Beck played a major role in Lake Forest’s success

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Quarterback Jordan Beck (left) and running back Owen Williams celebrate a touchdown during a preseason practice. They ended up celebrating quite a few TDs during the 2011 campaign. | Joel Lerner~Sun-Times Media

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Updated: January 30, 2012 9:58AM

His final numbers ended up being pretty good.

But just think what they could have been — if he hadn’t gotten “horse collared” just before halftime in a Week 7 victory over visiting Warren.

Jordan Beck managed to throw for more than 1,000 yards (1,154) despite being sidelined with an elbow injury for 2 1/2 games.

“Just having him in the lineup helped everyone else,” said Lake Forest coach Chuck Spagnoli. “He’s a good player, athletically, but what made him special, I think, was his leadership and character.”

Beck threw 10 touchdown passes, while he was picked off only five times. He completed 60 percent of his passes.

To his credit, he fought back and played in both state playoff games. In a 55-12 first-round win over Fenton, he completed 70 percent of his passes. And, in a 31-17 loss to Batavia in the second round, he tossed TD passes to Cameron Douglass and Liam Howe.

Beck benefited greatly from the playing time he logged as a junior.

“He was much more comfortable with the execution of our offense,” Spagnoli said.

Williams was amazing: The Scouts’ Owen Williams, a breakaway threat every time he touched the football, rushed for 1,266 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’s still making college visits and has yet to make a choice.

Williams’ performance in the third quarter of a 25-9 victory over Libertyville on Oct. 22 will be remembered for some time. He had touchdown runs of 30, 40 and 90 yards and also converted a two-point conversion.

“His ability to run away from people was really impressive,” Spagnoli said. “He was a huge part of everything we did.”

Williams’ younger brother, Trent, played defensive end. He had four sacks and 10 tackles for loss during his sophomore season.

Losing Bo hurt: Even though he missed more than half of the season with a knee injury, Bo Dever still caught 27 passes for 325 yards. With Dever, Luke Bernardi (37 receptions) and Cam Douglass (24 receptions), Beck had plenty of weapons to choose from.

“When we lost Bo, nobody outside the program realized how important he was to us,” Spagnoli said. “Not only was he our best receiver, but he gave us great matchups.”

Next year, Dever will be a preferred walk-on at the University of Michigan.

“They’ll be nothing but pleased with him,” Spagnoli said.

Determined ‘D’: After yielding 31 points in the season opener, the Scouts didn’t allow another opponent to score more than 19 points in the regular season.

Senior defensive back Nick Keefe (7 sacks, 47 solo tackles) and Brandt Pfeifer (45 solo tackles) had a lot to do with that.

“I don’t know if Nick could have had a better season,” Spagnoli said. “He was the heart and soul of everything we did defensively.

“And Brandt played his best football as a senior, and that’s all you can ask.”

Keefe, along with Phil Sheridan (42 tackles), Ben Warren (4 interceptions) and Tim Wilson (2 interceptions), formed an extremely productive secondary.

Building blocks: The Kutschke brothers — Jack, a sophomore linebacker and Tom, a defensive lineman — will help anchor next year’s defense. Jack Kutschke led the team in tackles (48 solos), and Tom Kutschke notched three sacks and 12 tackles for loss.

“They both have unique skills that set them apart, but they’re similar in terms of the passion they play with,” Spagnoli said.

Junior quarterback Andrew Clifford threw for close to 400 yards and four touchdowns.

Sophomore running back Hub Cirame (8.2 yards per carry) has a chance to be very special. Same for junior running back Scott Powell (13.2 average).

Special stuff: As a junior, Baylor Broughton made eight field goals and had the leg to hit from 40 yards-plus.

“As a senior, he could be one of the top kickers in the state,” Spagnoli said.

Freshman Evan Boudreaux played quarterback on the freshman team and was brought up to varsity near the end of the season. Boudreaux, 6-foot-7, became the starting punter for the final four games.

“We called him up in case we needed him at quarterback,” Spagnoli said. “His punting was icing on the cake.”

Season to remember: Lake Forest (8-3) finished in a three-way tie for the North Suburban Conference Lake Division title. It was the Scouts’ first championship since 1995.