Blaise LaVista knows how fortunate he is as a receiver.
Last fall, LaVista was the favorite target of Libertyville quarterback Quinn Schambow, catching 24 of his 52 touchdown passes.
Schambow and LaVista have moved on, the former to play baseball at Oklahoma State and the latter to catch passes for another elite quarterback: Lincoln-Way East’s Jonas Williams.
LaVista, a rising senior who came to Lincoln-Way East in January, is one of two high-profile receivers joining the Griffins via transfer. Jayden Cawthon, who spent his first two years at Plainfield East, is the other.
‘‘I came from someone that could sling the hell out of it,’’ LaVista told the Sun-Times this month. ‘‘And I think they are very similar. . . . Luckily, me and Jonas have had long enough where timing isn’t really that much of a problem. And I think actual plays, getting that stuff down has been the big thing. It took maybe a month or two, and now we’re right there. We’re clicking.”
Though he’s a more recent arrival at Lincoln-Way East, Cawthon has a much longer history with Williams, a rising senior who is committed to USC.
‘‘We’ve been playing together since we were 10,’’ Cawthon told the Sun-Times. ‘‘It’s a good fit for me. I’ve been close with some of these guys for a while.’’
Williams, LaVista and Cawthon are Power Four prospects. Williams is the No. 2 player in Illinois — and No. 92 nationally — in the 247Sports composite rankings for the Class of 2026. LaVista, who recently was offered a scholarship by Washington, is No. 31 in Illinois. Cawthon has an offer from Cincinnati.
Williams, who is entering his second season at Lincoln-Way East after starting his prep career at Bolingbrook, realizes how fortunate he is to have a receiving corps that features LaVista and Cawthon, as well as holdover Matt Orban.
‘‘I would say it’s a blessing, just being able to throw to guys who I know can make me look better,’’ Williams told the Sun-Times. ‘‘[It’s] a quarterback’s Christmas present. Honestly, it’s just good knowing I’ve got guys who can go up there and get it.’’
Having such players in the passing game has Griffins coach Rob Zvonar retooling his offensive philosophy. Zvonar, the only coach in program history, has had remarkable success with a run-oriented attack, averaging 10 victories across 24 seasons with three state titles and three runner-up finishes.
But Zvonar knew when Williams arrived that it was time to open up the playbook. Having two elite receivers come aboard just reinforces that decision.
‘‘Last year, we became a passing team,’’ Zvonar told the Sun-Times. ‘‘You don’t have the best quarterback in the country not throwing the ball. So we will be pass-first.’’
Also back is a top-shelf running back in Navy commit Brody Gish.
‘‘We will never abandon what we can hang our hat on, and that’s a power running game,’’ Zvonar said. ‘‘We will still be an inside-zone, outside-zone, power-counter team till the day we die. . . . [But] when you have the best quarterback in the country, you throw the football.’’
With this kind of talent and the program’s track record — the Griffins have only two regular-season losses since 2017 — it’s no surprise Lincoln-Way East expects to play in the Class 8A championship game over Thanksgiving weekend.
LaVista embraces the great expectations.
‘‘I love it,’’ he said. ‘‘One of the main reasons I’m standing on this field right now is because I want to play four or five more games a year. I love the idea of climbing to that toughest mountain[top]. . . .
‘‘I’ve never been in that environment. I’ve been in cool seven-on-seven games, but it’s something different when it’s Nov. 25 and you’re playing and it’s freezing cold out.’’
Coaching moves
Craig Knoche, who led Payton to the first IHSA playoff victory in program history in 2023, has left the Grizzlies to take over as the head coach at the University of Chicago. Knoche, who was 29-14 in five seasons at Payton, had a previous stint with the Maroons as an assistant coach.
Taking over at Payton is Calvin Clark, who was 57-32 with six IHSA playoff berths in 10 seasons at Sullivan. The Tigers were 9-1 and won the Public League White North last season.
The new coach at Sullivan is Anthony Dotson, who had been hired to reboot a Roosevelt team that last played a game in 2022. But Dotson said there weren’t enough potential players at Roosevelt to bring back the program.