By Kristin Boza
Brother Rice High School senior and Beverly/Morgan Park resident Jack Lausch was named this year’s Chicago Sun-Times High School Football Player of the Year for his stellar work as the quarterback for the Brother Rice Crusaders.
Aside from his success on the football field — and also on the basketball court and baseball diamond — Lausch currently ranks second in his class and recently signed with Northwestern University to play football.
“This past year was awesome, it was great to play a full season after not playing at all [due to COVID in the 2020 season],” Lausch said. He enjoyed playing against rivals Mount Carmel, Marist, and Loyola the most.
According to the Sun-Times, Lausch was 164-for 269 passing for 2,447 yards with 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions; he also earned 142 carries for 1,084 yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 7.6 yards per carry.
The St. Barnabas alum says his team wouldn’t have had the success it did without his offensive line of Zak Bowden, Carter McAlilly, Jackson Judeh, Jack O’Connell, Pat Galeher, and Jack Mallon.
Off the field, the team is a tight-knit group of kids who developed strong friendships.
“The best times were hanging out in the locker room, visiting Notre Dame with the team, and having of them all over at my house,” Lausch said. “Hanging out off the field is an important part of being a good team.”
After college, Lausch has aspirations of becoming a general manager for a professional football team. He is yet undecided on his major at Northwestern, but is strongly considering a focus on business.
Being a student-athlete is no easy task, especially for one as accomplished as Lausch. His advice to upcoming student-athletes is to learn to manage time.
“It’s not easy all the time. Whenever you’re in class, be sure to ask questions. Study really hard to understand the material,” he said. “It gets really busy as an athlete — you come home after practice and you’re really tired but then have to do your homework. While it’s really hard, it’s something I take great pride in.”
Lausch said he’s honored to be named the Sun-Times High School Football Player of the Year, and credits his teammates, coaches, and family for helping him achieve it.
“I’m very excited and proud of this accomplishment,” he said. “I still have a few months to graduation, but I couldn’t have asked for a better experience at Rice. I’m thankful and happy for everything these last four years.”
