Junior quarterback Daniel Chopp always has multiple possibilities at his fingertips for Oak Forest.
As the orchestrator of a spread triple-option offense for the Bengals, Chopp turns every snap and every play into his own private adventure. It’s not easy on him, but for opposing defenses?
“It’s a tough offense to defend against with the way we run it,” he said. “I think we have the perfect guys for it. We spread the ball around, and I love seeing all of my guys get into the end zone.”
Oak Forest put on a parade to the end zone Saturday afternoon.
Chopp rushed for two touchdowns and added a TD pass for the Bengals in an easy 44-0 victory over host Kennedy in a Class 6A first-round playoff game at Lane Stadium in Chicago.
Oak Forest (7-3) advances to host a second-round matchup next weekend against Chatham Glenwood (8-2), a 49-34 winner over Crete-Monee.
Chopp, however, was the star of Saturday’s show, connecting with junior receiver Andrew Dawson for a 32-yard TD and also contributing TD runs of 6 yards and 1 yard.
With Kennedy determined to stop his running, Chopp burned the Crusaders with his arm.
“Chopp made a great throw,” Dawson said. “He’s been leading our whole offense this year. The way he runs the ball keeps defenses honest up the middle. He’s a great leader.
“He plays hard and can run or throw the ball.”
Junior running back Jason Janke chipped in with a team-high 73 yards Saturday, marked by a game-opening 9-yard TD run. Sophomore running back William McMaster had two short TD runs.
“Danny’s a great leader, and he always makes sure that everything is going well out there,” Janke said. “He’s accurate with his arm, throws great passes, and he always runs hard.”
Chopp is a first-year varsity starter who saw limited action last year as a sophomore.
“We brought him up last year to compete with a senior, but the senior just showed a little more control with the offense,” Oak Forest coach Anthony Malopsy said. “We wanted to keep him up so that he could get those reps and see the physicality and speed of the game.
“By the summer, he was clearly our No. 1 guy.”
Chopp showed excellent decision-making against Kennedy, repeatedly going with the right reads on whether to pitch or keep the ball, as the Bengals improved to 7-1 in their last eight games.
“I just give it my all on every play,” Chopp said. “That’s always the way I’ve played. I don’t necessarily try to make the big play all the time.
“I just do my job, follow the rules, and I know the big plays are going to come.”
Malopsy confirmed Chopp made tremendous strides after the Bengals lost their first two games.
“He struggled at the beginning of the year,” Malopsy said. “He had a couple of fumbles, some interceptions. He had those typical youthful, junior mistakes.
“By the time we played Bremen in Week 4, he settled in and started to take control of the offense.”
Chopp, who plays catcher for Oak Forest in baseball, displays leadership ability regardless of the sport. He interacts with his pitchers during the spring and hooks up his playmakers in the fall.
“I’m pretty quiet off the field, but when I’m playing, I like to take control,” he said. “That comes with the job of being the quarterback. I’ve been playing the position since I first started playing, going back to youth leagues and Pop Warner.
“Being a leader is what I’ve always done.”
Given the nature of his positions in both sports, Chopp likes to work with his hands.
”Nothing special, just arts and crafts and things like that,” Chopp said. “During a game, I always keep my breathing and go through the rules in my mind.
“I like to keep everybody in check and make sure they’re doing the right things.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
