No audible here
Daily Herald

 

 

By Kevin Schmit Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted on November 23, 2001
Phil Horvath
Phil Horvath
 

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."

 

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