By Dominic Scianna
North Lawndale head coach Reggie Collins needed a spark when starting freshman running back Tazerick Covington went down with a wrist injury early in the first half with his team trailing Lake View 8-6 at Lane Stadium last Friday.
That spark was senior quarterback Tysean Perkins who rallied the Phoenix (4-1) to victory with three straight touchdown runs in racing to a 28-16 win in a tough see-saw battle against Coach Kirk Davis’ Wildcats squad in a Chicago Public League (CPL) White Division matchup.
“Ty’s a special kid and he took over for us. He’s a hard worker and has a winning mentality,” said Collins, when lauding his star QB. “He does whatever needs to be done to put the team on his shoulders to lead them to win.”
Covington injured his wrist trying to recover a fumble in the second quarter against Lake View. He did not return to the game and his status for Thursday’s (October 3) conference clash at Curie will be a game time decision.
“We’re hoping it’s just a sprained wrist,” said Collins. “He’s a big part of our offense and we hope to get him back for the game against Curie.”
Perkins huddled his team together for a talk at the end of the first half when Covington went down and sent a message that they were making too many mental mistakes. It would be a wake-up call that the Phoenix needed for the second half as they played with more energy and attention to detail.
“When he went down (Covington) I started to lose my concentration. He’s like a little brother to me and we need him – but it was time for me and (Kamrym) Campbell to step it up and we did,” said Perkins.
Campbell, Covington’s replacement in the backfield, picked up the slack and scored the final North Lawndale TD to up the Phoenix advantage to 28-8 after three quarters.
Lake View’s Jaime Herrera and Gregorio Ibarrando starred for the Wildcats (1-4) with one score each, the latter in the fourth quarter to keep the game close, but North Lawndale would run out the clock to secure the win.
Tazerick’s brother, senior Tavarius is a wide receiver on the team and the pair are three years apart – but they have been a bright spot in North Lawndale’s fast start to this season. One thing is for certain, they are grounded and not getting ahead of themselves with a lot of football still yet to be played.
“Our experience playing on the same team as brothers has been very beneficial,” said Tavarius. “We get to learn from each other, study with each other, and go over football with each other.”
For Tazerick it’s much simpler. He listens to his big brother who pushes him to work hard and savor the moments while taking in all the excitement and not losing focus on the goal at hand: Making the IHSA Class 3A state playoffs.
“He (Tavarius) stays on me and that’s a good thing,” said Tazerick. “We watch film together and talk about football (all the time) because he wants me to be better and I appreciate that.”
Coach Collins sees how the Covington brothers act with one another every day on and off the field as they balance their athletic and academic responsibilities.
“They both work extremely hard, encourage each other, and keep each other accountable. That’s what I like to see,” said coach Collins. “It doesn’t matter that one’s a freshman and the other’s a senior. They want to make each other proud and that’s what I love about them.”
North Lawndale’s chief of staff and athletic director, Marie Sainvilus-Miles, had nothing but praise for Collins and the players for their success thus far. And, she isn’t shy about wishing for a little bit of luck this year in the state playoffs and hopefully advance a few rounds deeper than they have in the past.
“Coach Collins has done a really good job in his first year, previously working as an assistant coach for our football team,” said Sainvilus-Miles. “It’s been a smooth transition this year for Reggie and we’re excited for what’s ahead. We just need that first state-playoff win. That would be incredible.”
And the North Lawndale administrator, in her role as principal, has also witnessed the brothers’ interactions and sees how important it is for them to succeed off the field academically.
“The brothers push each other academically too,” she said. “Tavarius is a senior and is one of our Phoenix Pact Scholars with a 3.0 or better grade point average, and with that, he qualifies to go to college with little out-of-pocket costs. We partner with 30 colleges and universities each year to make these opportunities possible for our students.”
On the football field, the ultimate goal for this season for the team, the brothers, and Coach Collins, is a ticket to another IHSA state Class 3A playoff appearance. And that goal is clearly in their sights.
Two more wins would mean the Phoenix would finish 2-2 in their final regular season games and cement a playoff berth with a record of 6-3. It seems things are coming together in 2’s at the right time – and if there’s any doubt – just ask the Covington brothers.
