A reason to Rush
Ajani Rush remembers older brother Anjay on every play for Hillcrest
Every time he takes the football field, Hillcrest senior Ajani Rush is playing for his big brother.
Anjay Rush died in a car crash last July, shortly before his senior year at Hillcrest was set to begin. He was 17.
“I’ve got a chip on my shoulder to do everything I can for him,” Ajani said of Anjay. “I pray on the field for him before every game. I’m always thinking about him out there.”
Ajani Rush is a receiver, running back, defensive back and kicker for the Hawks (1-2). He had a touchdown catch in Friday’s 31-20 win over Shepard.
“He’s a Swiss Army knife for us,” Hillcrest coach Kyran Weaver said. “Ever since he’s been a kid, Ajani has made plays and tries to do whatever he can to help the team in any way he can.
“I can only imagine losing a big brother, but he has found a way to persevere.”
Growing up, Ajani and Anjay always played football together. They got the chance to be teammates at Hillcrest.
“I really started playing because of him,” Ajani Rush said. “He played running back so I wanted to play running back, too. He was always way bigger than me, so he would power through everyone. I always had to be the shifty one, the fast one.
“He taught me to stay calm on the field, don’t listen to the crowd or anything like that, stay focused and just do my thing out there.”
While Ajani Rush has always played multiple positions for the Hawks, he added kicker to his repertoire this year.
“When I was younger, I used to always kick the ball around,” he said. “My coaches back then called me ‘Steel toe.’ They gave me that nickname. Nobody calls me that anymore, but I just kick the ball with the point of my toe.
“Going from playing receiver or running back to kicking field goals, it’s different. I really like it.”
After the tragic loss of his brother, Ajani leaned on his teammates and coaches for support.
“It’s really brought me closer to my team,” he said. “All my coaches were at the hospital that night. My teammates really supported me. It really made it feel like a brotherhood, even more than it already was.
“It’s a real family over here. It’s a big family for me. I tell every coach I love them before every practice and at the end of every practice.”
And every time he makes a big play, he remembers Anjay.
“When I score, I point up to the
sky for him or I just talk to myself in my head about him,” Ajani said. “I’m always doing it for him. I’ve got to.”
Porters persevere: Lockport (3-0) survived a battle at Bradley-Bourbonnais, pulling off a 23-22 win.
Brady Pfeiffer’s 37-yard TD pass to Hyatt Timosciek with 5:12 left in the game was the difference. Danny Stevens had a huge interception return for a touchdown.
“I mean obviously a win is a win, but nobody is satisfied,” Pfeiffer said. “We had way too many drives where we came up short. Then Hyatt told us what he saw on the field, we put our trust in him, and he came up big when we needed it.
“We were able to get the job done, but we still have a lot to clean up.”
Ram tough: Reavis has less than 30 players and nine playing on both sides of the ball, including quarterback/ linebacker Noah Caceres.
The Rams recently lost Anas Everette — who coach Tim Zasada called their “best all-around player” — to a season-ending injury.
Reavis (2-1) overcame that adversity to beat rival Argo 35-28.
“It tells you a lot that we can squeak out a road victory with nine guys playing both ways,” Zasada. “I wish we were a little deeper, but I’m proud of our guys.”