Griffin makes his mark playing 4 slots

South Lafourche senior quarterback Seth Griffin studies the defense with a fierce glare, preparing himself for the upcoming play.

When his pre-play homework is complete, Griffin puts his mental plan into action signaling for the pigskin, his eyes intensely following the football from the shotgun snap all the way into his hands.

That’s the easy part, what happens next is a bit of a 10-second blur.

One Mississippi, two Mississippi, strikes the quarterback’s internal clock, Griffin cleanly fields the snap and makes a quick, three-step drop with his eyes on his receivers.

This routine is nothing new to the Tarpons’ quarterback, he’s done this his whole life.

“My second year of Bantam, probably when I was like 7, I started playing quarterback,” Griffin says, looking back. “That’s what I’ve been doing ever since.”

South Lafourche coach Terry Farmer said that experience shines brightly inside the Tarpons’ huddle.

“He’s a wonderful kid,” Farmer said. “He’s been working hard since his sophomore year. He’s a big leader from inside our program.”

Griffin’s teammate, senior halfback and wide receiver Bruce Lee, agrees.

“He means everything to us, man,” Lee said. “Just everything. He’s our leader.”

This particular play, the Tarpons’ leader is in trouble.

The open receiver he seeks isn’t there, leaving Griffin in what appears to be a bind on this third down play.

Three Mississippi, four Mississippi, the internal clock continues, Griffin waits in the pocket as long as he can, patiently hoping a receiver breaks free on this play.

They don’t. Things are beginning to break down. Defensive linemen are now barreling into the backfield full-speed ahead at the quarterback.

The Tarpons’ quarterback is about to be hit.

Griffin is used to being tough. He’s been this way since his earliest Bantam days.

One learns that trait when you’re the size of this 5-foot, 9-inch, 165-pound Tarpon.

That’s on the extreme low-end of the growth chart for the stereotypical quarterback.

“No sir,” Griffin says with a laugh when asked about his height. “I’m not a big quarterback, that’s for sure.”

With size at his disadvantage, Griffin makes up for his physical limitations with courage.

The quarterback doesn’t ever duck away from a defender ambitious to make a quarterback sandwich.

“He’s got heart,” Farmer says of his quarterback. “He’s had heart for a long time. From junior high all the way to here, Seth’s always had that toughness. He’s always been a salty, hard-nosed kid.”

“If it happens, it happens,” Griffin explains his thoughts of being hit before quickly adding. “It won’t stop me. I stand in there. The toughness is just wanting it for my team. Sometimes it’s hard, but I want this so bad for my team that I just know I have to make the play.”

Griffin needs that personality on this particular play with a group of 260-pound defensive linemen now firmly in his face.

Five Mississippi, six Mississippi, the defense nears the quarterback.

It’s time to make a move.

For Griffin, this is when he shines.

It’s showtime.

South Lafourche’s Slash is born.

Griffin plays four positions for the Tarpons. In addition to being a quarterback, he’s also a halfback, wide receiver and strong safety.

Because of that versatility, Griffin has earned the nickname “Slash” from the Tarpons’ faithful in honor of former Pittsburgh Steelers’ athlete Kordell Stewart, who also played all across the field.

South Lafourche athletic supporters have even gone so far as to create T-shirts with the nickname plastered across the front.

“I see those shirts,” Griffin said. “I won’t lie, it’s pretty cool.”

Farmer said Griffin plays a litany of spots because he’s the team’s best overall athlete.

“We’ll mix and match things if we see positions to get him the ball,” Farmer said.

The objective for everyone involved on South Lafourche’s side is for Griffin to be running with the football in open space.

What happens next in the internal clock shows exactly why that’s to the Tarpons’ advantage.

Seven Mississippi, eight Mississippi, Griffin has no other option. He needs to tuck the football and run.

The first defender takes a bad angle. Griffin shakes him with ease.

The second learns from the first’s mistake and takes a better line of pursuit, steamrolling toward Griffin full speed ahead.

That’s when the quarterback breaks out one of his many juke moves, again getting past the barreling blitzer, allowing him to continue moving forward.

Griffin is one of the most elusive players in the Tri-parish area.

He possesses a vast array of jukes, wiggles and slithers, which allow him to elude the defense.

These are not Barry Sanders-esque moves, but rather are subtle tweaks.

With a 280-pound defender chasing a 165-pound quarterback, sometimes a slight wobble is all it takes.

