As a member of the freshman team a season ago for Glenbard South (Glenbard, IL), Kevin Cooke would eventually find himself dressing for the varsity.
This came during the Raiders’ opening round appearance in the 2016 IHSA Class 5A State Playoffs.
One year and 161 total tackles later at linebacker, Cooke is now a Class 3A state champion with Immaculate Conception Catholic Prep (Elmhurst, IL) following the Knights’ 35-0 win over Pleasant Plains during the Thanksgiving holiday.
“It was an incredible year,” he said. “I love the school, the people there and the great academics. It was great to win a championship.”
And the 2020 prospect did so with family in the stands at Huskie Stadium on the campus of Northern Illinois which included two influential figures as it relates to football.
His father Kevin and his brother Sean, who suffered an ACL tear prior to a senior campaign with Glenbard South, and is currently a running back for Carnegie Mellon (Pittsburgh, PA).
“My Dad played at Loras College (Dubuque, IA) and St. Laurence (Burbank, IL) and has always helped me understand the game,” he said. “Him and my brother are role models to me.”
Cooke is looking towards taking on more of a leadership role for himself next year.
ICCP will graduate nine seniors and are expected to move up to Class 4A after consecutive state titles at 3A as well as a semifinal appearance in 2015.
“My goal right now is to be more vocal,” he said. “I was quiet this year. The juniors and seniors helped me out. Transitioning to the varsity was an adjustment with more speed and physicality on the field. Now I can focus on being that type of leader.”
Check out my highlight – https://t.co/FRbEBwQ9m2
— Kevin Cooke (@KevinCooke_44) December 5, 2017
Great article. Great writing. Great student athlete. Really enjoy reading all of Ryan Long’s articles!