Naperville North running back Nick Mlady is our player of the year. Maybe you could make the case that Waubonsie Valley's Tyler Castro was slightly more valuable, in that you could ask: Where would the Warriors be without their senior quarterback? But think of all the big-time running backs who have gone through North's double-wing system - Mlady has rushed for more yards than any of them, doing it for a top-ranked team and DuPage Valley Conference champion. That was our rationale - what are your thoughts on the offense and defense? (Props to Dustin Harris for the Web content.)
Benet: December 2008 Archives
Northern Illinois senior defensive end Larry English has won the Mid-American Conference's MVP award for the second-consecutive season. The Aurora native and Marmion graduate also earned the defensive player of the year award, the league office announced Tuesday.
Central Michigan junior quarterback Dan LeFevour, a Benet graduate, was named second-team all-MAC after earning first-team recognition the past two seasons. The Downers Grove native completed 223-of-336 passes for 2,531 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 536 yards and six touchdowns.
This projection has the Chippewas playing East Carolina in the GMAC Bowl. Coming off a 2-10 season, the 6-foot-3-inch, 255-pound English helped lift Northern Illinois (6-6) back to bowl eligibility. English led the Huskies with eight quarterback sacks, three forced fumbles and 15 tackles for loss.
"When you put the film on, the difference between Larry and everyone else is evident," Northern Illinois coach Jerry Kill said in a statement released by the athletics department. "He doesn't take plays off, he plays with a tremendous motor. What makes him so special is what is inside of him. He just has a motor that never quits."
Beacon News columnist/fashion consultant Jim Owczarski broke down English's pro prospects here.
Check in Friday for our 2008 player of the year and all-city selections. We're aiming for three pages in the print edition and Web guru Dustin Michael Harris is working on some cool online aspects. At that point, feel free to tell us how clueless we are for ignoring Player X instead of Player Y. But now that the IHSA has crowned eight state champions and the 2008 season is in the books, what are your standout moments from this year? And who do you think will be the 2009 player of the year?
