Emmett Dowling’s career arc was the stuff of dreams.
The Mount Carmel quarterback, whose dad and brother played on state-championship teams for the Caravan, had a humbling start and a spectacular finish.
Dowling led the Caravan to the second four-peat in program history and their IHSA-record 17th state title with the greatest statistical season ever for a Mount Carmel quarterback.
Following in the footsteps of current Vanderbilt quarterback Jack Elliott, Dowling set program records for completions (260), attempts (430) and passing yards (3,697) while throwing for 45 touchdowns. He also ran 107 times for 491 yards and 11 scores.
For his individual achievements and his starring role in the 14-0 team’s season, Dowling is the Southwest Regional Player of the Year.
He started playing football in fourth grade at a different position.
“They wouldn’t let me play quarterback because we didn’t throw the ball,” Dowling told Southwest Regional. “We only ran the ball, so I was a little running back.”
The 6-foot, 190-pounder arrived at Mount Carmel in 2022, the year his brother Blainey quarterbacked the Caravan to a 14-0 record and a state title. They were preceded by their dad Jim, who played on Mount Carmel state championship teams in 1999 and 2000.
There was adversity at the start.
“Freshman year, I was benched at quarterback, moved to receiver,” Dowling said. “So that kind of fueled me.
“A lot of people thought I would transfer, quit or just not play anymore.
“But I stuck with it. Coach (Jordan) Lynch believed in me and that’s all that matters.”
Back at quarterback as a sophomore, Dowling was brought up to the varsity for the 2023 playoffs and saw spot action in three games.
In 2024, he served as Elliott’s backup and completed 62% of his passes for 326 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games. One of them was his first career start, vs. Brother Rice, when Elliott was injured.
The job was his in 2025 and Dowling made the most of it, leading a high-octane passing attack with proven targets such as Quentin Burrell, Marshaun Thornton, Jamari Brown and Steven Winkler.
Burrell talked about Dowling after the Caravan’s 20-3 win over Oswego East in the Class 8A title game.
“Great player,” Burrell said. “Gritty. Coming in, having a three-peat (to defend), all the pressure’s on you. That’s hard.
“He stepped up, stepped into his role, filled the shoes.”
Dowling gave credit to Lynch, a former Caravan star and Heisman Trophy finalist for Northern Illinois.
“He’s the best coach in the country,” Dowling said. “I’ll keep saying that. Me and him, watching a lot of film, doing morning lifts, 4:30 we’re throwing routes on the field. It’s all because of him.”
Dowling, who has an offer from Wisconsin-Whitewater, aims to keep playing football.
“This is just the start,” he said.
And it’s a pretty good one.