Fremd turns its offense over to O’Brien’s passing attack, and junior QB delivers record numbers

Every teenager wants the keys to the car. But it is even better when that car belongs to someone else.

That’s what happened this season to Fremd quarterback Johnny O’Brien.

The junior came into the 2024 campaign having thrown for 1,682 yards, which ranked fourth all-time for passing yards in a season. So, with the lessons learned as a sophomore, Fremd coach Lou Sponsel had the car keys ready.

“I told him that I got keys on the initial play,” Sponsel said. “But I also said that once you break the huddle, the keys are yours. So, you do what you need to get us in the right spot. Go do what you do what would like you to.”

O’Brien got the Vikings into the right spot on many, many occasions. So much so, that he set 13 school passing records and tied another, throwing for 3,288 yards and 39 touchdowns.

O’Brien’s play helped Fremd to a 9-2 record, and he almost orchestrated a comeback in the Class 8A quarterfinal against Naperville Central. Even with loss the Vikings had their best season since 2009.

For his play on the field and his leadership in the huddle and on the sidelines, O’Brien is the Daily Herald’s Cook County All-Area captain.

O’Brien becomes the first junior to win the award since Palatine quarterback Zach Oles in 2015. Oles also won the award in 2016.

Sponsel said with a player like O’Brien, it was easy to relinquish the control on the field.

“You know, it's not about micromanaging and running the system,” Sponsel said. “It's about getting results. And there's got to be a level of trust there to have success. I think there's that level of trust in that relationship there. You live by it. You die by it. I think we're much better with Johnny having car keys on the field than if I would be micromanaging every situation.”

Fremd has been a traditional run-first type of program going all the way back to its inception. The Vikings have had great quarterbacks in the past with Scott Tolzien, who was the All-Area captain in 2005, and his brother Mark, who was the captain in 2007. Mike Tauchman, Sam Beutler, Josten, Jeff Huber and Dave Eck also were considered solid players at the position.

But, with one year remaining in his high school career, O’Brien, who has already thrown for 4,970 yards and 50 touchdowns with a career completion percentage of 64.8%, could be difficult to top.

“We're spoiled,” Sponsel said. “I mean, we are. We can do things that normal high schools can't because of Johnny O'Brien and the kids we have on the perimeter. We can run the same offense as you see on Saturday afternoon we can do at the high school level because of Johnny.”

O’Brien said that the offseason work he and he teammates did this past summer led to all of their success this fall.

“We just had a close knit group this year, and we all believed in each other,” O’Brien said. “I feel like their confidence in me kind of just helped me believe in the team and believe in myself. They always have my back and everything. So, you know, I think just the commitment that we had in each other just helped me be confident in myself and just go out there and play loose.”

That was on full display in Fremd’s first game of the season against nemesis and rival Lake Zurich. O’Brien and the Vikings opened the game with 14 consecutive passes. And the only way O’Brien and Fremd slowed down is when O’Brien came up with a cramp in his left thumb from throwing the ball 30 times in the first half in Fremd’s 31-0 victory.

“You tailor your system to your personnel and the kids you have,” Sponsel said. “When you have talented kids in the program, you have to make sure that bottom line is the job of the offense is to score points. And our best way to score points to put the game in Johnny O'Brien's hands.”

The Vikings set scoring records for most points in game (65) against Highland Park, and a season scoring record of 453 points, which eclipsed the 362 they scored in 2016.

And it was not just the throwing by O’Brien that gave opponents fits. He rushed for over 300 yards and two touchdowns. His ability to scramble kept his sacks down to just five and extended plays that enabled Fremd to keep drives alive.

“He's a very gifted athlete,” Sponsel said. “Johnny has just got some intangibles. It’s hard to describe. I mean, his ability, the speed of his release, the amount of control he can create while throwing on the run, it's unparalleled. And it's crazy how quick he can get rid of the ball and throw across his body.”

That type of creativity along with the arm strength and quick release has already caught the interest of colleges. O’Brien verbally committed Northwestern last summer, a dream come true for O’Brien.

“I went to their camp, and I got the offer there,” O’Brien said. “But I've been going to Northwestern games since I was, like, six years old. My good childhood friend had season tickets, so we'd go to about three or four games a year. And since I just grew up in Illinois, Northwestern was the closest Big Ten school to me. So, you know, I was always a fan of them.”

O’Brien said he loved the feeling for Northwestern even more once he got an opportunity to work out at their camp.

“It was the first Big Ten school to believe in me,” O’Brien said. “Everything about their program is perfect. They're not just great football coaches, but they're great people too. And I just like spending time with them and talking to them. I fell in love with it. It's always been a dream to play at Northwestern so, I think it was just the perfect time and perfect place for me to commit.”

Especially if they have car keys.