FS_092718

46 | September 27, 2018 | The frankfort station sports
frankfortstation.com
LWE routs LW Central as A.J. Henning returns to the field
Jon DePaolis
Freelance Reporter
It was just one play, but
it may be a sign of things to
come.
If nothing else, it showed
the potential of an offense finally
at full strength midway
through the regular season.
The Lincoln-Way East
football team already was
up 10-0 over Lincoln-Way
Central 12 seconds into the
second quarter Friday, Sept.
21, in Frankfort. On the first
play of a new offensive series
at the East 46-yard line,
senior quarterback Jack
Baltz took the snap and appeared
to hand the ball off to
his running back.
But it was all a ruse — one
that even those in the stands
bit on.
Streaking down the field
was East junior A.J. Henning
— the star wide receiver/
running back who dominated
teams last season with his
speed, but who had missed
the first four weeks of the
season this year because of
left hip flexor injury.
Baltz, who hadn't handed
the ball off, settled his feet
and hurled a bomb to hit a
wide open Henning 25-plus
yards away. Henning caught
the pass and sprinted to
the end zone for a 54-yard
touchdown — opening the
flood gates for a 38-0 rout
for East over Central in
Week 5.
“Baltz … he sort of faked
it behind, and I came off the
line pretty slow, and then cut
it into a post,” Henning said
of the play. “He just threw it
up and made a nice throw.”
Was Henning surprised to
be all alone out in the middle
of the field? Not after everyone
bit on the fake.
“Everyone!” he said. “I
saw the corner come up
immediately, and I knew it
was a touchdown, because I
knew Baltz would air it out.”
Then, it was just a matter
of making sure he caught the
ball.
“All you’re thinking is,
‘Don’t drop it,’” he said,
laughing.
East offensive coordinator
and assistant head coach Joel
Pallissard said the play originated
during the Cory Paus
years — back when Lincoln-
Way was one school.
“We ran it a little bit different
than we ran it back
then, because we were in
the double wing back then,”
Pallissard said.
He said this new version
of the play was discussed
by the coaches the Sunday
prior to the game. They felt
it might work, given their
personnel.
“We were pretty heavy on
the run [plays] in that formation,”
Pallissard said. “With
A.J., he draws a lot of attention.
It might not work,
because he draws that much
attention. But the way our
fake went, and the guys really
sold it well, and Jack and
[running back] Devon [Williams]
were unbelievable
in the back. Our tight ends
blocked really well, and our
guys really sold it.”
Pallissard also credited
East wide receiver Chase
Anderson, who carried on
with his route on the other
Lincoln-Way East's A.J. Henning (3) sprints across the
field during his first game of the season Friday, Sept. 21,
in Frankfort as teammate Jackson Ritter (right) attempts
to take down Lincoln-Way Central's Ian Troester (24). Julie
McMann/22nd Century Media
side of the field to keep one
of Central’s safeties honest
in coverage.
Anderson was rewarded
later on the game, when Baltz
connected with him on a 63-
yard touchdown play in the
Please see Football, 45
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