Downers Grove North quarterback Owen Lansu looks to throw the ball during a 7-on-7 tournament last week at Batavia High School.
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What to do for an encore? Owen Lansu has a couple ideas.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound quarterback for Downers Grove North, Rivals.com’s No. 13 Illinois recruit in the Class of 2026, obviously would like to return to the Class 7A state championship football game. And this time, for the first time since 2004, finish.
“I think the plan is to run it back all the way and hopefully win the big thing this year,” said Lansu, who as a sophomore led the 11-3 Trojans into Normal’s Hancock Stadium where they lost the title game to Mt. Carmel, 35-10.
It was Downers North’s second state runner-up finish and the first under coach Joe Horeni. The late Pete Ventrelli led the Trojans to second place in 1990 and one of his mentees, John Wander, coached the 2003 Class 8A champions.
“But before we do that,” Lansu said, “the goal is also to win conference, that’s something we weren’t able to do last year. We came really close. We haven’t done it in a long time, so I think that’s definitely a milestone for us, to win conference and go undefeated along the way.”
Downers North last won the West Suburban Silver Conference title outright in 2003, and tied with York at 5-1 in 2005.
In 2023 the Trojans beat Silver gatekeeper Glenbard West for the first time since 2006, but consecutive losses to Lyons Twp. and York bit them.
At Downers Grove South’s “Hit Hard” 7-on-7, Lansu said he’d added about 20 pounds of muscle and worked to improve his speed and ability to run with the football.
Last season he passed for 2,061 yards and 25 touchdowns with a 55% completion percentage.
“I think his biggest strength is he doesn’t let any moment be too big for him. A lot of kids play football very emotional, and he does, but he contains it and handles it the right way,” Horeni said at Downers South.
He added Lansu “very likely” will be named a junior captain, a responsibility Horeni doesn’t often assign juniors.
“On the field we know we’re playing for one another, and Owen does a great job of that, he’s a leader. We all kind of work together, do whatever it takes to win,” said junior receiver Oliver “O.T.” Thulin.
Another Trojans returning receiver, senior Charlie Cruse, has caught Lansu’s backyard passes since the two neighbors attended Lester Elementary School.
“From the field, Owen just makes sure that he’s a leader, he pushes everyone to play 100%, do their best. So, having that person that always lifts people up during practice and during the games, it’s kind of nice,” Cruse said.
Lansu has been on recruiters’ and recruiting services’ radar for years. Horeni said the quarterback first attended the football combine held by “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran of Rivals.com in the sixth grade. Lansu said he played in the Under Armour All-America Game in the eighth grade.
His exposure has reaped nine college scholarship offers, including from Northwestern, Minnesota and Cincinnati.
“For me, it took a little time to get where I wanted to be and I still have a lot left to prove to a lot of schools, and there’s schools that I want to have offers from that I don’t have them from yet. So it’s ongoing,” Lansu said of his recruiting process.
“It can be stressful, but at the same time it’s super-gratifying for a coach to tell you you’re good enough to earn a scholarship with their school. It’s always cool.”
Team and individual goals are out there for Lansu and the Trojans. The quarterback has the proper attitude about how to attain them.
“Our goal is really to take it week to week, and we go 1-0 every week till we get all the way there,” Lansu said.
Downers Grove North’s Owen Lansu rolls out to pass against Mt. Carmel in last year’s Class 7A championship game at Hancock Stadium in Normal.
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