Lake County Gazette

No matter what uniform he’s wearing or what sport he’s playing, Tavion McCarthy brings a single-minded approach to the game.

“I love guarding people,” McCarthy, who stars as a cornerback on the Warren football team and as a point guard on the basketball team, recently told the Chicago Tribune. “I love shutting people down. That’s all I care about.”

McCarthy’s impact can be seen in the results. The Blue Devils (4-1, 4-0 North Suburban) have pitched four shutouts this season and have allowed just 10 points all season.

“We lock down,” McCarthy said. “That’s what we live by and stand for.”

Over the years, that’s become the Warren way, said coach Bryan McNulty.

“The first thing our kids do when they come in as freshmen is talk about defense,” he said. “We really try to pride ourselves on that.”

And in the middle of it all has been McCarthy, who McNulty refers to as “kind of our heart and soul.”

“He’s always been our juice guy,” McNulty said. “He is what we are and he embodies what we do.”

McCarthy said his motivation is simple.

“We always play hard, especially in the red zone,” he said. “We want no scores on us. Ever.”