Geoff Durian can dream, but for the good of the team, he knows it’s wise to share.
That’s why the Marmion defensive coordinator hasn’t been greedy when it comes to junior standout Lucas Warren. The same is true for head coach Dan Thorpe, who oversees the offense.
“(Warren) is our leading tackler even though he hadn’t been playing all the snaps,” Durian said of Warren, a starter at linebacker and fullback.
“Lucas probably takes about 80 percent of the snaps at fullback and 80 percent of the snaps at linebacker,” Durian said.
Warren has been involved in a team-high 41 tackles through eight games (Marmion received one win by forfeit).
“It’s amazing how many tackles he’s got,” Durian said. “Obviously it would be more if he was in more often. He’s done very well. We move him between Mike (middle) and Will (weakside) linebacker, depending on the game situation.
“We want him where the ball is.”
That’s also true when he’s in on offense. Warren, one of 14 players who have carries in Thorpe’s diversified wing-T, is a load at 6-0, 235. He’s the team’s leading rusher with 85 carries for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns.
In a preseason outlook, Marmion coach Dan Thorpe described his Cadets as “a no-name team outside of (senior veterans Luke) Juriga and (Jordan) Glasgow, but a nice hustling, well-prepared team.”
That’s proven true, thanks to players like Warren stepping up to put their names on the list.
Marmion moved to the Catholic League Green this season following the breakup of the Suburban Christian Conference and hasn’t missed a beat. The Cadets went 6-3 to secure a second straight playoff berth and their fifth in the past six seasons.
“I was excited to get the chance to play some of those teams with Division I athletes,” Warren said. “It was a really good mix of teams on our schedule. I thought we could do as well as we’ve done and thought we might have been 7-2. I didn’t think we’d lose to Fenwick.”
Warren and Co. travel to DeKalb Friday to take on the one-loss Barbs in an IHSA Class 6A first-round playoff game.
Durian notes for his size, Warren “has got deceptive speed. He puts the pads on and he’s just as fast. He’s got good football speed and he’s a smart player, which is a very good asset.
“Lucas understands the game plan and where he has to be, and when you have that going for you, that can amount to an extra two or three steps.”
That preparation is why Durian has him make the play calls when he’s on the field.
“He also makes some checks for us, where we might call a blitz if the other team is in a certain formation,” Durian said. “He has to read that and make that call.”
On offense, Thorpe notes, Warren is also a force.
“He has tremendous size and hands for a high school fullback,” the coach said. “He’s very difficult to bring down.”
And, from time to time, he’s even outrun defensive players trying to bring him down.
Asked his preference, Warren lowered his voice, smiled and said almost sheepishly, “Probably offense. Have to admit, it’s fun scoring touchdowns.”
