In a sport where size can matter, Libertyville’s Sam Seth may seem like an outlier.

The 5-foot-8, 155-pound junior receiver understands.

“I realize a lot of people my size aren’t playing football,” Seth said. “But I’ve been on the small side ever since playing peewee football. I’ve always loved being out there with the boys grinding it out, and I feel I represent a lot of other smaller players well.”

Seth has represented himself and the playoff-eligible Wildcats (5-3, 3-3) well in the tough North Suburban Conference this season. He has been a reliable target for junior quarterback Quinn Schambow with 24 catches for 318 yards and three touchdowns, and he gives Libertyville’s talented receiving corps a stabilizing presence from the slot.

“The slot is so much fun to play,” Seth said. “I feel like I fit there perfectly. When I have a man-to-man safety, that’s when my mouth starts to water. Between me in the middle and the outside receivers we have, we can really spread out the defense.”

Indeed, Seth is important as a spoke in the Wildcats’ offensive wheel. But he can also deliver in the clutch. During Libertyville’s 29-28 overtime loss to Lake Zurich, he threw a 34-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Blaise LaVista on a fake jet sweep, and Seth put the Wildcats ahead with a touchdown catch on the first play of OT.

“I ran a corner route and made the defender bite on an inside move,” he said. “I knew we needed a big play coming out of the huddle.”

Seth’s value in the slot isn’t measured only statistically. Given his solid grasp of fundamentals and his attention to detail, Seth is heavily involved in most plays.

“I really like to block for my outside guys when they have the ball,” he said. “In the run game, I can get to the safeties pretty quickly, and when outside linebackers are blitzing off the edge, it’s easy for me to cut inside of them.”

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Seth and Schambow played both football and baseball together while they were growing up, which has helped them create a good connection on the field. Schambow, an Oklahoma State baseball commit who heads into the regular-season finale against Stevenson on Friday with 27 TD passes and just four interceptions, said he hasn’t witnessed a moment when Seth backed down from an opponent.

“He plays like he’s 6-3, 220, and you wouldn’t think so when you look at him, but he’s really strong,” Schambow said. “He does everything really well. But my favorite part about Sam are the ‘backyard’ football plays he makes when I’m out of the pocket.”

Seth said he is constantly striving to improve, whether that means taking extra practice reps or working on his speed and agility during impromptu solo workouts at Butterfield School, which is across the street from his house.

“I’ll bring the agility ladder over there and set up cones, and there are hills that are accessible that I can run,” Seth said. “I try to use my speed to my advantage and get as low as I can, and being shifty at my size can help make people miss.”

Seth loves to compete, but he also respects opponents. During the game against Lake Zurich, a Bears defender went down with a cramp. Seth got down on his knees and helped the player until Lake Zurich’s training personnel got to him.

“I don’t think I had ever seen a player do that, but that’s the kind of kid Sam is,” Libertyville coach Mike Jones said.

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.