LA GRANGE PARK, Ill. — The football field at Nazareth Academy is tucked away in a charming neighborhood on the outskirts of Chicago’s first-ring suburbs.

Its residential location makes it easily accessible by bike.

That’s an important detail Nazareth Academy head coach Tim Racki made sure to point out on a picturesque afternoon in late August as his players were busy warming up in the distance.

In the midst of getting Nazareth Academy prepared for its opener against Kankakee, Racki gave himself permission to take a trip down memory lane for a few minutes, reminiscing about how a young J.J. McCarthy used to show up to practice before he could even palm the football.

After initially asking his his parents, Jim and Megan, to drop him off, McCarthy soon took it upon himself to get there. H

See Full Page