This fall senior cornerback Alex Ciak didn’t just have one of the best seasons seen in a bit, but he shaped the identity of Notre Dame Academy’s defense.
He gave up just one touchdown all year, and it happened early.
“That De Pere play stuck with me, but it never happened again,” Ciak said.
From that moment forward, Ciak became the quiet anchor, being consistent, technical and mentally sharp.
He was the only returning starter in the secondary, but instead of just holding the line, he raised the standard.
“My role was to lead the DBs and keep us locked in,” Ciak said. “I gained their respect over time.”
Week after week, his film study and recovery habits bled into the rest of the unit.
He helped juniors Jonas Berndt, Jonah Marzec and Quinn Blom step up fast, and they became one of the team’s strongest position groups.
“I watched film constantly,’ he said. “Not just for myself, but so I could help everyone else on the field prepare, too. That’s leadership to me.”
Ciak was a consistent performer, his most notable performance being against River Falls in the Level 4 game.
Alex gave up zero catches, one of the most efficient defensive performances in the playoffs.
“We beat Rice Lake, we beat Slinger, that mattered,” Ciak stated, “They were programs people counted us out against. And we proved it on the field.”
But even with the success, the ending still stung.
“I want that game back,” he said. “I know how much I left out there.”
Alex Ciak leaves NDA as more than a shutdown corner.
He was the guy who led by example, said less, and did more, day in and day out.
In the film room, in recovery, in how he brought the younger players along, he shaped a culture.
Now training for both football and lacrosse at the college level, Ciak brings with him the mentality of a captain, the consistency of a technician and the maturity of someone who’s been tested and proven himself.
Ciak brings a compact, physical frame and a relentless motor to every snap.
He started every game at corner, took every defensive rep, and rarely left the field, also contributing 30+ snaps a game on offense and flying down as a gunner on special teams, and only gave up one touchdown all season, making plays in both coverage and run support.
His 52 tackles, 3 interceptions and 7 breakups show the production, but it’s the intangibles that truly show.
The vocal leadership, film study and competitive fire is what made him the anchor of Notre Dame Academy’s defense.
Ciak leaves behind a secondary that’s more prepared and more confident.
His impact won’t disappear just because the season ended.
