Mount Carmel's Frank Kelly is Mr. Sure-handed

Maybe Frank Kelly's hands should be in an Allstate Insurance commercial.

Mount Carmel is in good hands with Kelly -- on both sides of the football.

Kelly has shown he can catch a pass from Caravan quarterback Don Butkus or from an opposing quarterback. The senior leads the team in catches (32) and interceptions (3).

"I will do whatever it takes for us to win," Kelly said. "Catch a pass, tackle, pick one off, throw a block. Same as in baseball. If Coach (Brian) Hurry needed me to steal a base or lay down a bunt, I did it.

"It is a team thing here at Carmel."

Mount Carmel coach Frank Lenti said Kelly gets himself open, which makes it easy for Butkus to hit him.

"Frankie is such a good blocker, that the defensive back doesn't know if he is going to block on a run play or take him deep," Lenti said. "Because of that, he puts the defensive back in a bind."

Kelly loves being part of both teams and he loves playing deep into the postseason. He was one two teams which made it to state last year. The football team finished second in Class 8A, while the baseball team took fourth place in the Class 4A tournament.

Though the Caravan were eliminated from the state playoffs by Bolingbrook in the second round, they are alive in the Prep Bowl playoffs and face Brother Rice at 6 p.m. today at Gately Stadium for the Catholic League championship. If Mount Carmel (8-4) wins, it will play the Public League champ in the Prep Bowl at noon Nov. 25.

"Like Coach Frank (Lenti) says, only nine teams play the day after Thanksgiving, so for us, we want to keep playing," Kelly said. "I am excited to still be playing."

Kelly knows what it is like to miss action. In 2010, he broke his collarbone and missed the first six games.

"I slowed down a few yards short of the end zone and got hit," Kelly said."I learned my lesson about not slowing down on a play. You have to go all out.

"I really missed football those six games I was out. to see us lose the first game that year (to Simeon), that hurt."

He did extra work in the offseason, under assistant coach Joe Kubik.

"Coach Kubik, he did a good job working with me to get me ready because he knew I might have to play both ways," Kelly said. "I knew I had to get stronger if I was going to be a help to my team."

He said he was up to the challenge of playing both positions.

"Coach Frank called me in last spring and told me he was counting on me to be a leader my senior year," Kelly said. "I had to step up and I really thank Coach Frank and the coaching staff for putting the confidence in me and giving me the opportunity to play both sides."

Lenti said he fits what he has instilled in the program.

"Frankie is the typical 'We guy,' puts what is best for the team first, instead of 'me,'" Lenti said. "He is willing to sacrifice if that means the team winning."