Football has always been a part of Downers Grove North senior Caden Chiarelli’s life.

As one of several family members to play football, including for the Trojans, Chiarelli is enjoying his final playoff experience.

Chiarelli, a wide receiver and safety, is an integral player for Downers Grove North. But Chiarelli said he’s happy to follow in the long line of family members to make a name in football.

How deep does the Chiarelli name extend at Downers Grove North?

“My dad played football at North and also wore number four,” Chiarelli said. “I’ve been wearing his old jerseys as my practice jerseys. My older brother played at North, my younger brother is a sophomore on the team and I’ve had cousins play at North.”

Chiarelli said his older brother, Joe, taught him countless lessons on how to succeed in sports and life that aided his career.

“My older brother was a part of a great team and was one of their best players,” Chiarelli said. “He has really shown me what it’s like to play as a safety and hit some people hard.”

Chiarelli hopes to follow in his older brother’s footsteps by leading Downers Grove North to a long playoff run. The Trojans (8-2) hit the road to play West Suburban Silver rival Glenbard West at 1 p.m. Saturday.

The Hilltoppers (9-1) crushed the Trojans 35-21 in Week 4 in Glen Ellyn, but the senior quarterback Owen Lansu, a Minnesota recruit, sat out the game with an injury.

“The whole team is beyond excited,” Chiarelli said of playing Glenbard West. “It’s win or go home and the season and career is then over for many players, so we’re ready to get these guys and forget what happened the last time. It’s all or nothing now.”

Downers Grove North coach Joe Horeni said Caden is living up to the family’s name for his football team. He busted loose for a 65-yard touchdown run in last week’s Class 7A first-round playoff win over Prospect.

“It’s a cool tradition for that family,” Horeni said. “Caden is a great kid. He’s a tough two-way player. He plays running back for us, too. He’s undersized, some people would say but he’s tough and a hard-nosed football player who plays the right way. A lot of credit goes to his family.

“Defensively, he provides leadership in the back end. He plays safety but tackles like a linebacker. We will need that spark going into Glenbard West, a big run team. He also is a punt returner and has a ton of confidence in himself.”

Chiarelli said he doesn’t mind playing multiple positions, relying on his wrestling background to stay in optimum shape all season to handle a heavy load of reps and hits.

“Running back may be my favorite position, having the ball in my hands is a special feeling,” Chiarelli said. “I’m able to control the game and do something special when the ball is in my hands.”

Lyons set for fresh opponent

Lyons coach Jon Beutjer – and his team – are probably pretty happy to see another team line up against them this weekend other than York. After beating their West Suburban Silver Division rivals in back-to-back weeks, the Lions (8-2) are looking forward to playing a different team in the Class 8A second round of the playoffs.

The Lions travel to Fremd (9-1) on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. game.

“York is a very good football team and a program, but it’s hard to beat a football team like that twice in a season,” Beutjer said. “We played them in week nine and both of us really wanted to win that game to be 7-2 going into the playoffs. We won, but it was a close game. We had just thrown everything at them, like how we would attack offensively and line up defensively.

“We’re happy to get that win. I’m really proud of our players for staying composed and executing one play at a time. We now face a very good Fremd team. Fremd has a lot of good football players.”

The Vikings will test the Lions’ defense with their big-play offense. Fremd quarterback Johnny O’Brien, a Northwestern recruit, tossed three touchdown passes in last week’s rout over Huntley.

“Fremd puts up a lot of points and their quarterback is very talented,” Beutjer said. “He’s one of the better throwers I’ve seen in a long time. He’s very good and he’s got weapons around him. They have a very good offensive line and they play hard and tough. They got it rolling, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Beutjer praised the play of senior wide receiver/cornerback Anthony Pearson and two-way lineman Jimmy Hillman and Roman Sosnovyy.

“Anthony has been playing very well for us,” he said. “He’s always covering the other team’s best wide receiver, which is a very challenging thing to do. He’s playing some very good football and worked really hard. Jimmy plays left guard and nose tackle. He has a lot of grit and is physical and really wants to win.

“Roman plays defensive end and right tackle. Him and Jimmy don’t get many breaks during a game and that’s a mental and physical toughness and shows how much they want to win. They lay it all on the line for their teammates.”

Extra points

St. Francis wide receiver Zach Washington endured a tough game against Loyola in the regular season, dropping several passes in the defeat. But the Michigan State recruit is back to his old big-play self in the playoffs, returning a kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown in a 35-28 win over Morgan Park in a Class 5A first-round playoff game last week.

Washington also added three receptions for 31 yards and a TD.