“His entire body of momentum is coming right at me,” Griffin said. “So if I just go slightly to the right and make him just twist his hips a little bit, I have a good chance to make him miss … It’s all about momentum. A little wiggle, that’s all it is. Any kind of shift that can make him turn his body a little bit.”

Because of that innate ability to keep plays alive, South Lafourche’s offense is never dead on a particular play.

Countless times this season Griffin has gotten away from trouble and has gained six or seven yards on a play that looked like a sure sack.

“You’ve got to keep him hemmed in,” Farmer said. “That’s a problem for most defenses. The quarterbacks we don’t like to play against are the ones like Seth, the ones able to get out of trouble. You’ve got to box him in.”

“He’s relentless,” Lee adds. “He never gives up. He goes to the whistle.”

Nine Mississippi, ten Mississippi, the defense doesn’t bottle Griffin in this time and he gains 14 yards on a scramble to keep the chains moving and the Tarpons’ drive alive.

Defensive coaches on the opposing sideline shout to not let Griffin make another play with his legs.

That’s no problem for the quarterback.

So far this season, Griffin has shown that he’s able to hurt an opponent several ways.

Through the first three games of the season, Griffin carried the ball 61 times for 295 yards and two touchdowns.

He’s also completed 33-of-64 passes for 424 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Griffin’s also had a hand as a receiver, catching a couple of passes, one for a touchdown.

On defense, Farmer touts Griffin is one of the team’s best playmakers in the South Lafourche secondary.

“He’s been everything,” Farmer said. “On offense, he’s the quarterback primarily, so he’s in a position to make plays. On defense, he’s the safety, so he’s again in a position to make big plays. He’s a guy who makes things happen. … Like I said, he’s been everything.”

Where he’ll line up, no one knows.

One thing’s for certain, if he gets the football, look out.

Whether his internal clock is being counted as a quarterback, halfback, receiver or safety, good things could soon happen for South Lafourche.

All it takes is 10 seconds.

“He’s amazing,” Lee said. “The things he does for us and the impact that he has, it’s amazing. There’s no other way to say it.”

Getting to know Seth Griffin

Name: Seth Griffin

Height: 5’9

Weight: 165lbs

Class: Senior

Positions: Quarterback, halfback, wide receiver, strong safety

Stats (through three games):

Rushing: 61 carries for 295 yards (4.8 yards per carry average), 2 touchdowns

Passing: 33-of-64 (51.6 percent), 424 yards, 6 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 103.9 quarterback rating

Receiving: 2 receptions, 30 yards, 1 touchdown

Seth Griffin by the Numbers:

69.7: The percentage of the Tarpons’ yards Griffin has accounted for through three games.

82: The percentage of the Tarpons’ touchdowns Griffin has had a hand in through three games, either through passing, rushing or receiving.

249: The average total yards per game output Griffin has contributed to the Tarpons’ offense so far this season.

Q&A:

Q: Would you rather throw a touchdown pass or run for one and/or catch one?

A: Throw for one, definitely.

Q: Why?

A: Because if I’m running for one, a lot of times it’s because the blocking isn’t as good or the receivers aren’t able to get open. If I’m passing, it’s a team effort. The line holds up, the receiver gets separation and I make a good throw. Everyone executes and it’s a beautiful thing.

Q: What do you think is your best position?

A: Quarterback.

Q: You have the unmistakable ability to keep plays alive, even when they look like they are going to go for a loss of yards. How do you do that?

A: When you practice for the game, you always have to expect the worst, so in practice, I’m always practicing under the assumption that in a game, people will be coming after me and will be in my face. From doing that, I just feel like I know what to do under pressure. I know I’m not going to always have all of the time in the world to make a beautiful throw. I have to get out of the way of the defense to make the move to make that pass. It’s all about how you practice.

Q: You have to learn the playbook four different times for all of the different positions you play. Talk about how challenging that is.

A: It’s hard, but being a quarterback helps. As a quarterback, you should know all of the routes the receivers and running backs are running on every play, so it’s almost like it all works together. It is definitely hard having to learn both the offense and the defensive playbook, though. That’s part of the fun.

South Lafourche quarterback Seth Griffin drops back for a pass while a defender barrels toward the quarterback. Griffin has wowed his coaches and teammates with his ability to make plays at four different positions for the Tarpons. CASEY GISCLAIR