As the running back on the team that features the most prolific passer in Illinois High School Association history, Lincoln-Way East senior Brody Gish has learned a thing or two about patience.
The Navy recruit certainly knows how to make the most of his chances.
“I’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity I get,” Gish said. “I know I’m not always going to get too much. But definitely the pass is going to open up the run. I have to give credit to the pass game for making it easier for me and I want my runs to open up the pass game, too.”
Gish took on more of a starring role Friday night. He ran 22 times for 178 yards and a touchdown to lead the visiting Griffins to a 42-14 Southwest Valley Blue win over Homewood-Flossmoor.
USC recruit Jonas Williams, who broke the IHSA record for career TD passes last week and is closing in on the career passing yardage record, completed 13 of 21 passes for 233 yards and four TDs for Lincoln-Way East (7-0, 5-0).
Williams was removed from the game midway through the third quarter. Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar called the move “precautionary” as Williams has dealt with a sore ankle the last few weeks.
Washington recruit Blaise LaVista caught a pair of TD passes from Williams and finished with four catches for 85 yards. Jayden Cawthon and Matt Orban each added a TD catch. Casey Mikrut and Charlie Palmer both came up with interceptions.
Joaquin Jordan ran for a 1-yard TD and caught a 65-yard TD pass from Rahsaan Coleman to lead H-F (3-4, 2-3). Coleman completed 13 of 29 passes for 168 yards, while North Dakota State recruit Myles Ellis contributed 10 catches for 103 yards. Aeneas Allen had an interception, a forced fumble and two sacks.
Gish, meanwhile, pounded away, consistently breaking tackles. He had three runs of over 20 yards and six more for double digits, including a 10-yard TD run.
He pointed to another sport to explain why he’s so hard to tackle.
“I think it’s my balance,” Gish said. “I’ve been wrestling my whole life, so I think the balance I got from that is huge. That sport helped me learn how to stay up, so I give a lot of credit to wrestling.
“Wrestling helps me a lot with mental toughness, too. I’d encourage other kids to do another sport that’s adjacent to one you’re doing. Wrestling has done a lot for me as a football player.”
At 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, Gish might not look like the most imposing guy for opponents to bring down, but Zvonar knows how tough he is.
“You see him in the hallway and you’re not sure if he’s going be handing out water bottles or running the ball,” Zvonar said. “But it starts in the weight room for him. He has as powerful of a lower body as anybody we’ve had. He’s squatting 500 pounds.
“He’s just relentless. He refuses to get tackled. He’s got balance and vision and strength and power and speed.”
And Gish’s ability makes it hard for opposing defenses to focus all their attention on Williams and his receivers.
Cawthon loves that.
“Brody is a dog,” Cawthon said. “He’s probably the best running back I’ve ever witnessed. He makes some crazy runs. They have to put people in the box or they can’t stop him.
“But then they can’t stop us receivers, either.”
Gish thrived in his first varsity season last year while playing a much bigger role than he originally expected as a Week 1 injury sidelined Michigan State-bound Zion Gist for part of the season.
That gave Gish a new perspective.
“I learned that not everything is guaranteed,” Gish said. “(Gist’s) season wasn’t guaranteed.
“I learned that I have to seize every moment that I can get.”