Sept. 22--Marist senior quarterback Brendan Skalitzky has made a habit of throwing passes that Liam Keffer can take to the house.
The Skalitzky-to-Keffer connection dates back to a very young age, when they grew up two houses away from each other. Skalitzky said he now lives five houses away from Keffer, a senior wide receiver at Marist.
"We've grown up together," Skalitzky said. "I've known Liam since he was 2 years old. I've been throwing to him my whole life. That's how we started. I was out in front of my house and would be throwing to his house, and we would play catch when we were two houses away."
The 6-foot, 180-pound Skalitzky laughed when asked if he can still cover the distance throwing the ball to Keffer's house.
"I hope I can throw it five houses," he said.
The pair's chemistry was evident in Marist's 49-42 win against then-No. 16 Notre Dame on Saturday. Keffer caught 12 passes for 249 yards and four touchdowns, while Skalitzky threw for 376 yards and all four of Keffer's scores.
"We've been practicing for this our whole lives," Keffer said. "We've grown up together and been best friends our whole life. It's just chemistry. We still live 30 seconds away from each other. We've always been playing ball together, either in my backyard or his backyard, so we definitely have some good chemistry and that showed on Saturday."
Neither Skalitzky nor Keffer has received a scholarship offer, though Skalitzky is hoping to follow in his older brother's footsteps. Mike Skalitzky was a defensive back at Columbia University from 2011-2014.
Grades won't be a problem for the younger Skalitzky. He has a 4.9 grade-point average on a 5.0 scale and just took the ACT for a second time in hopes of breaking into the 30s.
"I'm getting most of my looks from Ivy League schools and Miami (Ohio)," Skalitzky said. "A lot depends on this season, and I'll know more after the season. I would like to play in the Ivy League. My brother played and loved it. He's been a big influence on me. I would love to play there, but also Miami of Ohio is a great school."
The 6-1, 175-pound Keffer attended the New England Elite Football Clinic in Boston during the summer to prepare him for his senior season and college. He already sent out his three-game tape to numerous colleges, but admitted Saturday's breakout game certainly won't hurt his stock.
Keffer said he has been in contact mostly with Wisconsin-Whitewater, Lake Forest College and Ave Maria University in Florida.
"My (Week) 1-3 game tape is two minutes long, but this last game is definitely going to be adding another minute or longer to it once I go through all the blocking," Keffer said.
Ries trusts the process: Mount Carmel senior running back A.J. Ries definitely believes in "The Process," for his team and his recruiting.
The 5-10, 195-pound Ries remains without a scholarship offer but hopes his stock soon will take an upward trend.
"It's going slow now, but a lot of colleges are starting to talk to me as the season goes on," Ries said. "This year our team is really bonding. Last year we had a couple of ups and downs. I'm really excited to so how this year goes.
"For me, it's also really exciting. I feel we can win state. If we just keep believing in the process, I think we can get the job done.
Ries had his best game of the season on Friday with 170 yards rushing and a touchdown in a 35-14 win against St. Rita. The Caravan have a rich history of producing college athletes, in particular at running back. Ries, who made an unofficial visit to Eastern Illinois on Saturday, is also receiving interest from Ball State, Western Illinois, Illinois State, North Dakota State, Missouri State and a host of Division II schools, he said.
Ries said "the process" is something he's learned to understand.
"We definitely know if we work hard and are talented, that we can play at the next level," he said. "This summer, I went to a lot of schools and sent out my tape. I'm about to start my new film for my senior year, so I think offers will start rolling in."
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
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