By Bobby Narang –
Nazareth Academy High School 2018 sophomore quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, led the Roadrunners to a Class 7A State championship in his first year on the varsity football team. Now he’s rising up the recruiting charts. Last season he threw for 3,289 yards and 36 touchdowns with only four interceptions.
Since late November 2018, when he led the Roadrunners to a State championship victory over St. Charles North, McCarthy has padded his offer list to 30. He has offers from nearly ever major conference, including schools, such as Michigan, LSU, Ohio State, Texas, Wisconsin, Penn State, and Tennessee. Nazareth defeated Batavia in State semifinal game in 2018.
Tim O’Halloran, of EdgyTim.com, said McCarthy is a special talent in his 24 years evaluating talent in the Chicago area.
“The kid can truly do it all and has the chance to be a great one,” O’Halloran said. “He has all the ability and can make all the throws. Now he’s grown and filled out and gotten bigger and stronger. He’s become a national recruit (at quarterback) probably earlier than anyone I can remember.”
McCarthy said he’s sticking to his approach of working hard to realize his vast dreams.
“My dad has really helped me with this process and keeping me humble,” McCarthy said. “Being a national recruit is nice, but I try and act like a no star (recruit) by keep pushing forward and doing my work. If you think just being a national recruit is enough, then you are going nowhere. My goal is to be in the NFL (National Football League) and you have to do all the steps to get there.”
• St. Francis baseball update:
The Spartans improved to 10-3 with a big victory over DeKalb Saturday. The school, in Wheaton, led by eight senior starters, aim for a long playoff run after losing in a Class 3A regional semifinal last season. The Spartans are relying on a strong and deep pitching staff. Senior Nick Kosmetatos, a four-year starter, improved to a 5-0 won-loss record by beating the Barbs.
“I feel really good about the team,” St. Francis head coach Nick Hall said. “We have a deep pitching staff that does a great job of keeping us in every game and throws strikes and changes speed. We have a bunch of talented pitchers. I’ve been waiting for this (senior) group for years. They are very tight-knit.
“If this team continues to get better every week, and with the right attitude and work ethic, we can compete for a (State) title in June.”