Zion-Benton senior Jordan Lewis is proof that good things eventually come to those who wait, even 5-foot-4 quarterbacks.
The 5-4, 130-pound Lewis hadn’t started a single game at any position at any level in high school before the Zee-Bees’ Week 7 game against Waukegan. He was called upon in the wake of junior quarterback Marquan Gordon’s season-ending knee injury on Sept. 18.
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“I sat at backup for my whole career until now,” Lewis said. “I really felt that my time was going to come eventually. I didn’t want to be too thirsty or selfish.
“My time came, I was ready, and I stepped up and finished the job.”
Indeed, Lewis has directed the offense in three wins over his four starts, including the 21st-seeded Zee-Bees’ 44-0 victory against 44th-seeded Glenbrook North in the opening round of the Class 7A playoffs in Zion on Friday.
Senior wide receiver Kevin James accounted for three of the touchdowns for Zion-Benton (7-3), which won a playoff game for the first time since 2002 and will play 12th-seeded Rockford Guilford (7-2) in the first round.
Junior lineman Florians Naglins and senior linebacker Jacob Nano each had a sack for the young Spartans (3-7), who had 18 sophomores either starting or playing significant minutes in their first playoff game since 2018.
Lewis completed only 2 of 4 pass attempts for 68 yards and a touchdown but did enough.
“I’ve been doubted my whole life, so I felt like today I had a lot to prove, and I came out here and played a good game, and we got a big win,” he said.
“Big win” is an understatement, and it started with the Zee-Bees’ first offensive play of the game. Lewis threw a lateral out wide to Rashad Love, who turned and fired a strike downfield to James for a 47-yard razzle-dazzle touchdown.
“We ran it for the first time Thursday in practice, and the offensive coordinator said he was going to call it for the first play of the game,” Lewis said. “We all knew it was going to work, and it did.”
So did everything else the Zee-Bees ran. James added two more touchdowns in the first quarter on a reverse handoff from senior running back Jamere French, an Ohio recruit, and an end-around from 65 yards.
Senior defensive back Rocarri Franklin’s 35-yard interception return for a touchdown and Lewis’ picture-perfect 33-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Avery Warship on a seam route gave Zion-Benton a 31-0 lead at halftime.
“If he had some height on him, he’d be a great quarterback,” Zion-Benton coach MacArthur White said of Lewis. “The height takes away some of his potential, but he has a big heart. He works hard. He’s not afraid to sit in there and throw the ball. He throws a great ball.
“I tell the kids all the time that this isn’t basketball, so size doesn’t matter. As long as you’re tough, you have a big heart and you understand the game, you’ll be fine.”
That assessment goes for others in the program as well. Perhaps the person who knows Lewis’ capabilities better than anyone is quarterbacks coach Romey Crawford.
“He is probably one of the best athletes on the field,” Crawford said. “Obviously, he’s been looked over because of his size. He’s just a natural football player. He works hard day in and day out, and he’s earned his spot out here on the field. I have all the trust in him in the world.”
This story will be updated. Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.