Aurora Christian in good hands with Roberts

Don Beebe has been impressed with Jordan Roberts ever since the Aurora Christian junior walked through the doors of the school a little more than two years ago.

"At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Jordan was a good-sized freshman," said Beebe of the Eagles' starting quarterback. "But I was more impressed with his mental makeup. Being able to run our West Coast offense is not easy.

"However, Jordan has always been a great student of the game. He studied hard and spent a lot of time watching films. He's been calling audibles since his freshman year."

Roberts certainly did not play like the usual jittery freshman.

During his debut season, Roberts helped guide the Eagles to an 8-3 record and second-round berth in the Class 1A state playoffs.

"At the time, I was amazed that I was playing a freshman at quarterback," said Beebe. "But Jordan's very mature for his age."

Nearly 24 months later, it is apparent that Roberts has also gotten better with age.

The 6-1, 202-pound junior brings some impressive statistics into Saturday's Class 3A state semifinal clash with host Plano.

Roberts has completed 139 of 253 pass attempts for 2,424 yards and 33 touchdowns and gained 576 yards on the ground with 9 rushing TDs while helping lead Aurora Christian to an unblemished 12-0 mark.

"Jordan has tremendous overall athletic skill," said Beebe. "He's got explosive speed, superior arm strength and great awareness."

That's why Roberts is near the top of the college recruiting list from the class of 2009.

"He gets so much press and so much attention," said Beebe. "But having him out there is like having an extra coach on the field. It's a huge advantage.

"You realize that this type of kid only comes around once in a while."

With 83 career touchdown passes (tied for third with Tuscola's Dusty Burk and South Beloit's Jered Shipley), Roberts is just 12 shy of breaking the IHSA all-time mark set by Maroa-Forsyth's Luke Hockaday from 2003-06.

"And he's less than 1,000 yards from the career yardage mark," Beebe said, referring to the all-time record of 7,911 yards set by Riverside-Brookfield's Tim Brasic (1999-2001). "As long as Jordan stays healthy, he's going to break both marks."

For now, Roberts isn't thinking about any records. He's busy focusing on Saturday's opponent -- defending 3A state champion Plano.

"I was made aware of it (records) during the off-season," said Roberts. "But I'll have time to think about that next year.

"It's all business now -- and it's time to get the job done."

After jumping two classes to 3A last year, Aurora Christian suffered an early postseason exit with its 34-24 first-round loss to Westmont.

Things have been much different this time around.

Since their hard-fought, 12-7 victory over Immaculate Conception in Week 1, the Eagles have put up staggering offensive numbers -- 507 points over their last 11 games (46-point average).

"We only had 4 seniors last year and we've got 18-19 seniors this year so our leadership has been much better," said Roberts, one of five co-captains alongside seniors Tom Velasquez, Robbie Marvin, Dan Hill and John Smith.

"Right after the Westmont game last year, I was looking forward to playing basketball. This year, basketball is not even on my mind. There are only four teams left (in Class 3A) and we've got a chance to be the last one standing."

Beebe, who owns a 4-year record of 36-9 as the Eagles' head coach, knows all about big games.

"He's played in 6 Super Bowls," Roberts said of his head coach who played 9 NFL seasons with the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers from 1989-97. "I've learned a lot from him."

"I don't talk about my career too much with the guys, but this week I've tried to help them with their preparation," said Beebe. "I don't want them to get caught up in the hype. I want them to stay focused because if your head is not clear, you won't be able to perform to your ability."

At the same time, Beebe realizes the significance of Saturday's game.

"We've never been this far before," said Beebe of the school's football program which is in just its 10th year of existence. "This is the Super Bowl for these kids.

"As a coach, it's much tougher to enjoy because of all the demands. As a player, you simply practice, show up for the game and play."

Ironically, Beebe never got to taste playoff football during his high school days at Kaneland.

"We started off 6-0 my senior year but finished 6-3 and just missed the playoffs," he said. "Back then, you pretty much had to go 9-0, 8-1 or 7-2 to make it."