Griffin Russell was a ball boy in 2021 when Lockport won the Class 8A state championship. Last season, he was the backup at quarterback as the Porters advanced to the semifinals.
This year as a senior, however, Russell has been running the show for Lockport, which started out with an uncharacteristic 0-3 record. Still, through it all, Russell remained positive.
“I’m always the glass-half-full kind of guy,” he said. “I’m going to be that positive guy as a leader. I said, ‘Everything was going to be all right.’”
Russell definitely had the right stuff Friday night for host Lockport.
Showing a pretty full glass, Russell threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another TD in a 38-15 SouthWest Suburban Conference victory over previously undefeated Lincoln-Way West.
Russell threw TD passes to Andrew Maloney for 30 yards, Donavan Gray for 32 yards and Jaxson Little for 10 yards to lead the Porters (1-3, 1-1), Russell set up the TD to Little with a 41-yard connection, also to Little. Prince Nartey added a 54-yard TD run.
On defense, Jake Manzo came up with an interception in the third quarter, while Griffin Benson and Brennen Malloy chipped in with sacks.
“I’ll be honest, this feels amazing,” Manzo said of the win. “But we can’t get too high and we can’t get too low. There is a long road ahead an a lot of work for us to do.”
More Top Picks Best Orthopedic Pillows For Neck Pain
Senior quarterback Jacob Howard, who was injured for two games, returned for Lincoln-Way West (3-1, 1-1). He ran for 51 yards and threw for 106, including a 75-yard TD strike to Braydon McNulty in the fourth quarter. Carl Langley III followed a 46-yard run with a 19-yard TD run.
Russell, meanwhile, doesn’t need to look too far in the history books to find that a poor start doesn’t always mean a bad finish for Lockport. He pointed out that the Porters were 1-2 last season before going on a big run.
“We just had a rough start,” Russell said. “We had a rough start last year. We have the same group of kids. We know what to do. We know what made us run the table.”
His teammates appreciate what Russell brings to the table.
“My quarterback, you gotta trust him,” Gray said. “It starts with him making his plays. He can throw an absolutely perfect ball. A beautiful ball.”
“The kid’s got a gun,” Manzo said. “He’s smart. He’s quick back there. He can move. The biggest thing about his game is his ability to extend the play.”
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Russell, who also plays baseball, wants to play sports in college. But if that doesn’t pan out, he has his future mapped out.
“I have good grades to fall on,” he said. “I would like to study political science and stay kind of local in the Midwest region. I would like to be a lawyer or congressman. I like to speak.
“I’m very big on my beliefs and ideas. My family said I should do it, and it’s not a bad idea.”
Ryan Russell, Griffin’s father, is a longtime assistant coach for the Porters. Griffin confirmed he has “been around the program for ages.”
That allowed him to be a part of the 2021 team as a ball boy and join in on the celebration as the Porters enjoyed several huge wins in taking the state title.
More importantly, he learned a few things.
“I was surrounded by guys who I could look up to,” Russell said. “Hayden Timosciek was a big guy who would tell me, ‘Do this right, do this right and you will have success.’
More Top Picks Best Surge Protectors For Home Theater
“I learned from them the right way to play Porter football.’’
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.