Class: Eighth-grader

Sports: Football and basketball

Athlete on Athlete: &8220;Latrell&8217;s fun to play with. He&8217;s going to do his part to keep us in it, then he&8217;s going to help you out as well. Latrell has that no fear attitude. He&8217;s going to give you all he has, no matter what. He&8217;s a good quarterback. Latrell&8217;s going to be unstoppable. Nobody&8217;s going to be able to stick Latrell.&8221;

Coach Speak: &8220;He&8217;s very ambitious. He&8217;s anxious to show and improve himself because of the great talent he has, especially on the football field. He has exceptional field vision. He&8217;s ready to go all the time. He&8217;s very competitive. He hates losing.&8221; &8212; JEHS football and basketball coach Fentress Means

The Skinny: Griffin&8217;s natural ability ensures that no one despises his youth. As an eighth-grader he possesses the swagger of a seasoned veteran, His explosiveness, extraordinary field vision and developing throwing ability combine to make him a dual-threat dynamo who plans to hound defenses for years to come. Even though he has yet to spend his first day as a freshman, Griffin has already taken gigantic leaps toward becoming the unqestioned leader of John Essex football. Between his pigskin prowess and his round-ball renown, Griffin has emphatically claimed he belongs among the Marengo County elite.