St. Xavier, JCA connect on signing day

JOLIET – When St. Xavier football coach Mike Feminis received commitments from offensive linemen Jalen Hansel and Justin Hunter and running back Mike Ivlow, he said he felt like he had hit the trifecta at the Kentucky Derby.

When safety Jackson Shanklin joined the three offensive players, he said, "Now it feels like going to Vegas and hitting the jackpot. Four unbelievable kids – this might be a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

Feminis was at Joliet Catholic for Wednesday’s national letter-of-intent signing day ceremony to help welcome the four Hilltoppers into the fold. And as if that weren’t enough, another former JCA standout, linebacker Mike Mettille, recently transferred to St. Xavier from Penn.

Ivlow is the reigning Herald-News Offensive Player of the Year. Hansel and Hunter were mainstays on an offensive line Feminis described as "a college line, and I'm not talking on the small-college level." He described Shanklin as "an ideal safety for our system."

"Coach [Dan] Sharp has been great to us forever, steering players to us," Feminis said of the Hilltoppers' coach. "Every recruiting year is different, though. This was all a perfect storm.

"Joliet Catholic was not loaded with Division I guys, which was perfect for us. Hansel and Hunter are examples. Had they been an inch or two taller, I would not have been able to even talk to them. The Division I guys would have come after them."

The Hilltoppers’ season, which was hampered by injuries but still was highly successful, ended in a 22-21 loss to Montini in the Class 5A state quarterfinals.

Ivlow, who had committed to St. Francis but changed his mind in October, said the St. Xavier running back position is open. The Cougars run a spread offense, "but they said they're going to run the ball more," he said with a smile. "There will be situations in the spread where I may be a slot receiver, too."

All Ivlow did last season was rush for 2,603 yards in 12 games, a 9.6 average per carry, and 32 touchdowns. He will be rooming with Hansel.

"The four of us will bring a lot of chemistry to the team," Ivlow said.

In addition to St. Xavier's grand slam, the Hilltoppers celebrated the signing of five additional football players.

"It's a special day across the country, and we're so fortunate to have nine guys sign," Sharp said. "That's a remarkable number."

"I'm happy for all these guys," Ivlow said. "I love them to death."

Offensive lineman J.B.Butler is going to Northwestern as a preferred walk-on, intending to earn a scholarship after his first year. Tight end/linebacker Zach Rezin signed with Football Championship Subdivision school Bryant in Rhode Island, linebacker Kevin Jensen with Division II Truman State, defensive end Xavier Hernandez with McKendree and center Nick Chavez with Robert Morris.

Butler missed five-plus games as a senior with a broken ankle but still earned All-East Suburban Catholic Conference honors for a third time. He can play any line position and will begin his career at center.

Former Hilltoppers running back Malin Jones is at Northwestern, as are offensive lineman Blake King (Minooka) and defensive lineman Tyler Lancaster (Plainfield East).

"I talked with all those guys. I stayed with Blake when I visited," Butler said.

Butler could have had a scholarship to Western Illinois or gone to Brown or Penn, but to him, "Northwestern is the best of both worlds with academics and football. It's the best Big Ten school to go to."

AREA SIGNINGS

BOLINGBROOK Boys Soccer Luis Loya, Indiana-Purdue-Indianapolis Football Eric Harris, Dubuque Cecil Nicholson, Indianapolis John Hall, Butler Mike Valentine, William Penn C.J. Clark, McKendree Parrker Westphal, Northwestern (has graduated and enrolled at Northwestern) Jaden Huff, St. Cloud State (has graduated and enrolled at St. Cloud State) Girls Soccer Nikia Smith, Northwestern

JOLIET CATHOLIC Football J.B. Butler, Northwestern Mike Ivlow, St. Xavier Jalen Hansel, St. Xavier Justin Hunter, St. Xavier Jackson Shanklin, St. Xavier Zach Rezin, Bryant Kevin Jensen, Truman State Xavier Hernandez, McKendree Nick Chavez, Robert Morris

JOLIET WEST Girls Track & Field LaSandra Armstrong, Robert Morris

LEMONT Girls Soccer Kelly Fritz, Illinois-Chicago Kim Jerantowski, Northwestern

LINCOLN-WAY CENTRAL Baseball Brad Bass, Notre Dame Kevin Mampe, St. Francis Boys Cross Country/Track Chris Kaminski, Drake Girls Cross Country/Track Mallory Johnson, St. Francis J.J. Robinson, Milligan

Girls Basketball Kelsie Foster, Trinity Christian College Softball Ashley Evans, Northern Illinois University Hannah Hosty, DePaul Girls Soccer Paige Proctor, Illinois-Chicago

LINCOLN-WAY WEST Baseball Luke Morgan, South Alabama Football Jordan Quinn, Concordia (Wis.) Josh Hilt, Wisconsin-Whitewater Andrew Gray, South Dakota Alex Gray, South Dakota Brennan Mulroe, St. Francis Ian McGrath, Evansville Ray Rodriguez, Augustana Soccer Paul Miller, Olivet Nazarene Swimming Tori Tiberi, Illinois Wesleyan Volleyball Carissa Lorenz, McKendree

LINCOLN-WAY EAST Baseball Evan Sandmann, Dallas Baptist Football Nick Allegretti, Illinois Girls Basketball Kara Krolicki, St. Xavier Girls Diving Rachel Criscione, Illinois-Chicago Girls Volleyball Jessica Lindsey, Ball State Taylor Nirchi, Elmhurst Softball Taylor Szostak, Tampa Track & Field Chris Reed, Huntington PLAINFIELD EAST Football Mozel Hargrays, Football, St. Cloud State Cullen Rompa, Football, Upper Iowa

PLAINFIELD NORTH Boys Soccer Logan Wright, Western Michigan Football Chris Mack, Dayton Girls Soccer Heather Handwork, Marquette Shayna Dheel, Western Kentucky Sara Stevens, Grand Valley State Softball Shannon Vaughan, Indiana Wesleyan

PLAINFIELD SOUTH Cross Country Dan Lathrop, Illinois Miasael Tobias, St. Francis Football Clifton Garret, LSU Richard Kelly, Concordia (Minn.) Girls Soccer Kelsey Pruett, SIU-Edwardsville Ashley McClendon, Southwest Baptist

PROVIDENCE CATHOLIC Football Noah Cralle, Butler Jeff Cesario, Minnesota State-Moorhead Girls Soccer Alyssa Dorning, Illinois Wesleyan Lauren Rasmussen, Carroll Jessica Hryn, California (Pa.) Kyleigh Maday, Illinois Track & Field Michael Monroe, Pennsylvania, high jump

ROMEOVILLE Football Anthony Love, Eastern Illinois Miguel Ford, Robert Morris