Dara Laja of the Ramblers is on a roll. He rushed for more than 100 yards for the third game in a row in LA’s 35-7 win over St. Ignatius. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE PFOERTNER
Dara Laja, known for his great vision, is a “now you see me, now you don’t” kind of running back.
He’s got the patience of Job and the swiftness of a gazelle.
The Loyola Academy running back not only has the ability to bust tackles, but he also can tear off a long run in a blink of an eye.
And right now, the senior is on the cusp of something big. He’s worth keeping an eye on.
This is Laja’s Season of Don’t Blink. He needs only 438 yards to become the Ramblers’ all-time leading rusher.
On Sunday, there was a rare total lunar eclipse.
A day earlier, there was another Laja eclipse. He went over
100 yards rushing for the third game in a row in LA’s 35-7 victory over visiting St. Ignatius on Sept. 26. He capped his afternoon with a Laja-than-life 39-yard touchdown run just before halftime.
“He sees the hole well, and he’s got good acceleration and a lot of power,” LA head coach John Holecek said
The 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior has found his rushing rhythm. The Mount Prospect native earned the trust of LA’s coaching staff, and he has developed into an important piece in the Ramblers’ high-end offense.
And on that long TD, Laja put all the pieces together: patience, power and speed.
He eventually was taken down where a running back doesn’t mind being taken down after a long run — one step inside the end zone.
“I thought I was tackled at the one-yard line. It was a little too close for comfort,” Laja said.
LA’s offensive line — featuring center Sam Badovinac (6-2, 250); guards Thomas Nute (6-0, 280) and Jack Badovinac (6-1, 250); and tackles John Brekke (6-3, 260) and Daniel Kurkowski (6-3, 275) — has become dominant.
“(On that 39-yard TD), the hole was pretty huge,” said Laja. “I’ve had some holes like that this year.”
He finished the game with two TD runs and now has 10 rushing TDs for the season. And, after carrying the ball 13 times for 118 yards, Laja has amassed 506 yards this fall and 1,673 yards for his career.
Thus, he’s primed to break Loyola’s all-time rushing record of 2,110 yards. And there’s a coach on LA’s current staff who is clearly rooting for him: receivers coach Pat Naughton, a 1996 LA graduate and owner of those 2,110 yards.
Naughton is a huge fan of Laja’s running ability.
“I like his vision, and I like how quickly he can get to the second level,” Naughton said. “He’s got two speeds, and you can see him go from one to the other.”
In LA’s Week Two win over Brother Rice, Laja blew the top off his game. He ran the ball 31 times for 209 yards against one of the best defenses in the state.
“That,” said Naughton, “was a milestone game for him.
“That’s when Dara proved that he’s an old-school running back, who can run the ball over 30 times in a spread offense against a very good team (Brother Rice is 4-1 on the season),” Naughton added. “I was very impressed.”
Laja, who rushed for 1,066 yards last fall, has turned into a dangerous home run hitter. In the past three games, he has TD runs measuring 39, 46 and 54 to go along with a 36-yard TD catch.
“His yards after contact have gone up quite a bit,” said LA running backs coach Ryan Gallagher. “He sees a seam, and he hits it.
“He can pretty much outrun anyone on the field,” Gallagher, a 1993 LA grad, added.
Besides making people miss with his quick-twitch moves, Laja also is running the ball with authority.
“I’ve brought more physicality to my game this year,” said Laja.
He added 10 to 15 pounds to his 5-9 frame in the offseason.
“Gallagher has taught him to run through tackles,” said Naughton. “You see him out there, he’s always falling forward.”
“I really think he’s become a complete back,” said Gallagher. “He’s developed is receiving skills, which is something he didn’t have last year.
“And I thought he did a phenomenal job of blocking and protecting today,” Gallagher added. “And that’s something that he has to do, if he wants to play at the next level.”
It’s not uncommon for Laja to start slowly on any given Friday night or Saturday afternoon. Three of his first five runs against St. Ignatius went for two yards or fewer.
“I think I’m too patient at times,” said Laja. “Sometimes, it’s difficult for me to tell when I should or should not be patient.
“But once I get it down … that’s when things pick up for me,” he added.
“He’s always been a patient runner,” Gallagher added. “But now, I think he trusting his ability more.
“And our offensive line allows him to pick and choose (the right hole),” Gallagher added.
Laja’s emergence has served his team well. He’s added balance to LA’s offensive attack. The Ramblers have outscored their opponents 201-31.
“Cover Dara or cover our big receivers,” said Gallagher.
“You have to pick your poison against us.”
Notable: Despite having several receivers sidelined, including Eric Eshoo, Robert Sullivan and Jake Marwede, LA’s passing game continued to shine. On the opening drive — seven plays, 66 yards — quarterback Emmett Clifford (13-19-1, 176 yards) tossed a perfect jump-ball pass (12 yards) to Thomas Smart in the right corner of the end zone. On the team’s third series, Jonah Isaac showed off sprinter’s speed by catching a deep slant pass and racing 66 yards into the end zone. And, with 9:09 left in the first half, Paul Escalante displayed plenty of grit by battling two Wolf Pack defensive backs and coming up with a two-yard TD on a simultaneous catch in the back of the end zone. … Isaac was the team’s top receiver: 5 receptions, 122 yards. … The string is over. LA’s first-team defense allowed its first points of the season, when St. Ignatius’ Ryan Coolidge scored on a 22-yard QB keeper in the opening quarter. … LA’s defensive leaders were Jack Hough (6 tackles, 2 QB sacks), Ben LeRoy (6 tackles, QB sack, tackle for loss), Mickey Kane (5 tackles, 5-yard tackle for loss), Charlie Dreher (6 tackles, QB sack) and Graham Repp (4 tackles).