Senior four-year starter and Stanford recruit Gabe Kaminski was quickly noticed as a special player in the Nazareth Academy football program. Just four weeks into his freshman season, Kaminski, already a standout on the defensive line, received his first scholarship offer from the University of Iowa.
“I think I started crying because it was just crazy,” Kaminski said. “I thought it would take me a couple of years to get an offer and then an offer of that magnitude very early on was a blessing.”
Nowadays, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Kaminski is among the greats in Nazareth’s storied history. And he’s trying to help the Roadrunners achieve their first state title three-peat after their 42-8 Class 5A quarterfinal victory at Rochelle Saturday.
Nazareth (10-2) plays host for the state semifinal at 1 p.m., Saturday, against rival St. Francis (10-2), which won their Oct. 25 meeting 39-36 in Wheaton. Morris (8-4) visits Joliet Catholic (9-3) in the other semifinal.
In the 2023 5A state semifinals, Nazareth beat the Spartans 38-31 in LaGrange Park enroute to the program’s fifth state championship, all under coach Tim Racki.
Besides Kaminski, a Riverside resident, and junior Johnny Colon and sophomore Chris Kasky, both of Brookfield, also are playing bigger roles this season for a defense that stymied Rochelle (10-2), which had scored at least 36 points in its 10 victories.
As a middle linebacker, Kaminski has been simply dominant, recording 102 tackles (15 for loss) with five sacks and a fumble recovery this season.
It’s no wonder Racki mentions Kaminski alongside Nazareth greats and current NFL players Julian Love (Seattle Seahawks) and quarterback J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings), whom Kaminski watched play on his shadow day at the school.
“A four-year starter, four years all-conference. That’s unmatched,” Racki said. “Defensively, he’s at the top. “[He’s also] three years all-state academic. Aside from what everybody sees athletically, it’s his intelligence and football IQ, how he’s able to make adjustments. He still manages to make plays week in and week out regardless.”
“It’s a blessing if anybody considers me that,” Kaminski said. “There have been so many great players to come through here, Julian Love, J.J. McCarthy, all of those players. It would be a true honor to be recognized up there with them.”
Kaminski and older brother Jacob grew up passionate about wrestling but Kaminski began leaning toward football in middle school. Kaminski did wrestle two years for the Roadrunners, taking second in Class 1A at 220 pounds as a freshman and sophomore. Jacob wrestled and played football for two years at Fenwick before attending boarding school in Pennsylvania.
“I don’t think there’s anything better than the team camaraderie on the football field and working together toward a common goal. I think it’s the best team sport there is,” Kaminski said.
He played linebacker in middle school but was initially switched to defensive line for the Roadrunners. He permanently returned to linebacker during last year’s playoff run.
“I think the switch was one of my biggest improvements. I kind of felt more free because I was playing out in space instead of my hand in the dirt,” he said.
That early scholarship offer only fueled Kaminski’s work ethic.
“It’s always been a dream of mine. A lot of kids, if they had that offer early on, they’d stop and say, ‘Oh, I’ve already made it,’” he said. “But especially my dad kept pushing me, kept telling me it meant nothing. They can take it away. I always had a drive to want to be better, to be better for my team, help the team however I can.”
Colon (53 tackles, 2 for loss, pass breakup) played special teams and was a part-time starting cornerback in 2023. Now he starts at a hybrid linebacker/cornerback position that he practiced during the offseason.
“The coaches thought I could do better in the box and it’s been great for me. I’ve got really good guys playing next to me so it’s fun,” he said.
Colon also returns as the holder for field goals and extra points, along with junior long-snapper Richie Skinkis. Junior Frankie Nichols has taken over as the primary kicker.
“Whatever I can give to this team, I’m willing to do,” Colon said. “It’s been going good so I like it. I love this team.”
Kasky (43 tackles, 15 for loss, 5 sacks) is enjoying a breakout season in moving from situational defensive lineman to full-time starter around Week 3.
As a 2023 postseason callup, Kasky recorded a 5-yard sack with Kaminski in the waning moments of the 38-20 state championship victory over Joliet Catholic.
“I didn’t think I was going to start right away [this season]. I was right, but I liked the challenge,” Kasky said. “Eventually, I made my way up and I was very happy to start. I just like playing, the team, the guys, everything about it.”