Hinsdale Central product Thomas Skokna waits turn, emerges as top receiver for national champ North Central

Wide receiver Thomas Skokna didn’t know a lot about North Central College’s football program when he was a senior at Hinsdale Central.

But North Central knew a lot about him.

“He’s a special one to me because I started recruiting him when I was still offensive coordinator, and a few months later I passed him off to [assistant] coach [Shane] Dierking,” North Central head coach Brad Spencer said. “So I kind of started that process, and I got to recruit about three or four of his brothers.”

One of those brothers, John, played for the Cardinals in 2013 and 2014 and was a roommate of Dierking. North Central has been one of the top Division III programs in the nation for nearly 20 years, but Skokna hadn’t paid much attention.

“I didn’t follow North Central that much or any Division III football since my brother graduated,” Skokna said. “So I had no idea, but once I committed, I learned very fast a lot about D-III.

“It was definitely worth it. You get a bad rap with the title of D-III, but you get some very good athletes.”

Including Skokna, a 5-foot-9, 174-pound junior who was lightly recruited in high school. In December of his senior year, he was talking to Division I schools Valparaiso and Drake but didn’t feel they were super interested.

Spencer, however, was hot on his trail.

“When I was recruiting him in the fall of 2021, so many high school coaches around the state that I know would text me about him, saying you should be recruiting that Hinsdale Central receiver,” Spencer said. “I’d reply, ‘Yes we are. We’re hoping to get him.’”

Spencer secured Skokna’s commitment the following March. Skokna spent his first two years as an understudy to Division III All-Americans Andrew Kamienski and DeAngelo Hardy. He didn’t see the field as a freshman, when the Cardinals won their second national title. He had four catches for 59 yards as a sophomore, when North Central lost in the national championship game.

“A lot of guys when we get them just need a little bit of developing or they just need to get a little bit stronger or faster,” Spencer said. “A lot of times that happens. That’s a credit to our coaches and training staff.

“Tommy was kind of that way. Came in and needed to put a little bit of weight on him, learn the system, mature a little bit.”

Skokna did all of those things and was ready when he got his chance this season. He led the Cardinals in receiving with 57 catches for 961 yards, including three receptions for 94 yards in North Central’s 41-25 victory over fellow unbeaten Mount Union in the Stagg Bowl on Jan. 5 in Houston.

It was the Cardinals’ third national title and came in their fifth consecutive appearance in the national championship game.

“It’s pretty remarkable to see him go from no stats as a freshman and sophomore to being our leading receiver, but it doesn’t surprise me,” Spencer said. “We saw this coming. You could see it last year in a backup role. He was one step away from being really good.

“This past spring he was in a battle for a starting position and he was just remarkable. He would always stand out, and it became clear what his role would be this fall. He continued it throughout the entire fall.”

This was Skokna’s second national title, but this one was the sweetest.

“It was obviously cool being a part of the team and winning it a couple years ago,” Skokna said. “But to actually play a bigger role, to be able to be on the field and make some big plays throughout the game was a dream come true.

“I was excited. It didn’t feel real when I was catching the ball. It was a little surreal, but it was definitely a great feeling. I loved it.”

Skokna’s biggest catch – and his favorite – in the Stagg Bowl was a 46-yarder from quarterback Luke Lehnen that gave the Cardinals a first down at the Mount Union 1-yard line with 5:57 left in the third quarter. They scored on the next play to extend their lead to 21-10.

“I caught a deep post from over the middle,” Skokna said. “We actually called the same play twice.

“The first time I dropped it and I said to Luke on the sideline, ‘I’m sorry,’ and he said, ‘Don’t worry about it. I’m coming right back to you.’ And he came right back to me and it worked out.”

Things have a way of working out with Skokna, whose family name is synonymous with athletics and football in particular. He is the second-youngest of 10 children, seven boys and three girls, who all played sports at some level at Hinsdale Central.

The five youngest brothers all played football. Skokna is the fourth to play college football, joining John, Luke (North Dakota) and Mark (St. Ambrose). Skokna’s youngest brother, James, was a sophomore on Hinsdale Central’s varsity last fall.

Skokna joked that his big clan meant always having someone to play catch with. It also honed his skills.

“Definitely my strength is speed and elusiveness,” Skokna said. “I don’t like to get tackled by the first guy that sees me. I like to make them miss.”

Skokna does so with regularity, and that’s not all due to his athleticism.

“He’s one of the fastest guys on our team, but he plays hard,” Spencer said. “That’s something that we look for in football players. It’s not only talent and skill but that you play hard.

“He’s also a very smart football player. He might not give that off all the time because he has a really great sense of humor and personality. He seems laid back, but he is a fierce, fierce competitor.”

Which is why Skokna soon will turn his attention to preparing for his final season on the gridiron. He is one of several local players returning for the Cardinals, including fellow marketing major Sean Ryniec, a sophomore kicker from Downers Grove North who made 106 of 107 extra-point attempts this season and has scored 208 points over the past two seasons.

“Looking forward to next season, obviously it’s cool that we won the national title, but we’ve got to kind of forget about that and realize it’s a new season,” Skokna said. “We’re 0-0. It doesn’t matter what you did last year, so just put our head down and start working. I’m getting back in the weight room in the next few weeks.”