Kaneland’s Jackson Little understands the mantra of “next man up” espoused by high school football coaches far and wide when it comes to injuries.

A 6-foot, 205-pound junior linebacker, Little has experienced it firsthand. Earlier this season, he missed three games with an avulsion fracture to the outside of his ankle.

Little returned quickly but experienced another side of it Friday night when the Knights lost junior linebacker Rogan O’Neil , the team’s leading tackler, in the second half to an upper-body injury.

“He’s a great player, a good leader and a great guy on the field,” Little said of O’Neil, who entered the game with a team-high 52 tackles. “When it happens, we’ve got guys ready to take that role.

“One guy goes down, another has to step up. This was frustrating, though.

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