Downers Grove
South (11-2) for the Class 8A state title at the
University of Illinois' Memorial Stadium in
Champaign.
Horvath is still the quarterback, only a
bigger version. And much more talented.
Displaying a combination of skill, savvy,
versatility, intelligence and leadership,
Horvath is the Honorary Captain of the Daily
Herald's DuPage All-Area Team for 2001.
His mistake-free brand of football made
Horvath difficult to stop, especially in the
Redhawks' system.
"Their offense calls for a lot of versatility
from the quarterback," said Wheaton Warrenville
South defensive coordinator Ron Muhitch. "They
have to be able to throw the ball, and run the
option. They have to throw the out, and the deep
ball.
"Horvath also has the responsibility of
calling audibles at the line, and that just
shows his intelligence. Those are all the
intangibles of a good quarterback.
"You get one or two of those players in your
coaching career with all those attributes.
Horvath is definitely one of those players."
Numbers alone tell the story. Heading into
Saturday's game, Horvath completed 121 of 202
passes (60 percent) for 2,104 yards, 24
touchdowns and only 6 interceptions.
Horvath was named to the all-DuPage Valley
Conference team as well as the coaches
association's Class 8A all-state team. He was
also named to the academic all-state team.
Horvath was thrust into the role of starting
quarterback as a junior when Owen Daniels, now
at the University of Wisconsin, went down with a
season-ending knee injury in Week Three.
Horvath threw for 1,427 yards and 10
touchdowns, learning the varsity ropes along the
way. The Redhawks were eliminated in the state
quarterfinals by Naperville North, but Horvath
firmly established himself as one of the top
returning quarterbacks entering the 2001 season.
He dedicated himself in the off-season -
especially in the weight room. Horvath and
linebacker Mike Lucas worked with a trainer who
pushed them several days a week.
The two even pushed cars and threw tires to
keep the intensity up.
Not only did Horvath add 20 pounds of muscle,
he also added tremendous arm strength to make
him a downfield threat throwing the ball.
At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Horvath is the
prototype of a standout drop-back quarterback.
"He's a kid who wanted it," said Redhawks
quarterbacks coach J.R. Rexilius. "It didn't
happen overnight, he paid a price. He was always
prepared, so his knowledge and grasp of the game
is incredible.
"He's one of the hardest workers I've ever
had."
Work and play go hand in hand for Horvath.
In addition to the backyard football games
that honed his skills as a child, Horvath and
his friends played various other games.
Horvath threw the ball into a basketball hoop
at different lengths to improve his touch. He
whipped the ball through swinging tires to gain
accuracy and arm strength.
Every type of game he played - and there were
plenty of them - helped him in the long run.
"I've always tried to work on different
things," Horvath said. "Even as a kid, I always
tried to improve my skills."
Horvath grew up watching Naperville Central,
dreaming of being the next Tim Lavery, Christian
Pearson or Jason Harsant - all former all-DVC
quarterbacks for the program.
In fact, Horvath lived just down the block
from the high school for most of his life.
At least until the move.
The Horvath's moved during Phil's freshman
year at Naperville Central and planned to build
a house - within the borders of Naperville
North.
But before the family even lifted a box, they
made sure Phil could stay at Naperville Central.
They filled out the proper paperwork, and the
issue was settled.
Phil remained a Redhawk.
"My dad made sure I could stay before we had
the house built," Phil said. "The tradition at
Naperville Central is so great, that's pushed me
to love the sport and the school."
Horvath's respect for the program showed
throughout his two-year varsity career.
He didn't miss a beat while filling in for
Daniels, and grabbed the leadership reins from
the beginning of this season.
When two-year tailback Kyle Griffith went
down in Week Six with a season-ending knee
injury, Horvath completed 10 of 14 passes for
219 yards and 3 touchdowns in a win over
Glenbard North.
The following week against Naperville North,
he completed 14 of 21 passes for 231 yards and 2
touchdowns.
This is Horvath's team, and his confidence in
calling audibles and reading defenses proved as
much. Horvath's field smarts perfectly
complement his physical abilities.
"He made some great checks out there against
us," said Naperville North defensive coordinator
Sean Drendel. "It was like he knew exactly where
to hit us.
"He really makes them go. He makes everyone
on the offense look better."
With Paquette chewing up 1,400 rushing yards
and receivers Dan Passarelli and Spencer
catching a combined 1,600 receiving yards, the
skill players have thrived behind a steady
offensive line anchored by all-DVC linemen Rob
Bentley and Brendan Baskin.
Horvath brought it all together.
"He's just got a knack for that position,"
Spencer said. "His vision's great, he's gotten a
lot stronger. He's just a very calm presence."
Horvath has one Division I college offer on
the table from Northern Illinois University. Big
Ten and other Mid American Conference teams have
expressed interest, but no other offers - yet.
"I'm kind of confused why schools aren't all
over him," Drendel said.
Horvath takes a 21-1 varsity record into
Saturday's title game, with a shot at redemption
for the Redhawks' only loss in three years - the
one to Naperville North.
But while he may now live within the Huskies'
borders, nothing has changed since first grade.
Horvath still prefers the bright lights of
Naperville Central.
"There's a lot of great quarterbacks that
have come through Naperville Central," he said.
"It's great to be able to carry on that
tradition." |