With McInerney and Kimpler, Libertyville's measuring up

There might be other upperclassmen walking the hallways at Libertyville High School that are more imposing than 6-foot-5 senior Jordan McInerney and 6-foot-6 junior Ben Kimpler.

Their noticeable height gets offset a bit by their girth, or, rather, lack of it. At about 200 pounds apiece, both are extremely lean and lanky, so much so much so that they struggle to find pants that fit around the waist.

"I've got to customize them on-line," Kimpler said. "The longer pants (in stores) are always too big in the waist."

"I use a lot of belts," McInerney laughed.

But put Kimpler and McInerney in some well-tailored football gear, position them on either side of the defensive line and turn them loose on the quarterback, and now we're talking imposing.

Kimpler and McInerney, who start together as defensive ends for Libertyville, may be light, but they're also light on their feet. Their speed, combined with their insanely long wingspans, can put them up in the faces of most opposing quarterbacks seemingly the second the ball is snapped.

The bookends of Kimpler and McInerney, whose combined wingspan covers nearly 13 feet, give Libertyville a look on defense that is unique and difficult to prepare for. Not to mention difficult to defeat. Led by strong performances by the defense each week, the Wildcats are 3-0 heading into tonight's North Suburban Conference Lake Division showdown at Warren. It's Libertyville's best start since 2006.

"We just put our hands in the air and there's a huge wall," McInerney said. "Quarterbacks have a huge problem throwing over us. A lot of times they can't even see over us. Our height has a huge effect."

Batting down passes is becoming routine for Kimpler and McInerney. They're also racking up sacks and they're even getting good at making plays when they've been pushed out of position by offensive linemen, simply by using their reach to compensate.

Last week against Lake Zurich, McInerney used his long arms to block a punt. And in the season opener against Palatine, Kimpler blocked an extra point.

"You don't see a lot of defensive linemen like them in high school," Libertyville coach Mike Jones said. "You might get some 6-foot-3 defensive linemen every once in a while, but most of them are around 6-feet, and I haven't seen two kids together on the same line who have their height.

"It definitely impacts the game. They're able to get their hands in there, they're able to get in a lot more plays from the front, side or the back side, because of that length."

With length that automatically hooks college recruiters, both Kimpler and McInerney are working on their weight. They are like most people in that they get frustrated that the scale isn't moving fast enough.

Of course, most people don't want the scale moving up like they do.

"I'm eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," McInerney said. "When my dad makes them for me, he just loads on the peanut butter. I'm trying to be up at around 6,000 calories a day. I have a huge protein shake before I go to bed just so that it can kind of settle in overnight."

Kimpler, who is further away from his college career and also is a basketball player and serious baseball player, is a little less aggressive with his weight gain strategies.

"My diet has a lot of protein and I'm trying to gain weight, but with baseball, I've got to be careful about too much weight because I'm a pitcher and you need a lot of flexibility," said Kimpler, who was 6-foot-3 as a freshman and is nicknamed 'Big Ben' because he's always been a tall kid. "I'll decide probably after football season which (sport) I want to focus on (in college) and that's when I'll do more about my weight. I think I have the potential, though, to pack on the pounds."

Kimpler also has a lot of upside as a defensive end. Technically, he's still learning the position.

He used to be a middle linebacker and was changed over to end three games into the season last year. So he hasn't even had a full season at that spot.

"Jordan has been a huge help. He's been playing this position for a really long time and he took me under his wing," Kimpler said. "He's been a big mentor for me."

McInerney, who was 6-feet as a freshman and has maintained his foot quickness by wrestling, says Kimpler helps him, too. Having essentially a mirror image at the other end of the line makes his job a little easier.

"When Ben came up last year to the line, I made it my goal and my duty to teach him everything and help him out and now, he helps me out," McInerney said. "Last week against Lake Zurich, Ben and I were in the backfield a lot. Our pass rush was big and their quarterback had to make quick decisions or he was going to get sacked by one of us.

"It helps (to have an intense rush come from both sides). Ben and I just get each other. All we have to do is nod at each other and we know what each other is doing."

The end result this season has usually been something very good for Libertyville.

"I think everyone on our sideline gets a little more excited when they see Ben and I get a sack or a tackle-for-loss," McInerney said. "They get excited when they see us knock down a pass. I think you're going to be seeing more guys like us, those tall defensive linemen.

"I think it's a new era, a new breed of defensive linemen. You're going to see more taller, quicker guys like us making plays."

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

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