If not for his mother, Landon Arnold probably wouldn’t be hanging out daily with his Burlington Central football buddies in Room 161, pumping iron and lifting each other up as another November game approaches.

The senior wouldn’t be knocking over opponents as a dual-threat, downhill-running quarterback disguised in a linebacker’s body.

Arnold wouldn’t be where he will be Saturday – on a community college football field with the chance for him and his teammates to make school history. Central (10-1), a No. 2 seed in the Class 6A state playoffs, will play No. 11 Fenwick (8-3) at 1 p.m. in a quarterfinal game at Triton College Stadium in River Grove.

The Rockets have never advanced to the semifinals in three previous chances, the last being in 2006. Last season, in its first playoff appearance in 10 years, Central lost in the second round to Geneva after beating Grant.

“I made a promise to Jackson [Alcorn] that we’d make it farther than last year,” said Arnold, who last season backed up QB Jackson Alcorn, who was named the Fox Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Northwest Herald Player of the Year.

Arnold is a man of his word. In his freshman year, he was ready to quit football.

Then Laura Arnold, his mother, stepped in.

“I was a shy kid, and I didn’t know if I wanted to play football,” said Arnold, the oldest of two children of Laura and Justin. “My mom made me, forced me. I didn’t want to play, honestly. I wanted to quit. My freshman year it was different. Summer camp, frosh and varsity practiced together, and I just stunk. I didn’t think I could do it.”

Mother knows best.

Arnold stuck it out. Then his sophomore year rolled around, and he was ready ... to quit again. He considered focusing on baseball instead of football.

“My mom told me, ‘Just go to summer camp. If you don’t like it, quit,’ ” Arnold said. “That’s when I realized that football’s my thing.”

Arnold wound up starting several games at quarterback for the varsity his sophomore year after Alcorn got hurt. Last season, Arnold served as the backup to Alcorn, who was as sturdy as he was spectacular. Arnold took varsity snaps only in blowouts, but started every JV game and never took any of it for granted.

“My QB coach, Coach Ho [Mike Hohensee, former pro player and coach], said, ‘Take every JV game like it’s a varsity game. Have that same routine,’ ” Arnold said. “Some JV players don’t take it like a varsity game. I took it like a varsity game. I prepared super hard for it.”

All the while, Arnold was getting bigger, stronger and faster. Central’s weight room is in Room 161, near the Door 16 entrance. You’ll find Arnold there, if he’s not in class or on the field.

“He’s one of our strongest kids in the program,” Rockets coach Brian Iossi said of his QB. “He’s squatting with [all-state linemen] Aidan Nuno and Zach Hultgren. Those are his lifting partners.”

When the 6-foot-2 Arnold weighed in this summer at 220 pounds with muscles everywhere, even Iossi was surprised. Arnold lists his lifting stats on his X profile. He benches-presses 315 pounds, squats 500 and deadlifts 500.

“He really bought into the weight room,” Iossi said.

Iossi also calls Arnold the fastest kid in his program.

“I think he’s sneaky fast,” the coach said. “I don’t think a lot of programs see him as being out that fast, but he’s got breakaway speed.”

Arnold showed off his sprint skills this season against McHenry, busting off an 87-yard designed run during which he changed directions twice. In Central’s 24-14 win over Harlem in the teams’ second-round playoff game Saturday night at rainy Rocket Hill, Arnold sped 56 yards to set up his game-clinching TD run.

Arnold compares his running style to that of reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills in that he won’t shy away from contact.

“I like to hit some boys,” Arnold said with a grin. “I like to make some contact, just whatever I can do.”

“He definitely has no problem putting his shoulder down and running you over,” Iossi said. “Our linemen joke that they don’t like getting in his way because he’s going to run them over, too.”

Arnold credits Kale Hoyt, owner of Kale Training in St. Charles, for helping him get faster.

“I was training almost every day of the week [in the off-season],” Arnold said. “I think I started in January. I went at least three days a week. I was super consistent. I went with my buddy Sam Ames [junior wide receiver], and I got super-duper fast.”

Arnold’s work and commitment have resulted in a season that has quietly been one of the best of any quarterback in the FVC. He’s rushed for 755 yards and eight touchdowns, while passing for 904 yards, 13 TDs, with only three interceptions.

He takes pride in his team’s success this season, his increased speed and his added muscle. His commitment to the weight room has especially been a game-changer.

“After last season, I knew that I had to stand out in some way,” Arnold said. “After that [playoff] loss, I just went straight to work. I did a ton of QB training, got out to the field with my buddies, no matter if it was cold, rainy, whatever.”

The competitor in him has shined, whether it’s been in the weight room or the field.

“I just hate sitting around being lazy,” Arnold said. “Being in the gym helps me to do something.”

Laura Arnold, no doubt, always saw the competitor in her son.