Lake Central junior Frankie Verta finally relented. Now he’s reaping the rewards.

The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Verta, who is playing high school football for the first time, is the leading receiver for the Indians this season.

“I had expectations for myself, but nothing like this,” he said. “I didn’t expect it to go this well.”

Verta has 28 catches for 619 yards and seven touchdowns, all team highs for Lake Central (3-6), which will play at Duneland Athletic Conference champion Crown Point (9-0) in the Class 6A sectional semifinals on Friday.

Verta’s 74-yard touchdown catch was the tie-breaking score in the Indians’ 21-14 victory against Valparaiso in the regular-season finale that snapped an eight-game losing streak in the series dating to 2016.

“He’s been a pleasant surprise,” Lake Centr

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