Aurora junior covers all bases in playoffs

Aurora Central Catholic junior Leo Corral plays on offense, defense, and special teams.

The Chargers, currently 4-6, defeated Carver of the Public League 49-8 last weekend to open the Class 4A playoffs. They face Rauner at 5 p.m. Saturday at Hanson Stadium in Chicago. Aurora Central Catholic beat Rauner 32-14 in the first round last year, but coach Christian Rago expects a tougher test this season.

"Rauner played in a higher division and they've got some very good athletes," Rago said. "They're well-coached with a lot of guys back. It was a battle and they've gotten better."

Corral has filled a larger offensive role this year due to graduation losses on the Chargers' attack. He leads the team with 1,138 all-purpose yards. His total includes 454 receiving yards, 114 rushing yards, 420 on kick returns, 57 on punt returns, 52 on interception returns, and 41 on fumble returns. He also acts as a gunner on punts and a contain player on kickoffs.

The junior has started at safety for three years. Rago began playing Corral in the secondary as a freshman after watching him with the Aurora Gators in eighth grade. "You just knew immediately," Rago said. "He had a sense for the game, understands it and is a smooth athlete, always in the right position and very coachable."

Corral has contributed to the team's turnover margin, which stands at plus-8 with 19 takeaways and 11 giveaways. He has recorded five of the team's interceptions. "Mostly it's just reading the quarterback seeing where he's going," Corral said.

Corral also plays point guard in basketball and second base in baseball. His father, Adan, played football and baseball at the school, and his sister Sofia is a sophomore guard at New York University. Baseball coach Rich Swann, who also assists with the secondary, noted that Corral has played safety, cornerback, and linebacker. Swann said, "He does exactly what we ask him to do."