Mount Carmel is loaded with standout players, but few stand out as much as Caleb Tucker.
The sophomore defensive lineman is listed at 6-5 and 360 pounds on the Caravan roster.
At just 5 years old, Tucker had already reached 5 feet tall. And once he stepped onto the football field for the first time with the Windy City Dolphins, he gained a nickname that has stuck to this day.
Enter: The Bone Crusher.
“That name came about when I was 5,” Tucker said. “I was the biggest 5-year-old on the youth football team.”
He’s still the biggest player on the field, and he’s making equally big plays. Tucker had a late fumble recovery to help seal the Caravan’s 42-23 road win at Nazareth on Sept. 12 in a matchup of three-time defending state champs.
“During the last three drives, we just had to stick together,” Tucker said. “I also had to lead and dominate out there.”
Mount Carmel coach Jordan Lynch is proud of the improvements Tucker is making in his second season and finds it to be no surprise that he’s gaining such traction.
“He’s only 15 years old and super athletic,” Lynch said. “There’s a reason why he’s getting all this national exposure. He’s a heck of a kid and a great player. He makes a huge difference for us.”
While Tucker’s weekly opponents have gotten to know him well, the rest of the football landscape also has gotten to know his name, including many D-I colleges. He’s a consensus four-star prospect ranked No. 3 in Illinois and No. 60 nationally in the 2028 class, according to 247Sports.com.
His offers include Auburn, Miami, Notre Dame and Ohio State, among many others.
Tucker has enjoyed learning from senior lineman Joey Quinn and Braeden Jones, who are committed to Vanderbilt and USC, respectively.
“They’ve been dogging me since freshman year,” Tucker said. “I had to learn from (them).”
The trio makes it nearly impossible for any opposing team to gain yards on the ground.
“It’s awesome knowing that no team can run the ball on our D-line or our defense in general,” Caravan quarterback Emmett Dowling said.
Nazareth coach Tim Racki divides his season into thirds. His Roadrunners ended the first third 2-1 with their only loss being to the defending 8A state champs.
“They’re two classes above us (in 8A). This is a good test to see where we’re at,” Racki said. “Regardless of the outcome we’re going to be a better football team because they’re a great football team.”
Nazareth quarterback Frankie Nichols had a 165 yards passing with touchdowns to Edward McClain and Trenton Walker. He also had 47 rushing yards. Justin Watson also tallied a rushing touchdown.
Racki had used both Nichols and senior quarterback Jackson Failla in previous weeks, but went with the hot hand coming out of the practice week for the Mount Carmel game.
“He’s got a lot of moxie and he’s athletic,” Racki said of Nichols. “He’s got a lot of weapons in his toolbox that helps us spread the field. He’s a run-and-pass threat.”
Racki wants to see his Roadrunners clean up their game. Against Mount Carmel, there were too many penalties and turnovers for his liking.
But he remains encouraged.
“Everything that we need to improve on, we will, because it’s very fixable from what I saw tonight,” Racki said.
Dowling continued to find his teammates and got in on the action himself. He threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns — both to Quentin Burrell. Dowling also ran for a team-high 56 yards and two touchdowns.
Madden Wilson (team-high 13 attempts, 49 yards) and Nathan Wilson had rushing touchdowns.
Senior defensive backs Patrick Breakey and Tavares Harrington also were active on defense as they each had an interception.
Much like Racki, Lynch is proud of the progress but wants to see improvements be made all season long.
“They’re kids at the end of the day,” Lynch said. “You have to keep staying on them and challenging them, but it’s a learning process. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”