Copyright Chicago Tribune
The high school football career of Kaneland’s Jalen Carter has been a long, winding road. With stops at Aurora Christian and Wheaton St. Francis before playing his final season at Kaneland, the senior quarterback can look back now and say it was all worth it. “It’s been a little bit all over the place,” Carter said, nodding his head. “I definitely found a home. I love it here. I definitely know that this is where I’m supposed to be.” The Knights are happy to have him as well. Carter made an immediate impression when he joined the program, being named a captain. And his work on the field hasn’t been too shabby, either. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Carter has guided Kaneland (7-2) into a Class 5A first-round playoff matchup at 5 p.m. Saturday against Lakes (6-3). Carter has completed 78 of 136 passes for 1,275 yards and 13 touchdowns with five interceptions. He’s also the team’s second-leading rusher, adding 552 yards and 11 TDs on 64 carries. “It ended up working out exactly like I was hoping it would,” Kaneland coach Mike Thorgesen said. “I told him that when he came here last year. I said he’s home.” Carter didn’t grow up in the district, but he knew several players from travel sports over the years. Coincidentally, his father, Tyson, played for Thorgesen’s father, Joe, at Kaneland in the 1980s. “When we say it’s home, that’s part of the reason why,” Mike Thorgesen said. “He’s got that connection. Now I get to coach Jalen in his last year, and it feels like he’s been here four years. “He fits in. He’s a leader.” Carter fell into a favorable situation at Kaneland. The Knights were looking for a new quarterback, and he was an immediate fit. “I talked to coach Thorgesen and he gave me a rundown of how it was going to be,” Carter said. “Their quarterback just graduated, so they were switching up the offense and making it more tailored to the people that are on the team now.” That meant featuring senior running back Carter Grabowski. The plan worked as Grabowski has gained 1,057 yards and scored 15 TDs on 151 carries heading into the postseason. Add in Carter’s ability to run, and his transition to a new team was virtually seamless. “It fits me pretty well and we have a pretty good running back in Carter, which helps,” Carter said. “With all the running we do, teams can’t just key on Carter, because if they do that, we have game plans for me to run the ball, too. “That’s a big part of our offense.” Early on, Carter leaned heavily on Brady Brown in the passing game. Brown leads the team with 39 catches for 707 yards and six TDs. As the season has progressed, however, Carter has been incorporating Grabowski, Evan Frieders and Colton VanDyke into the mix. “I think our chemistry has gotten a lot better,” VanDyke said. “We can still improve. We just need to keep putting in the work in practice.” VanDyke has been impressed with how well Carter fit in. “He’s been great,” VanDyke said. “He’s an amazing player. He’s really progressed. He’s really uplifting, keeps you encouraged and motivated no matter what. “He’s just an amazing person to have around and a great teammate to play with.” Carter is coming off his best performance for Kaneland in a 55-28 win over Belleville Althoff. He’s hoping that helps translate to the postseason. “We’re pumped,” Carter said. “It’s a home playoff game, which is always nice. We’re really focused and dialed in. We think we can make a good run at this.” Regardless of how it shakes out, though, his coach knows Carter has made his mark at Kaneland. “He left a good impression on the program,” Thorgesen said. “He’s going to leave it better than he found it.” Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
