It took a little while, but Clinton Granger is finally comfortable.
Granger is a senior quarterback and team leader on George Washington High School’s football squad. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound signal-caller couldn’t be happier with his situation. He’s performing well while playing for an Eagles team that just clinched the Public League Red Division championship.
But it took a little while for the Logan resident to get comfortable. Freshman year, he started out at Olney High and played for the Trojans.
Midway through the school year, he wanted a change, so he transferred to Frankford.
Prior to his sophomore year, Granger decided to give Imhotep Charter a try. He played for the Panthers’ first-ever varsity squad.
Then, midway through his sophomore year, he decided to make yet another move.
That one would be his last.
"Once I got to Washington, I loved everything about it," Granger said. "The school is awesome, really good academics. Plus they got a great football team. That always makes it nice."
This year, Granger has a lot to do with that great football team. The Eagles, who weren’t a frontrunner heading into the season, have bested every Public League foe on their schedule.
Overall, Washington finished their regular season with a perfect 5-0 record in Red Division play, and 8-1 overall.
This week, the Eagles head into the playoffs when they host Abraham Lincoln High on Friday at 3 p.m. The Eagles earned the number-one seed thanks in part to a 37-0 triumph over Northeast in a driving rain on Oct. 26.
In that game, Granger threw for a career-high 166 passing yards en route to the win.
"It was raining really hard but we wanted to see if we could throw the ball, you know, because the playoffs are coming up," Granger said. "Being a quarterback here isn’t too tough because we have a lot of good receivers. It’s just my job to get them the ball in a spot and then let them do the rest."
It helps to have good receivers, but Granger often doesn’t get an opportunity to post huge passing numbers.
Under successful coach Ron Cohen, the winningest coach in Public League history, the Eagles prefer a more conservative approach to moving the football.
The Washington offense is basically run right, run left, run up the middle.
The key word is run.
But Granger isn’t one to argue with playcalling, especially while his team is enjoying so much success.
"We run a lot because we have a great line and a bunch of great running backs," Granger said. "We win a lot of games because we have a great running game. But now it’s nice to know that we can pass. I love to pass, but I like to win more. If we win while we’re running it, it doesn’t bother me at all."
Granger’s primary concern right now is to help the Eagles claim a Public League championship, something it hasn’t done for two years.
After that, the goal is to find yet another school. This time, though, it won’t be a transfer.
"I’m starting to get calls from Division 1 schools," Granger said. "They’re usually amazed by my size because I’m bigger than some NFL quarterbacks, and they usually like my arm strength. I’m still working on my touch, but I could probably throw the ball around sixty yards. But in a game, that’s not what you’re trying to do.
"I’m trying to play Division 1 football, but I really want to just play in college," he said. "Right now, that’s the only goal I have for college, I haven’t made any kind of decision yet."
Well, he has decided he’s going to do everything it takes to help his squad walk of the field with a Public League crown.
"We’ve been working hard since last year ended, and I think that’s one of the reasons we’re doing so well," Granger said. "We have a really good team, a bunch of fun guys and a bunch of hard-working players.
"As a quarterback, I try to be a leader, but I’m not real vocal," he continued. "I’m more of a leader, I guess you’d say, by example. I try to do that and have the rest of the guys follow.
"Right now, we’re just all real excited about the playoffs" Granger said. "We have the tools and the ability to win a championship, but we have to stay focused. If we let up, someone will knock us off." ••
Joe Mason can be reached at joemason70@hotmail.com