Weights and Cakes: Seneca’s Chris Peura blocks, tackles way to 2023 Times Football Player of the Year

Before entering high school, Seneca senior Chris Peura’s main sports focus was on wrestling.

Now, he’s still pretty good on the mats, but as a freshman he added football to his interests. Well, kind of.

“I didn’t start playing football until my freshman year and really only because all my friends were playing,” said the 6-foot, 220-pound Peura. “I didn’t really start loving to play football until my sophomore year on varsity. My main interest was wrestling; football was just something to do.”

For those who have watched him the past two seasons, especially this past fall, on the offensive and defensive lines for the Fighting Irish, sticking with his “second sport” was a pretty good decision.

Peura, the 2023 Times Football Player of the Year, helped Seneca to an 11-1 record, a second consecutive undefeated regular season, an unbeaten Chicagoland Prairie Conference championship, a Class 2A quarterfinal playoff appearance, more than 3,600 yards rushing and almost 10 yards per carry out of the Irish’s power-T offense in 10 on-the-field games (the Irish received two wins via forfeit).

“When you looked at Chris his freshman year you would have never pictured what he’s become,” Seneca head football coach Terry Maxwell said. “He was still roughly the same height (6-0) and weight (220 pounds) back then, but now that 220 is almost all muscle. This is not a knock on Chris at all, but when he was an underclassman, I remember thinking to myself, ‘He’ll be a nice player, he’ll be OK for us, and he’ll maybe be able to fill a spot.’ He’s built himself into what he is with his all-around work ethic but especially in the weight room here at the school and at home.

“The fact that we had a kid like Chris, as well as the other guys on the O-line that were so strong and agile, gave us a lot of options in the run game. As a coach, I felt confident that almost anything I called was going to get us 7 or 8 yards or even more.”

When the play gets called, you know who your guy (to block) is going to be, and from there you just want to hit him as hard as you can. You also just have to have confidence in your ability and confidence in you’ve put in the work.”

—  Chris Peura, Seneca senior offensive and defensive lineman

A pancake block is a term that is used to describe a block that leaves a defensive player flat on his back as the running back goes through the hole.

Peura, who was named to the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association All-State team for the second straight season, had more than 100 pancakes this this past fall in 10 games. He is believed to be the only two-time all-state selection in program history.

He also has been selected to take part in the 50th Illinois Coaches Association Shrine All-Star Football Game to be held June 15 on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

“I think you have to be smart, as well, knowing how and who to block on every certain play,” Peura said. “When the play gets called, you know who your guy [to block] is going to be, and from there you just want to hit him as hard as you can. You also just have to have confidence in your ability and confidence in you’ve put in the work.”

Peura also recorded 35 tackles (27 solo), four sacks and three other tackles for loss at his defensive nose tackle spot.

“We don’t record pancakes for the defense, but he had a bunch of them, too,” Maxwell said with a chuckle.

This past March, Peura also was selected as the Times Wrestler of the Year after posting a school-record 46 wins, tying the school record with 35 pins and finishing sixth at the state finals at 195 pounds.

“Being a wrestler helps me in football with being aggressive and how to move your body better, and I feel it’s also the other way around,” Peura said. “That said, the biggest thing for me has been the weight room.”

Speaking of the weight room, Peura holds Seneca records in the bench press at 375 pounds, power clean at 315 and back squat at 615, the latter as a comparison being equivalent to lifting things like a vending machine, V8 car engine, baby grand piano or an average-sized grizzly bear.

“Squatting 600-plus pounds as a high schooler is insane, and for a kid his size – I mean, he’s not 6-6 and 290,” Maxwell said. “I really don’t even know what to say. It’s just truly amazing, but like I said, he’s put in the work to reach those marks.”

When asked about his favorite memory during the season, Peura said it was the Irish’s practice on Halloween in a couple of inches of snow before a second-round playoff game against Rockridge.

“I know we were all a little annoyed during school that day knowing we’d have to be practicing in it,” Peura said. “We knew it was going to be cold and wet, but once we got out there and got going it was a blast. Once it was over, everyone started throwing snowballs at each other.

“It was awesome.”