Inexperience can make the defensive backfield a particularly fraught area for a football team. But Wauconda has Jaxson Miglans.
The 5-foot-11, 155-pound senior has multiple roles for the Bulldogs. But as a third-year starting safety, Miglans is invaluable.
“I know this playbook like the back of my hand,” he said. “It’s always good when everyone’s on the same page, and we’re like that as a defense. I think with us feeling like that, we can take this pretty far.”
Wauconda made that seem possible during a 45-13 Northern Lake County Conference win over Grayslake North on Friday. Miglans’ interception on the Knights’ first possession set the tone for the Bulldogs, who rolled to a 45-0 halftime lead by allowing just three first downs.
Miglans’ pick came four plays after Wauconda (4-0, 2-0) failed to field the opening kickoff. Grayslake North (1-3, 1-1) took over on the Bulldogs’ 29-yard line.
“I saw the ball go right off the receiver’s hands, and I knew I would get the ball,” Miglans said. “Our defense is always there to make stops, and one bad play isn’t going to define us as a team. We all bounced back and knew what to do.”
Indeed, the Bulldogs scored the next seven times they had the ball. The onslaught was capped by senior kicker Rocco Garcia’s 27-yard field goal with four seconds left in the half, but senior running back Jackson Rudolph did the most damage, scoring touchdowns on four of his 17 first-half carries and gaining 158 yards.
Senior quarterback Jake Thorstenson also was sharp in the first half, completing 7 of 9 pass attempts for 119 yards and a touchdown and running for a 10-yard touchdown.
The Bulldogs had three takeaways in the first half, including two fumble recoveries.
“I was happy that the defense did what they did, and for him (Miglans) to make that play was fantastic,” Wauconda coach Chris Prostka said. “He’s become our leader in the back end because he’s got so much experience. He’s another one who committed really hard in the weight room in the winter, and he’s a baseball player, too, so it helped him there as well.”
Miglans has come a long way since first breaking into the varsity lineup as a sophomore starter in 2023. He couldn’t feel more comfortable about what he’s asked to do.
He’s also an acknowledged and respected team leader.
“All of our seniors do a great job of speaking up and making their voice heard, and he’s one of the main guys doing that,” Wauconda junior linebacker Brody Rudolph said. “I don’t have to worry much about our secondary, and I always feel like he’s where the ball is, making plays and hitting people hard.”
It’s not solely experience that makes Miglans effective. He is also very athletic. It’s no coincidence that similar skills are evident in his roles as a starting outfielder for the Wauconda baseball team and as a safety.
“It’s super similar,” he said. “That’s why I love playing safety. It’s exactly like playing outfield — tracking the ball, left to right, moving your hips, opening your hips, backpedaling. If there’s something behind me in football, I’m already running like I am in center field with a ball over my head. It’s good knowing how to play it.”
Miglans’ athleticism is also exhibited on kickoff returns, which he shares with senior Cole Korycanek, and he even handled kicking duties while Garcia was sidelined for the first three games of the season. Miglans hasn’t broken a long return this season, but he did for a touchdown against Grayslake North last year.
“I love kickoff returns,” he said. “It’s such a great sensation. Our blockers ahead of us do a great job making the holes. Me and Cole back there, we’re both very fast, and if we see that hole, we’re hitting it right away.
“Even though I haven’t gotten one straight to me yet this year, it’s going to come.”
A bunch of wins figure to come too. The Bulldogs already have four convincing victories, with an average margin of 28 points, and there’s still room for improvement.
“I’m feeling really good about how we’re playing,” Miglans said. “I think we’ve got the type of team that is going to keep rolling teams.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
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