Justin Harris remembers all too well how Lincoln-Way West’s last playoff game ended.
While there’s added motivation for all Illinois high school football players this fall to make a playoff run after not getting that chance in the shortened spring season, the senior running back/defensive back has an extra-large chip on his shoulder.
In 2019, the Warriors were looking to upset Phillips in a Class 7A first-round game. It was tied 24-24 in the closing seconds of regulation before the Wildcats’ Ronald Pledger made a spectacular leaping catch in the end zone, pulling the ball away from Harris for a 22-yard touchdown on the game’s final play.
Pledger, who is now playing at Western Michigan, was a hit on social media for the heroic catch. Harris — who was only a sophomore at the time — was on the other end of it.
“I just came up on the ball too early,” Harris said. “He went over me and took it. That play haunted me for a long time. It doesn’t haunt me as much it used to anymore.
“It definitely gave me a reason to come back better, stronger and faster and prove that’s not the type of player I am.”
Harris is that type of a senior leader for the Warriors, who are No. 10 in the Daily Southtown’s preseason rankings.
After becoming a starter at cornerback as a sophomore and playing defense exclusively, Harris was a running back in the spring and helped Lincoln-Way West have a breakout 5-1 season under first-year coach Luke Lokanc.
Lokanc plans to use Harris mostly on offense this season but also utilize him on defense in certain situations.
“He’s played running back his whole life, but we had him on defense his sophomore year because that’s where we needed him,” Lokanc said. “He was full go at running back in the spring and we’ll use him on both sides.”
Harris used the spring to become accustomed to playing running back in high school. He said he feels completely comfortable now in the backfield.
“I’m ready to go,” he said. “There’s no baby steps this year. It’s all go with me.
“Switching from defense my sophomore year to offense my junior year, it kind of helps you know what the defense is going to do before they do it, depending on where you line up.”
Senior receiver/defensive back Eric Nowak, who’s also a three-year varsity starter, likes the versatility Harris brings to the offense.
“Justin can run, catch, everything,” Nowak said. “We have a lot of weapons on offense this year. We’re going to be tough to step.”
The Warriors enter the season with confidence and momentum after the successful spring, highlighted by the program’s first win over Homewood-Flossmoor.
“We’re going to go out and show what we can really do this year,” Harris said. “There’s no doubt that we’re going to be there in the playoffs and we’re going to make a big bang this year.”
Lokanc likes how Harris and others who were on the 2019 team have memories of a playoff loss to fuel their fire.
“Obviously, no one in the state had that feeling last season,” Lokanc said. “It’s good to have some kids who have experienced having that bad taste in their mouth and can tell the other guys what that feels like.
“For Justin, that was quite a play for a sophomore corner to end their season with. The Phillips kid just made a great play.”
This time around, Harris is eager to lead the Warriors well beyond the first round of the playoffs.
“I have all the motivation in the world,” he said. “I’ve got vengeance on my mind. Redemption.”
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Team: Lincoln-Way West
Spring record: 5-1.
Offensive leaders: Jason Harris, senior, QB/WR; Justin Harris, senior, RB; Eric Nowak, senior, WR; Jake Ziemniarski, senior, OL.
Defensive leaders: Mason Neville, senior, DB; John Orrico, senior, DL; Harrison Scroggins, senior, LB; Matt Wallace, senior, DB.
Playoff history: 10 appearances; Class 5A state runner-up in 2015; lost in 7A first round in 2019.
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
