By Patrick Z. McGavin- Photos by Renee Kaspar
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WEST CHICAGO— Chris Walsh is like the solitary hero of a Western who has paid his dues, and mastered the subtleties and craft of his game.
The master of his domain is playing quarterback, transcending styles and formats.
“I’ve been playing quarterback in different leagues, even multiple teams, for about 15 years now, including semi pro teams, like the Racine Raiders and Southern Lake Blue Devils,” Walsh said.
“I won a couple of MVPs, and some championships. I’ve had a pretty good career.”
He has made a lot of friends along the way.
“Everybody loves to play with Chris because he just knows so much about the game,” No. 7 said.
“We have so many weapons, so it’s kind of like anybody’s day. It changes every day. There are games I might get a catch, there are games I might not. With Chris, we run the routes, and he gets us all involved.”
A new league just presents Walsh with another opportunity to showcase his versatile skill set.
Walsh had two passing touchdowns and added two rushing scores in the Usual Suspects’ 36-0 victory over the Pitbulls in the debut of the Players League at West Chicago on Sunday, March 10.
The Players League is a new seven-team collection of area programs.
On offense, any of the eight players are eligible receivers. The traditional formation is a quarterback operating in shotgun, with a three-man blocking wall, and four receivers.
The games are played with two 20-minute halves. The first half is conducted under a continuously running clock. The second half runs uninterrupted until the final two minutes, where it stops for incomplete passes or plays that end out of bounds.
Walsh started fast, and never let up. He went for a nine-yard carry on the opening play of the game.
He followed with a series of sharp and accurate throws that sprayed the ball all over the field. He punctuated the five-play opening drive with a gorgeous 31-yard touchdown pass to No. 7.
Walsh grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, and now lives in Kenosha. His father was also a long-time quarterback and player.
The Usual Suspects quickly expanded their margin to 12-0 with the first of two interceptions by defensive back No. 9. Catching a deflected pass on the left edge, he broke free for the 59-yard return touchdown.
“I saw the receiver and the defender go up for the ball, and I knew it was going to be tipped,” No. 9 said. “I just waited for it, and the ball came right to me.”
He added a second interception in the second half.
“I’ve been playing receiver all of my life, and I just went to defensive back when they needed me there. This eight-man is more complicated than a full 11-man team, because everybody is eligible to catch the ball,” he said.
“In a traditional game, you’re only going to have four or five people who are going to handle it. It’s somewhat complicated. You have to read the defense more.”
Defensively the Usual Suspects rarely allowed the Pitbulls’ quarterbacks the freedom of movement or time to get comfortable, either in the pocket or on the run.
The pass rushing specialist No. 0 was a dynamic force with three sacks. His pressure put the quarterback under constant duress.
On the other side, Walsh had time and plenty of opportunities to strut his stuff, showing great mobility and the ability to make throws off movement or deep in the pocket.
“I was raised watching Brett Favre, so there’s no throw that I don’t think I can’t make,” Walsh said. “We’re all here to play, so I’m trying to get everybody the ball. I try to make sure that everybody is involved.
“We’ve been together for about 10 years now, and we played in some other leagues. We’re battle tested, and we have our systems down. We even know what switches to make when they know what we’re doing.”
Walsh created the 20-0 halftime lead with his nine-yard touchdown pass to No. 34 in the right flat.
In the second half, he showed the full range of his abilities, throwing quick passes and also revealing fancy footwork. After a beautiful 17-yard out to No. 17, Walsh closed out a five-play drive with a nifty 16-yard touchdown run down the left edge.
The egalitarian approach by Walsh has created a strong bond with the rest of the players. The team follows his direction.
“I’ve been playing with the Usual for the last three or four years,” No. 7 said. “I started playing flag about four years ago. I was playing with another team, and I came across another player on this team, and he recruited me over.
“With other teams, they have a lot of young guys, and they tend to talk a lot. With us, we just go out and play and get it done. Even if we lose, we have the right attitude. We’re organized. That’s the biggest thing with flag football, having a structure and an organized team, because you can’t really practice that much.”
Walsh put the finishing touches on the rout with a final scoring sequence, a deft blend of runs and throws that ended with his four-yard keeper.
“This takes me back to when I played eight-on-eight tackle,” Walsh said. “This gets me back to that realm. This is so much fun. I have four wide receivers, and I’m the running back. I have three wide, and my three that stay in on the line, and I’m the running back. It’s a way to feel young, even though I’m getting older.
“We pick up some stragglers every year, but we’re all brothers. We have a great camaraderie, and chemistry. This is a new league, and we’re excited. There are a lot of perks in this league and format that lets me play in the pocket. I enjoy the flexibility of the format.”