Here we go again. Sophomore guard/forward Nick Czerak, the youngest of Kevin and Mary Czerak’s seven children, carries on a family tradition these days in his second varsity season for Aurora Central Catholic. His siblings range in age from 19-year-old sister Mary Grace to 31-year-old brother Matt and include brothers Jeffrey, Kyle, Brett and Andy in between. “I loved going to their games — it was like my favorite thing,” Nick said. “My mom gets kind of sad about me being the last, and my brothers try to come to as many games as possible. “It’s cool to see them watching me after all the games I watched them.” Nick Czerak fills multiple roles leading a very young but struggling ACC team for second-year coach Josh Izzo that features freshmen and sophomores among eight of its top 10 players. On Monday, the host Chargers got a career-high 21 points from senior forward Liam Schwartz and 16 from Czerak to roll to a 74-38 victory over equally young Westminster Christian in Aurora. Schwartz finished off a double-double with 11 rebounds, while freshman forward Myles Manuel came off the bench and added 12 points for Aurora Central Catholic (2-14). Junior forward Jake Arnold delivered a team-high 11 points for the Warriors (2-12). Aurora Central Catholic’s Myles Manuel (33) goes to the basket against Westminster Christian’s Zach Gurley (31) during a nonconference game in Aurora on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Sean King / The Beacon-News) It’s been quite the journey, though, for Czerak. “He’s got the full package,” Izzo said of the 6-foot-2 Czerak, who has scored 30 or more points twice this season. “Last year as a freshman point guard, his maturity was way beyond his years. “You can see his brothers worked with him in the driveway. I can tell there was a lot of driveway basketball going on in that household.” Czerak fed the 6-4 Schwartz for two baskets in the first quarter and didn’t take his first shot until midway through the quarter. He closed it with back-to-back 3-pointers and a layup off a feed from freshman guard Davion Stewart. “We’re very young, obviously,” Schwartz said. “It’s been a grind. We’re keeping our heads up, hoping good competition in the Catholic League prepares us for the (Class 2A) regional. “Nick has grown about three inches since last year, has gotten a lot smarter and quicker, too. He’s way better of the ball and can get more open shots.” Aurora Central Catholic’s Liam Schwartz (22) puts up a shot against Westminster Christian’s Zach Gurley (31) and Jake Arnold (33) during a game in Aurora on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Sean King / The Beacon-News) Older brothers Brett and Kyle were four-year varsity players who graduated from ACC in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and mace the biggest impact on Nick. Brett Czerak, a 6-1 guard, is the program’s all-time scoring leader with 1,843 points who played four years for Carthage. Kyle played with his brother for two years at Carthage. “They pushed me a lot,” said Nick, who also plays baseball. “I used to play them in the driveway all the time. They’d beat up on me, but were definitely pushing me and helping me start. “They kind of taught me the ropes with everything.” Aurora Central Catholic’s Ben Bohr (15) defends against Westminster Christian’s Brain Powers (14) during a nonconference game in Aurora on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Sean King / The Beacon-News) The result? “I can shoot it, pretty much, if I’ve got space,” Nick said. “I’ve got a quick first step and can blow past kids. I like to think I have good vision, too. “I handled the ball a lot last year but have a different role, having to score some more and facilitate as well. I think the year of experience helped a ton.” Izzo looks forward to having the youngest Czerak for two more full seasons. “Everybody is game planning for him every night, so that makes it tougher for him to score,” Izzo said. “He’s tough, mentally prepared, one of those kids who always seems to be poised and composed. “I can put him at any position and he’ll know what to do. He’s smart and has a lot of drive in him. He can be a special player.”