EVANSTON — Maine South junior quarterback Brian Collis paid Dan Ellsworth the ultimate compliment Friday following the Hawks’ 46-19 Central Suburban South win over Evanston.
“He makes my life hell in practice,” Collis said of the senior safety. “He’s so good at disguising his looks, changing his depths. Sometimes, he’s in the same spot, but it’s in a different coverage.
“It’s really good for me to practice against him. It’s very game-like.”
Although he was slowed in the second half of Friday’s football game by a left groin pull, the 5-11, 193-pound Ellsworth also makes life difficult for opposing offenses. The two-year starter can play both safety positions with equally positive results, according to Maine South coach Dave Inserra.
“He has the speed and field awareness to play the pass, and he actually could play outside linebacker because he’s an excellent tackler,” said Inserra, who doubles as the team’s defensive coordinator. “He sucked it up [Friday] and played hard despite his injury. We tried to save him a bit in the second half.”
A week earlier, Ellsworth picked up his second interception of the season in Maine South’s 65-21 win over Niles West. The interception was the perfect combination of him being in the right spot and using his athleticism to jump up and snag the hard-thrown pass.
“I was just reading the quarterback,” Ellsworth said. “We tried to disguise that coverage by starting out deep and then moving forward. It all happened so fast, and I didn’t really have time to think about it. That’s where watching tape helps.”
Inserra said that play was proof of Ellsworth’s value to the defense.
“He’s extremely intelligent about the way he plays,” Inserra said. “He went to the right spot on the field and made a great play on a bullet of a pass. It was thrown high, and he had to change directions, jump, reach out his arms as high as he could and catch the ball.
“He executed it perfectly, and we kept showing it on film because it was such a great play.”
When he’s healthy and the game is relatively close, Ellsworth rarely takes off a defensive play. Additionally, he plays on every special teams unit, which is a badge of honor for a Maine South player. Inserra even called Ellsworth “a two-way starter” for his full-time work in both areas of the game.
“Special teams is really important to me, and I take a lot of pride in it,” Ellsworth said. “It’s often an overlooked part of the game, but it’s something we really stress a lot.”
The only time Ellsworth catches his breath is when the No. 4-ranked Hawks (8-0, 4-0) are on offense. But there was a time this summer that Maine South experimented with him as a wide receiver. Ellsworth said Inserra decided it was best he focus on defense.
“We have a lot of talent on offense, so there was no great need for me there,” Ellsworth said. “And I really love playing safety. You’re always in a spot to make a play, whether it’s a big hit or an interception. I wouldn’t give it up to play anything else.”
Evanston
• After Friday’s loss, Evanston (3-5, 1-3) isn’t eligible to make the state playoffs. The Wildkits had been to the postseason four years in a row. They close out the season next week at New Trier (7-1, 3-1).
• Senior running back/wide receiver Brandon Hilliard showed off his playmaking ability Friday. He caught seven passes for 49 yards and a touchdown and ran seven times for 25 yards. He also returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to cut Maine South’s lead to 14-12 at the 9:35 mark of the second quarter.
• Junior quarterback Matt Little went 13-for-25 for 109 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
