Hallendorff, Marsek team up for VH

Religion is important to James Hallendorff.

In fact, the Vernon Hills quarterback says he even prays on the sidelines during games.

"Praying helps me a lot," Hallendorff said. "Whenever I'm feeling pressure, that's how I relieve it. I just ask God to get me through it."

This season, Hallendorff's been asking and asking and asking. And for good reason.

He's been in the hot seat way more than he's used to.

A career back-up, Hallendorff had gone through three years of football playing second fiddle. But before this season, head coach Tony Monken came to him with a proposal.

"He said he wanted me to be the quarterback for our two-minute offense," Hallendorff said. "I thought, 'Cool. Maybe I'll get to play more.' "

If Hallendorff only knew.

The Cougars, dubbed the Cardiac Cougars by their heart-weary coaches and fans, wound up having six of their nine regular season games -- Highland Park, Lakes, Grant, North Chicago, Antioch and Wauconda -- decided in the final two minutes.

In four of those games, Hallendorff was called upon in the waning moments to quickly lead the offense down the field for a game-winning rally.

He's 2-2 in that role. Not bad for about eight minutes of work.

Of course, for just about every other minute of the game, Hallendorff is on the sideline, cheering on and advising starting quarterback PJ Marsek, who himself heads to the sideline as soon as Hallendorff's number is called.

The arrangement is unconventional, and makes for an interesting dynamic between the two friends. But it's never sidetracked Vernon Hills.

In fact, the two-quarterback system is a big reason the 5-4 Cougars managed to secure a spot in the playoffs, which begin for them tonight with a Class 6A tilt in Oak Lawn against top-seeded and undefeated Richards.

"You know, it's whatever it takes to get it done," Marsek said. "Whatever it takes to win."

Long before the season started, Monken had a clear idea of what he thought it would take for the Cougars to win.

The lightning-quick Marsek would be perfect at running the option offense, which Monken favors and would prefer to run on every play.

But the Cougars were also going to have to be prepared to move the ball down field quickly and efficiently. Especially if they were trailing at the end of a game.

That would require passing, and that's where Hallendorff comes it.

It's not that Marsek isn't a good passer, Hallendorff is just better. And taller.

Marsek stands just 5-foot-7 and admits to sometimes having a hard time seeing over the line. Hallendorff stands slightly over 6 feet.

"We knew that we wanted PJ to be our starter, because he can run with the ball so well, and that's what we like to do," Monken said. "But we also knew that if we needed to throw, the best thrower in our program is James. He worked really hard on his throwing over the summer and it showed.

"It's definitely a unique situation. I just go back to the success of it. If it helps us win, the guys on the team just accept it as part of what makes us a playoff team."

But getting to that point didn't happen overnight for either Hallendorff or Marsek.

Both are competitive enough to desperately want to be the one. The only one.

Hallendorff, a senior, would jump at the chance to be the starter just once. He never has been since joining the program as a freshman.

"I've always been a quarterback," Hallendorff said. "But never the quarterback."

Meanwhile, Marsek, a junior, would love to experience the thrill of leading the offense to a game-winning score, of finishing off the job in the most tense of situations. Hanging out on the sidelines during the most exciting part of a game isn't exactly what he prefers.

"I'll admit, I was a little envious at the beginning. It took some getting used to," Marsek said. "Obviously, yeah, you want to be in at the end because you've worked the rest of the 46 minutes of the game.

"But you understand it and you get used to it because you realize that (Hallendorff) gets the job it. Sometimes when he's about to go in, I'll just be like, 'Save me.' And he does."

Hallendorff led the Cougars triumphantly down the field against Lakes and North Chicago. He says the most exciting moment of his career was when he hit Herman Lynn with a 9-yard touchdown pass to beat Lakes.

"His precision definitely impresses me," Marsek said of Hallendorff, who has thrown for 2 touchdowns and run for one. "And his patience. I've learned about patience from James. The guys I've talked to on the team say he goes into the huddle and is calm, same tone, he doesn't get worried, he doesn't get excited. He's just there to do his job.

"I'm a little bit more emotional. I'm the one running all around."

And running and running and running.

Marsek, who likes to run first and pass second -- just like his coach -- has more than 1,100 total yards of offense and 13 touchdowns.

"His speed is his biggest thing and that's a lot," Hallendorff said of Marsek. "I mean, I wish some of his quickness would rub off on me. He's just extremely quick. It's impossible to play scout team against him. You can do a lot of damage by being quick."

Marsek said he did the most against Antioch, when he actually stayed in for the Cougars' game-winning drive.

"The difference was that there were five minutes left in the game when we got the ball back and we had time to run our offense," Marsek said. "It was fun for once to move the ball. And it felt pretty good getting to stay in at the end."

But it feels pretty good to win, too -- no matter how the wins come. Marsek and Hallendorff both say they never lose sight of that.

"It's just worked out for the best," Marsek said of his and Hallendorff's roles. "I never think, 'Oh, James is going in.' And I don't think he's upset when I'm in. We know we each do our jobs. That's the most important to us."

In fact, it's important to everyone on the team.

"It's our team philosophy," Hallendorff said. "Everyone on this team has a job to do. And we do it."