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Tyler Jansey was in the stands at Huskie Stadium when Batavia won the Class 7A state title in 2017.
His older brother, Michael, now at Northwestern, was a starting linebacker as a junior on the Bulldogs’ team that beat Lake Zurich in overtime in the Class 7A state final.
Tyler now gets his chance – in his second varsity season as a sophomore – to play on that same college field against Geneva on April 2.
“That was the most memorable football game I’ve ever been to,” Jansey said. “The atmosphere – we literally had the whole town of Batavia at that game. It was just awesome seeing my brother make plays, see Batavia, our team, at that high level.
“I’ve realized so much how blessed I am, really, that I have coach [Dennis] Piron and that I live in this wonderful town of Batavia,” Jansey continued. “The coaches make an awesome environment for [us].”
April 2 marks the 102nd career meeting between the Bulldogs and Vikings. Geneva leads the all-time series 51-45-5, but Batavia has dominated over the past decade, winning the last nine meetings.
“I cannot wait. Words cannot describe how awesome it’s going to be stepping up on that NIU field,” Jansey said. “Plus, that feeling of being on a college stadium. What the future could hold, you know? That’s always been my dream to play college football, so having that opportunity is a blessing.”
Jansey played in four games last season, mostly as a fullback. His second game on varsity was against the Vikings. The significance of that game isn’t lost on him.
“Coach [Matt] Holm always does a massive speech the day before,” Jansey said. “It’s awesome, so I cannot wait to play against them.”
Through two games, Jansey is second on Batavia with 10 tackles, 1½ sacks and two quarterback hurries. Playing alongside Arizona commit Matt Weerts has continued to pay off.
“Anytime I make a mistake, he’s always there to help me out and correct it,” Jansey said. “He’s always just lifting me up. If I make a good play, he’s going to be right there [by] my side. Honestly, most of his help was during the offseason.”
Weerts commends Jansey’s improvement over the last year.
“The jump from last year to this year is very impressive. It’s impressive what he’s doing for how young he is,” Weerts said. “He’s fast, aggressive, physical, you know, everything you want in a linebacker.
“He’s going to be a special player. He’s got a high football IQ, too, and he’s just a complete player. ... Right now, he’s making all these plays and it’s fun to play next to him,” Weerts continued. “He’s going to be really good.”
St. Charles North turning the page
George Litgen and the St. Charles North defense is “definitely still motivated.”
The North Stars are coming off a 21-19 loss to Batavia, but they are going to quickly turn the page.
“I think from that game we can learn a lot going to film and see what we’ve got to work on,” Litgen said.
Litgen has enjoyed a bit of a breakout season. He had 12 tackles, two for a loss, with a sack and a quarterback hurry last week.
“We’ve put together some pretty good game plans. ... Our D-line has helped me a lot by clogging holes and getting everything pushed to the outside, so they’re definitely a big part on all my tackles,” Litgen said. “I’ve worked on my tackling a lot and my vision. I think my vision, being able to recognize the play before [it happens] and all the formations, that really has [put me] in a good spot to make the play.”
The North Stars (1-1) host crosstown rival St. Charles East (0-2) on April 2.
“If we all just do our job like we’ve been doing, we’ll have a pretty good game,” Litgen said. “Can’t look past a team so we’ll definitely go in there and be ready.”