This season couldn’t have come soon enough for Antioch’s Owen Shea.
So much so that instead of focusing on the Sequoits’ opener against Schaumburg, the senior defensive end circled a preseason scrimmage with perennial Class 8A contender Warren.
“I really love playing against good competition and really like to challenge myself,” he said. “That’s why I was so excited to scrimmage them. Before the scrimmage, I had a boost of confidence and couldn’t wait to get after it.”
One of the reasons for Shea’s excitement was the presence of Warren’s all-state running back, Illinois recruit Aaron Stewart. Unlikely to see a player like Stewart during the regular season, Shea viewed the scrimmage as a barometer of his progress.
“I remember a bunch of plays from that day, especially the first big hit I got on him,” Shea said. “The tight end tried to down-block me, but I fired off fast enough that I ran through the line into the backfield. As soon as he got the ball, I cleaned his clock. I looked over at our sideline, and the whole team was going crazy.”
Shea hasn’t slowed down since that day. Heading into a Northern Lake County Conference showdown against unbeaten Wauconda on Friday, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Shea has 36 tackles, six sacks, 18 tackles for loss and a forced fumble for the Sequoits (6-1, 5-0).
Whatever Shea does for the rest of the season, however, might not match the dominance he displayed during Antioch’s 56-15 conference win over Lakes on Sept. 26. He racked up 15 quarterback pressures in that game.
“I noticed that their tackles had trouble handling power moves, so I took it to them and got in the quarterback’s face right away,” Shea said. “I went in prepared, I knew what I wanted to do and I was going to do it.”
Shea is the anchor of a talented front four that also features junior defensive end Willie Hamilton and senior defensive tackles Nathan Glauser and Odin Dams.
“Willie is a great help, and I make a lot of plays because he sets the edge,” Shea said. “The other two do a great job of keeping the middle nice and stable.”
Shea’s disruptive nature isn’t limited to Friday nights.
“We’ve had good players but not a defensive lineman who messes up practice like he does,” Antioch coach Brian Glashagel said. “If you asked other coaches if there’s someone they have to plan around, it would be him. He’s that much of a problem.
“He’s a big-time player who’s on a path to accumulate some ridiculous numbers.”
Shea’s path began with offseason workouts that greatly enhanced his strength and honed his technique. A central part of Shea’s training regimen has revolved around a tractor tire that his father, Mike, who played football at Eastern Illinois, obtained a couple of years ago at a local auto body shop.
”I went to my dad for help, and he designed some lifting and agility drills,” Shea said. “The tire is about 180 pounds, and I’ll flip it down my road and swing a 28-pound sledgehammer at it. I’ll also do quick hops in and out.
“It’s gotten pretty beaten up, but it’s really improved my core, and I notice a difference in my balance. I’m able to get down lower, and it’s allowed me to be quicker on my feet.”
Shea also spent time during the offseason running up area hills with Antioch senior quarterback Colin Arquilla, who saw how much Shea was physically challenging himself. But Arquilla also recognizes a cerebral part of Shea’s game.
“Even back in little league, he had a goofy side to him, but this year, he’s totally focused,” Arquilla said. “His dad had a lot to do with that. He’s smart, so sometimes in practice it seems like he knows the plays ahead of time without saying so.”
Shea, who also enjoys watching film, traces his love for the sport to the first college football game he watched on TV when he was 10. Notre Dame was playing, and Shea recalls being drawn to it immediately.
“I saw all of the fans and how much fun they were having, and I remember that’s when I decided, ‘This is really cool, and I want to be doing that,’” he said.
Shea will be able to do that for four more years. He has offers from Butler, Concordia of Minnesota, Drake and Northern Michigan. Knowing that, Shea has one less distraction for the Sequoits’ stretch run.
“I’ve known these guys I play with all my life, so I’m cherishing these last games,” he said. “It’s going to be really sad when it ends, so I’m trying to make it last as long as possible.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
