Mark McDonagh’s goal when he entered his senior season for the Riverside Brookfield football team was simple: He wanted to finish the year with more catches than Will Lusthoff, who led the Bulldogs with 72 receptions as a senior in 2008.

After hauling in 15 catches in a 42-0 rout over Elmwood Park, McDonagh now has more catches than any high school receiver in the country.

Ever.

McDonagh’s 11th catch of the evening gave him 139 for the year and made him the nation’s all-time single-season receptions leader, eclipsing the previous mark set by Brian Langford of Little Rock Pulaski Academy (Ark.) in 2006. Earlier in the game McDonagh broke the Illinois single-season record of 130 catches set by Lexington’s Eric Schuler, also in 2006.

“It’s one thing to break a state record, but the whole nation is amazing to me,” McDonagh said. “I wanted to have the best year I could have, but I never thought I would be putting up numbers like this. It’s a little ridiculous.”

The Illinois record was the third statewide receiving mark that McDonagh set this season. The senior broke the state record of 19 catches — a record that stood for 24 years — when he had 20 receptions in Week 3 against Robeson. Two weeks later in RB’s first matchup of the season with Elmwood Park, McDonagh demolished his own mark with 25 receptions in a 48-7 win.

Despite the jaw-dropping numbers, McDonagh does not consider himself a star receiver. He knows he has benefited from a unique offensive system that never features a running back but instead relies primarily on screen passes, most of which end up in his hands.

“I don’t see myself as a superstar or anything,” said McDonagh, who is averaging 9.6 yards per catch. “I just take pride in route running and trying to catch everything I can.

“(The national record) is a great team accomplishment because I wouldn’t be able to do it without the guys blocking and (quarterback) Billy (VandeMerkt) throwing the ball.”

While McDonagh is benefiting from the system, he is also reaping the rewards of his own hard work. As a junior last season, McDonagh joined the RB track and field team with the sole intention of getting faster.

And it worked.

“It was more me learning how to run,” admitted McDonagh, who tried running hurdles and the 400 meter dash before getting comfortable in the 800 meter run. “That was a huge part for a lot of my success.”

While McDonagh’s successes grabbed most of the headlines this season, it is the RB defense that has come alive as of late to put the Bulldogs (5-3, 3-1 Metro Suburban) in position to earn their ninth playoff berth in the last 10 years. RB has given up just 17 points in its last four games — all wins.

“Our defense is getting better and better,” RB coach Otto Zeman said. “They’re getting a lot more physical.”

As the RB defense continues to thrive and keeps opposing offenses on the sidelines, it gives McDonagh more time to add to his growing list of accomplishments. The senior standout now has 143 catches heading into the Bulldogs’ final game of the regular season, a road matchup against Ridgewood on Friday. Having broken just about every record he can, McDonagh's sights are now set on a different number.

“That sixth win,” McDonagh said of his current goal. “If a record comes along the way that would be great, but I’m satisfied with what I’ve got.”