A year ago at this time, Luke and Zeke Williams were eagerly awaiting the opportunity to share a huddle together for the first time as high school teammates. Find out more in this feature presented by Edward Medical Group.
The Covid-19 pandemic pushed football to the spring and delayed the start of basketball to February.
Flash forward to today, and the two multi sport athletes are entering their fourth season together in the last calendar year as Naperville North basketball tips off. Older brother Zeke is playing his final season for the Huskies after four years on the varsity hoops team and three years on varsity football. Luke, a sophomore, has followed in his brothers footsteps by earning major minutes on the court for the blue and orange since his freshman season, while also playing as a starter on the gridiron his first two years. It’s hard for the elder Williams to comprehend that his Naperville North athletic career is now in its final months.
The duo were an integral part of a dynamic Huskie offense on the football field as big play wide receivers, while also making plays on the other side of the ball as defensive backs. This fall the Williams brothers helped North football qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2017, end three game losing streak against rival Naperville Central and win the DVC conference championship in a thriller over Neuqua Valley. Luke gives a lot of the credit for his early career success to his big brother.
Zeke is ready to take his game to the next level as he will sign to play football collegiately at Northern Illinois University later this month. But for now the standout brothers are enjoying their time in the huddle side by side, and enjoy the fact that they are still able to compete for their school.
While Luke is still deciding if he’d prefer to play football or basketball at the next level, the Huskie coaches, athletes and fans are thrilled to have him playing both the next two years. And despite his brothers approaching graduation, Luke knows that Zeke will continue to be his biggest cheerleader and mentor.
For Naperville Sports Weekly, I’m Justin Cornwell.
