Batavia’s Gavin Pecor understands the perception the average fan may have of him.

And he knows it goes with the territory.

A 6-foot-3, 260-pound senior, Pecor anchors the line at defensive end for the Bulldogs. He also excels in both the shot put and the discus for Batavia during the spring in track.

Pecor, though, pointed out how the work he does for each discipline helps his performance.

“It’s a ton,” Pecor said, “Most people think shot put, you have to be big, strong and all that. But shot put is 90% technique. If you don’t have it, you could be bench pressing 405 pounds and not throwing as far as you could or should.

“It’s taught me a lot that I can apply to football. If I don’t have a good stance to back up my throw for shot put, I probably don’t have one for the defensive line and that could mean I’m just not getting off the ball fast enough.”

Batavia’s Gavin Pecor (90) reacts against Wheaton Warrenville South during a DuKane Conference game in Wheaton on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. (Sean King / The Beacon-News)

Pecor does pretty well for himself in both sports.

He will be in the middle of things at 1 p.m. Saturday when Batavia (9-2) plays host to Glenbard North (8-3) in the Class 7A state quarterfinals for a rematch between DuKane Conference rivals.

In the spring, he qualified for the Class 3A state meet for both throwing events in track. He took fifth in the shot put, but didn’t qualify for the finals on the second day in the discus.

“He’s one of the best in Illinois,” said Dennis Piron, who’s Batavia’s head coach in both football and track. “This year, I think he could win state in the shot and look for a top five in the discus.”

Batavia’s Andrew Culotta (23) chases down Hoffman Estates TJ Bond (11) during a Class 7A first-round playoff game in Batavia on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (James C. Svehla / The Beacon-News)

Before that, however, Pecor is seeking a strong finish to his three-year varsity football career.

Last week, he was named the DuKane Conference’s defensive lineman of the year. This week, he was chosen Class 8A honorable mention all-state by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association.

Originally, Pecor wasn’t supposed to play on defense, either.

“Sophomore year, I was actually on the offensive line first,” Pecor said. “About halfway through the season, I was the sixth man in our rotation. Some games I’d come in, some not.”

Batavia’s Charlie Rosengren (7) and Thomas Prescott (3) stop Hoffman Estates’ Matisse Contreras (42) during a Class 7A first-round playoff game in Batavia on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. (James C. Svehla / The Beacon-News)

It meant he also saw action on the junior varsity.

“At one of those games, I asked our D-line coach if I could go in and he said, ‘Sure, might as well,’” Pecor said. “First play I went in and got a sack. It’s been my position ever since.”

As a junior, he rotated on defense and made the starting lineup for the Bulldogs’ three-man line.

Pecor picked up pointers from Malachi Smith, a nose tackle, and Xavier Blanquel, who was the other end. Smith is now at Kilgore, a junior college in Texas, and Blanquel is at Winona State.

Those two helped Pecor and senior Evan Grimm, Batavia’s other starting defensive end this year. In turn, they help sophomore Davin Hamilton, who starts in a young rotation at nose tackle.

“Later, they can do the same,” Pecor said.

Batavia’s Micah Johnson (24) and Gavin Pecor (90) wrap up Geneva’s Michael Rumoro (20) in the third quarter of a DuKane Conference game in Batavia on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)

In 14 games last season, Pecor totaled 35 tackles, 13 for loss, 4 1/2 sacks and 28 hurries. This season, he has topped every category with 40 tackles, 14 for loss, six sacks and 37 hurries.

And this year, he has often been the focus of the opposing offense.

“I don’t go in thinking I’m the target,” he said. “You can see by the numbers, it hasn’t impacted me too much. If I’m double teamed, hopefully my teammates are getting free.”

Pecor has a football scholarship offer from Western Illinois and track interest from Michigan State. He might be leaning toward track, but Piron wants to see him finish strong in football.

“He represents a big problem for our opponent,” Piron said. “He’s physical and big at the point of attack. Quick. And he’s very explosive for his size as well. That’s a very good combination.”

All helped, no doubt, by his focus on footwork with his throws in the spring.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/12/gavin-pecor-batavia-ihsa-football-michigan-state-track/