Quarterback. Linebacker. Receiver. Defensive back. Aidan Crisci can do it all for Aurora Central Catholic
Aurora Central Catholic’s Aidan Crisci is a four-year varsity starter, but he finds himself on the move once again — position-wise — as he proves to be the ultimate team player.
Christian Rago, who’s in his fifth year as the Chargers’ coach, counts himself fortunate to have an athlete like Crisci. So far this season, the 5-foot-8, 150-pound senior has been able to fill a number of roles, including at quarterback.
Plug in Crisci, watch him go.
“At the end of last season, I predetermined that,” Rago said, knowing he was losing a standout running quarterback in Grant Bohr to graduation. “Aidan was our emergency backup quarterback last year. The move was basically to get the ball in your best athlete’s hands every play.
“He kind of made it easy, doing a good job taking it on headfirst and doing everything he could to give us a chance.”
The young Chargers have faced mixed results, struggling to duplicate the feats of last year’s team that became ACC’s first playoff qualifier since 2016 while finishing 8-3 after a 1-1 postseason run.
Playing as an independent for a third straight year, ACC (0-4) averaged 21 points in its first two games but lost 49-28 to Lisle and 34-14 to Christ the King.
The Chargers have been shut out the last two weeks, losing 49-0 to St. Bede and 35-0 to Alton Marquette, a pair of 3-1 teams.
ACC is set to make another change as Rago has decided to turn to Griffin Curry, a 6-1, 150-pound freshman who took a few snaps at QB late in the game with Alton Marquette last week.
“Griffin is very talented,” Rago said. “He’s been mentally learning the offense and getting used to high school football these first four weeks. I decided this week it’s the right time.
“He got in against Marquette and took over right away.”
Crisci started as a slot receiver and cornerback as a freshman, then split time in the slot and at wingback on offense and moved to safety on defense as a sophomore.
He stayed with all three spots as a junior and added the emergency backup QB role.
“Aidan was essentially an outside linebacker,” Rago said of last season. “We’d play him eight yards off the line and have him come up.”
Crisci remains in the QB mix for Friday’s home game with Walther Christian. He will split time at fullback with sophomore Billy Arch and also resume his work in the slot and maybe even take some snaps in the Wildcat.
“It’s a big change,” Crisci said of his offseason move to quarterback. “You really have to focus up, lock in because now you have a bigger role and you’re leading the team. Everyone sees you as the base of the offense.
“Yeah, it’s been tough. We’re just trying to stay consistent. There’s been spurts, drives in the game were we go down the field and get in the end zone, but there’s other drives where we fumble or go three-and-out or something like that. It’s been a lot of little things that seem to hurt us.”
Joey Arch, a two-way lineman at left tackle and defensive end, is a four-year varsity starter like Crisci.
“It was a little bit of a shock for him moving to quarterback,” Arch said of Crisci. “Last season, he was getting reps because coach knew he would be a good quarterback and he was looking very good in camp.
“It’s been tough for the seniors and Aidan, mainly because he’s been putting a lot of work in trying to get this offense to work. It’s frustrating. I feel like we’ve gotten a lot better since Week 1. The schedule has been tougher, but we’ve progressed.”
And with expanded playoffs this season, there are still plenty of things to play for on the table.