By Bill Huber
For D3sports.com

In two playoff games, Wheaton junior Sean Norris has thrown for almost 600 yards and accounted for six touchdowns.

Nonetheless, Norris will be the overlooked quarterback heading into Saturday's quarterfinal matchup at Franklin. Senior Chad Rupp has thrown for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns in helping the Grizzlies score a whopping 100 points in their two playoff triumphs.

Not surprisingly, Norris said he's not focusing on his matchup with Rupp. After all, the quarterbacks will be helpless in trying to stop their counterpart. Still, Norris isn't shrinking from the spotlight.

"Any time you get to compete against another player of a high caliber, you got to get excited about that," Norris said. "I'm a competitor. You want to thrive in these kinds of situations. It's going to be fun."

Norris knows the Thunder (10-2) are in for a challenge against Franklin (11-1), but he and his teammates are no stranger to challenges.

Each year during spring break, the football team leaves Wheaton, Ill., but not for girl-watching on a sandy beach. Annually since 1998, coach Mike Swider's team joins former Wheaton football players in doing missionary work. Last spring, the team took part in building projects, constructed a basketball court, spent time with orphans and taught the Bible in the African nations of Senegal, Guinea and South Africa.

"A number of our players are overseas on a mission, and they obviously always can use help," Swider said, "so we thought it would be a great way for Wheaton football players to help serve Wheaton football players who are in the mission field. It's good for our kids to see and appreciate what they have here in the States, and it's also good for our kids to get overseas and try to make a difference in somebody's life. It's an unbelievable thing."

Norris is a veteran of missionary work, having served on his own in the Czech Republic, along with other places.

"It's really been an awesome opportunity for me," said Norris, who spent his spring break in Senegal. "It's a really humbling experience to serve people in need."

The work has made a tangible impact on the team. Coaches always are looking for ways to build team chemistry, and what better way to do so than to spend a week thousands of miles from home and making a lasting impact on somebody's life?

"It's unbelievable. It is!," said Swider, who's in his 13th season as the Thunder's coach. "Most football teams over spring break, most college kids go off and head to the beaches or whatever. They do it independently and basically hang out and serve themselves. We have an entire football team who goes out and serves someone else. Nothing can make you feel better about yourself than to do something for someone else. It's tremendously strong when it comes to building team bonds."

Swider calls Norris an "amazing kid" for his quarterback's passion for missionary work and how he's making a difference on and off the field.

"He's like all of our players," Swider said. "These guys don't have very big egos. When you look at athletes around the country and see the size of their egos, it's ... these kids serve a cause that's bigger than themselves.

"He's really got a heart for the Lord and heart for people."

Behind Norris, Wheaton is making its fifth trip to the postseason in seven seasons. Last year's team, with Norris sharing snaps at quarterback with Kyle Bradley, went 8-2 and just missed the playoffs. Norris beat out Bradley during training camp this past summer, and has thrown for 2,783 yards and accounted for 34 touchdowns, including 28 passing.

Those stats, as impressive as they are, pale in comparison to Rupp, who has thrown for 3,892 yards and 43 touchdowns. He threw for 411 yards and four touchdowns in Franklin's 38-28 upset of top-seeded North Central last week. In the playoff opener, Rupp threw for 527 yards and accounted for a staggering eight touchdowns, including seven through the air.

"Their guy's unbelievable," Swider said. "He's a returning all-American and arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the country this year, if not the best. Just put up unbelievable numbers. He's an athletic kid who can see the field and gets rid of the ball quickly. Gets the ball around to a lot of people. He's as good as I've seen, I'll tell you that."

Swider, however, voices no concern that Norris will feel compelled to match Rupp pass for pass.

"No, no, no. Sean doesn't even care who he's going up against," Swider said. "Not at all. That's not an issue. All he's concerned about is Franklin's defense. It's not the best quarterback playing. It's the best team wins. It's Wheaton College vs. Franklin. His job is to see what he can do against Franklin's defense, not what he can do statistically against their quarterback."

While Rupp helped slay North Central last week, Wheaton lost at home to the Cardinals 44-21 in a battle of top-10 teams at midseason. A road trip to Franklin, Ind. – Wheaton's fourth consecutive road game – only increases the challenge.

But what's the big deal about a quarterfinal playoff game when you've built churches and hospitals?

"Seeing different kids in Senegal and the struggles that they go through, it makes our struggles here look like not as big of a deal," Norris said.

Said Swider. "It gives you perspective, it really does. There's a whole lot more important things than a football game, that's for sure."