Crete-Monee’s Kevin Pate laughed at the comparison.
A Crete-Monee starting wide receiver with college potential being asked to play defensive end?
Before becoming a star wide receiver at Mississippi and a first-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings, Laquon Treadwell was asked to play defensive end for Crete-Monee against Rich Central in his junior year. Now it’s Pate’s turn.
“It’s a fun position and I treat defensive end the same way that I treat wide receiver: 120 percent,” Pate said. “I always try to get to the quarterback or whoever has the ball.”
Although the 6-foot, 175-pound Pate isn’t blessed with Treadwell’s physique or stunning abilities, the senior does have an offer from Davenport in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Panthers expect to leave the NAIA for NCAA Division II next fall.
Pate also has been receiving interest from Southern Illinois and Wisconsin-Whitewater.
“My recruiting is going good right now and I’m getting a lot of looks,” Pate said. “Every year I’ve gotten better and my coaches have put in a lot of work with me and I can see improvement and progression, and hopefully that will help my recruiting.”
Pate is capable of playing multiple positions, but his college interest is mainly for wide receiver. He’s played quarterback, running back, defensive end and on punt and kick return teams.
Right now, Pate is focused on leading the Warriors (5-2) back to the state finals. Crete-Monee lost 38-15 to Montini in the Class 6A championship in DeKalb last season.
“It’s not easy playing a lot of positions, but not hard because I pick up things very easy,” Pate said. “My goal is teamwork and helping us go to state. We have to work even harder to do it two times in a row.”
McArthur commits: Tinley Park senior catcher Cody McArthur had one big goal in his recruiting process: commit before national signing date in November.
McArthur had to take a different path to his goal but ended his recruiting ahead of his timetable by committing to Division II Missouri Western State on Saturday.
“I worked out with the team and toured the campus and I really like facilities there and the coaches were great,” McArthur said. “I just thought it was a perfect fit for me, so I just jumped on it.”
McArthur, a two-year starter, had never visited the Missouri Western State campus until last weekend. The 5-10, 175-pounder was playing in a fall baseball league tournament in Iowa City, Iowa. He decided to visit Missouri Western State in St. Joseph on a whim since the travel time was shorter from Iowa.
“Their coach really wanted me to come down and visit and work out, but since it was an eight-hour drive, it was hard to visit,” McArthur said. “I was relatively closer, so we jumped on it. I didn’t want to risk playing my senior year uncommitted, just in case I got hurt and there goes my chance at playing in college. The pressure is off me, and I can play my senior year without that stress.”
Tidbits: Morgan Park’s Ayo Dosunmu is emerging as one of the most coveted junior guards in the country. The 6-3 Dosunmu has offers from 17 schools, including Illinois, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Marquette.
Bob Narang is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.
