Suburban Life Athlete of the Week: Joey Gliatta, IC Catholic Prep, football, senior

Name: Joey Gliatta

Sport: Football

Why he was selected: Gliatta ran for 148 yards on 18 carries with two rushing touchdowns, caught a touchdown pass and had the game-winning two-point conversion in the Knights’ 36-34 win over Nazareth. He was selected the Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is his Q&A with Joshua Welge.

Welge: What was it like to play in that game that came down to the wire?

Gliatta: It felt amazing. We joined the CCL to compete in games like that.

Welge: Do you feel you guys showed a little that you can compete with the bigger schools in the Chicago Catholic League?

Gliatta: I feel like we showed that we can compete in big games like that. But I feel like no matter what we do, we’ll be doubted.

Welge: Didn’t the lights go out at one point? How did you handle that?

Gliatta: Yeah, with around 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter. We just used it to recuperate and the student section definitely gave us energy.

Welge: You had such a breakout run in the playoffs last year personally. How have you tried to build off that?

Gliatta: I just knew that this was going to be a big year for me. I just wanted to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke for me.

Welge: You seem to have a good 1-2 punch in the backfield [with Aaron Harvey]. How do you guys work off each other?

Gliatta: Aaron and I work really well together because we have two different running styles. We both give each other breaks to stay fresh. We trust each other.

Welge: Do you have a favorite team or player you like to watch?

Gliatta: Christian McCaffrey [of the San Francisco 49ers] is my favorite player to watch. I like to study him and include his techniques in my game. I like being a versatile back like him.