Senior linebacker Silton is ‘huge’ as Wauconda overpowers Lakes

There’s a certain irony in the way senior linebacker Cashton Silton operates within Wauconda’s defense.

A man of relatively few words, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound Silton prefers to let his play do much of his talking. But his impact as a sideline-to-sideline, hole-plugging ball of energy comes through loud and clear.

“I don’t like to talk too much,” he said. “I do take pride in helping other people be successful. That’s the best thing you can do as a teammate.”

Silton helps out plenty, with both his actions and his words. He relays the calls from the sideline in the huddle and then makes any adjustments at the line of scrimmage based on what he sees.

“He’s the quarterback of the defense,” Wauconda coach Chris Prostka said. “He probably watches the most film of anyone on the team, so he’s definitely prepared.

“Knowing he’s out there getting people where they’re supposed to be is huge for us.”

Silton was huge again Friday night, when the fourth-seeded Bulldogs forced three turnovers on downs in their territory to beat 20th-seeded Lakes 42-14 in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs in Wauconda.

The Bulldogs (8-2), who will play 12th-seeded Belvidere North (7-4) in the second round, piled up over 400 yards of offense as senior running back Brody Rudolph rushed for 207 yards and three touchdowns and senior running back Brody McKenna added 122 yards and two TDs.

Wauconda’s passing game also was effective against the Northern Lake County Conference rival Eagles (5-6). Senior wide receiver Luke Sickmeir caught all five of senior quarterback Cooper Karaszewski’s completions for 143 yards.

“I absolutely love our offense,” Silton said. “They make it so much easier on us as a defense because you know they’re going to score every game.”

But Wauconda’s defense is no slouch, having held five opponents to two scores or fewer this season, and Silton’s development has been vital to that effort following the graduations of linebackers Eric Alvarado and Jackson Rudolph.

“It was fine not playing a ton last year because I was watching those two guys ahead of me,” Silton said. “They were good to watch on film, and they helped me a lot. I owe a lot to them because they helped me get along on my journey.”

For Silton, the final step on that journey was realizing it was his turn to lead. He entered Friday with a team-high 69 tackles and has become a rock that teammates depend upon.

“He’s a really big part of our defense,” said Brody Rudolph, who also starts at linebacker. “He’s making a lot of calls for us, and he reads the offense really well. He’s always quick on his feet, and he can break down our defense really well for us.”

Silton often seems like he’s a step ahead of the offense. On Friday, he was prepared to see a lot of Lakes senior quarterback Ethan Gialo, who carried the ball 24 times for 109 yards and both of the Eagles’ touchdowns on 4- and 7-yard keepers. Gialo also completed 10 of 17 pass attempts for 105 yards.

“Reading the guard was my main focus this week, and I feel like I was solid,” Silton said. “Once you get that visualization down, it’s just about making the play. If you’re a good enough ballplayer, you should be making those plays.”

Wauconda hopes Silton can make those plays for several more weeks. Belvidere North eliminated the Bulldogs from the playoffs in the second round in 2024.

“We’re talking about how we want to make history and go far in these playoffs,” Silton said. “I think it’s a real possibility, and everyone else believes that as well.”