Carlos Rivera, a safety who ‘backs down from nobody,’ tackles another challenge as West Aurora downs Bartlett
Don’t sell West Aurora’s Carlos Rivera short.
A postgame scene Friday night in the south end zone of Ken Zimmerman Field at Ormond Stadium helped emphasize that point while also providing stark David-vs.-Goliath-type contrast.
Rivera is a 5-foot-5, 135-pound junior safety who surprisingly leads the Blackhawks in tackles.
He couldn’t help but smile when an observer reminded him of his handshake and exchange with Chase Paduch, a 6-4, 310-pound junior lineman for Upstate Eight Conference rival Bartlett.
“I played youth football with him,” Rivera said of his Elgin Bears teammate from age 7 through sixth grade. “My cousins saw potential in me, took me to a practice one day and the coaches gave me a chance to play.
“I don’t know, I don’t even think about my height. A lot of people have told me it doesn’t matter. Those that think so, I just try to prove wrong.”
It’s so far, so good for Rivera, who was able to convince his mother Jenny the sport was for him as he played for the Bears through eighth grade.
Rivera had five solo tackles and two assists Friday, giving him a team-high total of 31 tackles as the Blackhawks rolled to a 63-14 win behind the strong running of senior Bryce Riley.
Riley had 12 carries for 247 yards rushing for West Aurora (2-2, 2-0), including TDs of 65, 64, 52 and 25 yards. He also caught three passes for 42 yards and another TD.
Junior running back Michael Williams added five carries for 105 yards with a TD burst of 63 yards to go with a 46-yard TD shovel pass from senior quarterback Tyler Fecht.
“They were big up front and had some size on us,” West Aurora coach Nate Eimer said. “We were a little worried about that, but I thought we did a lot of good things.
“The defense was the big difference, getting stops early on. Stop, score, stop, score and then we’re up 21-0. We knew we were in pretty good shape then.”
Braden Fraus, senior middle linebacker, also had a hand in on 10 tackles and ranks second on the team with 30 for the Blackhawks.
“Carlos is the smallest guy with the biggest heart,” Fraus said. “He plays with so much heart. He flies around and gets mad at himself when he doesn’t do the right thing every single time.
“He’s gonna come back next year, too, and tear up the field. He’s a great player.”
Rivera also recovered a fumble for the second straight week.
“He’s a West High kid, tough as nails,” Eimer said of Rivera. “He backs down from nobody. And the one thing about him that’s really special? Some kids have a nose for the football and some have a hard time finding it.
“He finds the football.”
Eimer is surprised that Rivera has never wrestled.
“Because he gets people on the ground,” Eimer said. “That’s what he does really well. Nose for the ball, gets you on the ground, a tough kid. Seems to sound simple, but not all kids are like this.
“He’s tiny, but he’s out there making plays.”
Rivera started out playing quarterback and linebacker, eventually settling in at defensive back and wide receiver in high school.
He hopes to take it to the next level.
“I really love playing defense,” Rivera said. “Like hitting people — that’s what I like to do. I just go out there and play my role and I’m able to do that.”
Rivera has been used less on offense and more on the other side of the ball lately, according to defensive coordinator Pat Stremel.
“He’s always been undersized, which might be an understatement, but he tackles,” Stremel said. “Sometimes we roll him down in the box in coverage, sometimes he plays linebacker.”
Rivera plans to continue to prove people wrong.
“Everybody earns respect out there,” he said.