The numbers were beginning to add up for Joliet Catholic’s HJ Grigsby.
In the first half Saturday, the senior running back piled up 223 yards on 22 carries. But the most important number for the 6-foot, 175-pound workhorse would end up being 11.
Because on his 22nd carry, Grigsby rolled his right ankle near the goal line. He limped off the field, and in the locker room at halftime, the pain hit a difficult threshold.
“On a scale of 10, it was an 11,” Grigsby said.
While Grigsby was determined to stay in the game, the Hilltoppers were never the same as Nazareth scored 28 unanswered points in the second half.
Grigsby willed his way to 55 yards on 12 carries, but the Roadrunners rallied for a 38-20 win in the Class 5A state championship game at Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium.
Overall, Grigsby finished with 278 yards on 34 carries for Joliet Catholic (10-4). He said he wasn’t going to sit this one out — not against archrival Nazareth (9-5), and not with the memory of a former Hilltopper in his head.
“Back in 2018, we had a running back, Keenan Hailey, who broke his ankle and he played on it,” Grigsby said of a 35-27 win over Montini in the Class 5A state championship game. “He had heart for his team and came back. I didn’t care about the pain. I was coming back.”
“I wouldn’t have expected any less from him,” Joliet Catholic coach Jake Jaworski said. “He’s a senior and a captain, and he leads by example.”
Nazareth became the first team in Illinois High School Association history to win a state title after finishing the regular season with a 4-5 record.
The Roadrunners also came back Saturday from a 20-7 deficit and scored 31 straight points. Logan Malachuk threw for 414 yards and four TDs. James Penley and Jake Cestone each had 163 yards receiving.
While Grigsby was able to get big yardage, Nazareth’s defense kept the rest of the Hilltoppers from doing much damage. They accounted for 79 yards on 29 plays.
“We got off to a great start and got a score right before halftime, but we just couldn’t get some things going in the second half,” Jaworski said. “We missed a couple of opportunities, and those guys made some big plays.”
The Roadrunners piled up 524 yards, including 320 in the second half.
Senior defensive lineman Dillan Johnson, a Wisconsin recruit for football and wrestling, pinpointed the difference.
“We made a lot of great plays on defense in the first half and it felt like we were really working as a unit,” Johnson said. “But we lost the momentum in the second half.”
The Hilltoppers were trying to bring home the program’s 16th state title. Despite the loss, Jaworski deemed the season to be a success.
“I look to the left and I look to the right and I see a lot of long faces, but they have a lot to be proud of,” Jaworski said. “It’s not the outcome we wanted, but there are a lot of people and a lot of teams who would be happy to be in our shoes right now.”
Grigsby, who closed the season with 1,768 yards, also gave recruiters a lot to look at this fall. He said one of his leading suitors is Illinois State, and he proved Saturday he can run well on the Redbirds’ home field.
Butler, Augustana and Sioux Falls are other contenders, but Grigsby might not make a decision before the Dec. 20 signing day.
“I want to show recruiters I’m a hard worker and a leader and that I play for my team,” he said. “The team is bigger than me.”
Grigsby, who also plays basketball and runs track, said he was happy the Hilltoppers reached the state final after people weren’t sure what to expect from this team.
“We put our heads down and didn’t listen to the noise,” he said. “People didn’t even think we would make it this far.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelancer reporter for the Daily Southtown.