The Griffin brothers don’t just share a last name. They share a bloodline built for quarterback play.
Will Griffin, a senior at Jesuit, recently became the Tampa Bay area’s all-time career passing leader with 10,677 yards. Jack Griffin, an eighth grader at Northside Christian, is lighting up varsity defenses with 1,514 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The statistics are staggering. The brotherhood makes them more impressive.
Will, a Florida commit, has thrown for 1,129 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. He’s already the 10th quarterback in state history to reach 10,000 career yards, surpassing Tim Tebow along the way.
Jack is writing his own chapter. Against Seffner Christian, he threw for 412 yards and six touchdowns. Not bad for someone still in middle school.
The brothers from St. Petersburg spend their time together the way most siblings do — playing video games, shooting hoops, throwing the football. But there’s always an edge, a competitive fire that pushes them both.
This offseason, Will shifted his focus. Instead of chasing personal milestones, he worked to build his younger brother’s confidence heading into Jack’s first year as a starter.
“I just wanted to be able to take the pressure off him,” Will said. “I’ve been working with him so he can build his own path.”
That path has been remarkable for an eighth grader starting on varsity, proving the family talent runs deep.
Will’s journey also started at Northside Christian, where he threw for 2,495 yards in seventh and eighth grade before enrolling at Jesuit as a freshman. He became a starter midway through his freshman season. Two years ago, he set Jesuit school records with 3,404 passing yards in a season and seven touchdowns in a game.
The Griffin name now sits atop the Tampa Bay area passing leaderboard, surpassing Jefferson’s Quentin Williams, whose mark stood for 15 years.
Their father, Nick, played for St. Petersburg High in 1984, losing to Emmitt Smith and Pensacola Escambia in the state championship game. The football pedigree runs through generations.
But this season belongs to both brothers. Will chases championships at Jesuit. Jack builds his legacy at Northside Christian.
Two quarterbacks. One family. Different fields, same DNA.
Quick hits
Cross country honor roll
Here are the top 10 times for boys and girls cross country runners in Pinellas County. The rankings were compiled from the statewide list of 5K times from flrunners.com.
Boys
15:41.97 Caedmon Higgins, St. Petersburg
15:57.61 Truman Houk, East Lake
16:01.16 Theodore Houk, East Lake
16:06.23 Abner Neumann, St. Petersburg
16:19.62 Eli Domico, Indian Rocks Christian
16:22.80 Spencer Mehltretter, Osceola
16:23.00 Brody Waltz, Palm Harbor University
16:34.76 Caleb Brown, Calvary Christian
16:34.80 Luke Lahave, Calvary Christian
16:36.60 Fisher Shelton, Calvary Christian
Girls
17:49.84 Katelin Wilcox, East Lake
18:39.25 Caitlin Williams, St. Petersburg
18:50.84 Rheya Ford, Calvary Christian
18:53.24 Adelyn Lubke, Indian Rocks Christian
19:19.43 Alexandra Middleton, Indian Rocks Christian
19:45.20 Luciana Valentino, Dunedin
19:51.27 Lina Logar, Osceola
20.06.84 Colbie Fullerton, Osceola
20.06.88 Ashlynn Clements, Osceola
20.07.99 Cambria Casale, Calvary Christian
Shorecrest wins home tournament, hands Largo first loss
Shorecrest won its own volleyball tournament for the first time, going 4-1 over the Oct. 3-4 weekend with victories over Countryside, Tampa Bay HEAT and Pinellas Park.
The Chargers handed Largo its first loss of the season in the final. Shorecrest’s lone defeat came against Clearwater Central Catholic.
Freshman Hayden Zielinski earned MVP honors and recorded her 1,000th career assist during the tournament. Libero Ava Stanton and right-side hitter Ava Gurievsky made the all-tournament team for the Chargers.
Friday’s games
The football season continues. Here is the schedule for Week 9 games involving St. Petersburg area teams.
Keswick Christian at Southwest Florida Christian, 7; Foundation Christian at Shorecrest, 7; Sarasota Out-of-Door at St. Petersburg Catholic, 7; St. Petersburg at Calvary Christian, 7; Somerset Academy at Hollins, 7; Hernando at Seminole, 7; Osceola at Countryside, 7:30; Lakewood at Gibbs, 7:30; Palm Harbor University at Boca Ciega, 7:30.