The next big thing? Mateusz Nycz makes move to tight end and linebacker for Marmion. ‘I was always giant for my age.’

Keep an eye on Marmion’s Mateusz Nycz. It shouldn’t be hard.

The senior tight end/outside linebacker has always been big for his age but keeps growing. It prompted a position change this year under a new coach, changing Nycz’s outlook on the game.

An offensive lineman since he started playing football at age 5, Nycz will get his chance to handle the ball by running after the catch as well as continuing to block and tackle.

Nycz will be making these moves for Adam Guerra, named this spring to succeed coach Dan Thorpe, who retired after leading the program for 19 seasons. Last fall, Nycz checked in for the Cadets at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, playing full time at center and sparingly at defensive end.

“I know I’m gonna do well and I’m so excited I can’t even put it in words,” said Nycz, who enters the season at 6-5 and 245 pounds. “I’m ready to go out and hit somebody.

“I was always an offensive lineman growing up. I was always giant for my age, even at 5.”

Mateusz Nycz — whose name is pronounced muh-tay-oosh kneesh — has passed his father. His dad Andrzej (pronounced on-jay) moved to the area from his native Poland at age 20 and is 5-11.

Mateusz’s mother Kelly is 5-10 and her father and an uncle are both 6-11, so the youngster may not be done growing yet.

“His height, size, athleticism and football smarts are the reasons,” Guerra said of the position changes for Nycz, who also wrestles at Marmion and qualified for state at heavyweight last winter.

Guerra, who started his coaching career in his native California, has been a Catholic educator his entire career and returns to coaching in high school after a two-year layoff.

A head coach for 12 of his 19 years, Guerra came to Chicago in 2017 and coached St. Patrick for five seasons. He led Shamrocks to the quarterfinals of the Class 5A playoffs in…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/next-big-thing-mateusz-nycz-224000134.html

Author : Chicago Tribune

Publish date : 2024-08-27 22:40:00

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