YAC Machines: Illinois Playmakers Creating Explosive Gains

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Getting the football into a playmaker's hands is only half the battle. What happens next can completely change an offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Through the opening two weeks of the Illinois high school football season, several players have established themselves as serious threats with the ball in their hands. Whether it's making the first defender miss, running through contact or turning a short completion into an explosive play, these are some of the state's early-season <strong>YAC machines</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1598846' first='Bennett' last='Konkey'] | Geneva</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Konkey has been one of the most explosive offensive players in Illinois through two games. The Geneva standout has piled up <strong>401 receiving yards on only 14 receptions</strong>, an incredible <strong>28.6 yards per catch</strong>, while finding the end zone six times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Those numbers jump off the page. Konkey is averaging more than 200 receiving yards per game and has already produced a 70-yard reception. He's not simply accumulating catches underneath — he's flipping the field and generating touchdowns. With <strong>six scores on 14 receptions</strong>, nearly half of his catches have ended in the end zone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1163337' first='Kaden' last='Wedig'] | St. Joseph-Ogden</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wedig has been remarkably efficient for St. Joseph-Ogden. Through two games, he has turned <strong>13 receptions into 391 yards and seven touchdowns</strong>, averaging just over <strong>30 yards every time he catches the football</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That is big-play production at its best. Wedig has a long reception of 55 yards and is averaging nearly 196 receiving yards per game. Seven touchdowns on just 13 catches tells you everything you need to know about how dangerous he's been once the ball gets into his hands.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1334158' first='Shain' last='Meador'] | Mt. Carmel</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Meador gives Mt. Carmel a legitimate home-run threat on the perimeter. He's recorded <strong>305 yards on 13 receptions</strong>, averaging <strong>23.5 yards per catch</strong>, with three touchdowns through two games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His 67-yard long is evidence of the explosiveness he brings to the offense. Meador can erase angles and turn an ordinary completion into a huge gain, and his 152.5 receiving yards per game have made him one of the state's most productive receivers early in the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">[player_tooltip player_id='1956541' first='Kodi' last='Garner'] | Plainfield South</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Garner has been extremely productive through the air, totaling <strong>303 receiving yards on only 11 catches</strong>, good for an outstanding <strong>27.5 yards per reception</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He's averaging more than 150 receiving yards per game despite relatively limited reception volume. That combination of efficiency and production makes Garner a player defenses have to account for whenever the ball is headed his direction.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Noah Ellis | O'Fallon</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ellis has been the highest-volume target of this group, recording <strong>17 receptions for 294 yards and two touchdowns</strong> through O'Fallon's first two games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He's averaging an impressive <strong>17.3 yards per reception</strong>, while his 71-yard long shows the explosive element of his game. Ellis has shown he can handle consistent touches while still possessing the ability to turn one play into a massive gain.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":3} --> <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Gavin Johnson | Carterville</h3> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Johnson has put together an explosive start for Carterville, catching <strong>12 passes for 291 yards</strong> and averaging <strong>24.3 yards per reception</strong> through two games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>His 58-yard long highlights his ability to generate chunk plays, and at nearly 146 receiving yards per game, Johnson has consistently produced without needing a huge number of catches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Making Something Happen</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The common denominator with this group is efficiency. Konkey, Wedig, Meador, Garner and Johnson are all averaging more than 23 yards per reception, while Ellis combines explosive-play ability with the highest reception total of the group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For defensive coordinators, that's the problem: a short completion doesn't necessarily stay a short completion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Get these guys the football in space, and they're capable of doing the rest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->