CCL/ESCC notes: Recovered from broken leg in 2019, St. Rita’s Henry Wilson shines in Week 2

When St. Rita receiver Henry Wilson plowed through a Montini defender on his way to the end zone Friday, it was the culmination of months of rehab and hard work in the weight room.

Wilson would not be denied on his way to the end zone. On a night with many Mustangs highlights – St. Rita beat Montini, 51-13, in CCL/ESCC Green division play – Wilson trucking a Montini defender might’ve been the most exciting.

It was a breakout moment for Wilson, who a year and a half ago left the field on a stretcher. In an October 2019 win over Marian Catholic, Wilson broke his tibia and fibula on a kick return.

Wilson put it in more gruesome terms.

“I snapped my leg,” he said.

The injury ended his 2019 season and set him on a months-long path to recovery. St. Rita won game after game, but Wilson was forced to watch from the sidelines as his teammates ultimately lost in the Class 5A state championship game.

“It was basically life telling me either you’re going to fight or you’re going to stay down, keep getting punched in the face,” Wilson said. “So I got up and I fought back. My advice to anybody is take advantage when any opportunity is given because you never know when something that you love can be taken from you.”

Wilson needed several months to recover and even longer before he was allowed to run again.

“Mentally, it was tough,” St. Rita coach Todd Kuska said. “When you’re an elite player and things like that happen, it’s tough. He rebounded, he worked his butt off in the offseason and came back bigger, stronger, faster and ready to go.”

Despite the injury, Division I college offers materialized last spring. Wilson committed to Western Michigan in July over a list that included Boston College, Eastern Michigan and Temple.

Wilson felt he was ready as the fall 2020 football season approached, but when the IHSA moved the season to the spring, it gave him enough time to feel 100% back to normal.

“I was pretty ready to go, but I had a couple nagging [side effects], it was basically a tooth ache in my leg,” Wilson said. “Just a little something that happens to you after such a traumatic injury. You’re going to have some pain there.”

Wilson caught five passes for 107 yards and a touchdown on Friday. St. Rita picked up its first win of the season after leading Loyola for much of the game in a Week 1 loss.

Wilson shared a moment taking photos with friends and family on the field after the game. It was a long time coming.

“I’m built for the moment,” Wilson said. “I just take advantage of every opportunity I get because I know how fast it can be taken from you.”

First win: First-year Carmel head coach Jason McKie picked up his first victory as Corsairs coach last week, a 24-21 win over St. Patrick.

The win was a long time coming. Carmel hired McKie, a former Chicago Bears fullback, in December of 2019. As if waiting until the spring wasn’t enough, McKie had to wait an extra week to coach his first game after Carmel’s Week 1 game against DePaul was canceled.

McKie took over for former Carmel coach Blake Annen, another former Bears player, who left the program following the 2019 season. McKie played for the Bears from 2003 to 2009 and was an assistant coach on Annen’s staff prior to becoming head coach.

NIU offer: St. Rita offensive lineman Valen Erickson received his second Division I offer on Tuesday when Northern Illinois offered him a spot. The Huskies join Purdue on the junior’s list of offers.

Erickson is a 6-foot-6, 310-pound offensive tackle for the Mustangs. At that size, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more offers follow.

Week 3 cancellation: St. Laurence is in the market for a Week 3 game on short notice. It’s Week 3 contest at Benet has been canceled.

Benet was forced to cancel its Week 2 game against De La Salle as well. So far, Benet-St. Laurence is the only cancellation of Week 3 in the CCL/ESCC.