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the New Lenox Patriot | August 16, 2018 | 37
Going Places
Price joins former teammates at Winona State
Steve Millar, Freelance Reporter
Jake Price is excited to see some
familiar faces when he begins his
freshman season at Winona State
later this month.
Price, a defensive back who
graduated from Lincoln-Way West
in May, will join two other West
graduates on the roster for Winona
State, which is also nicknamed the
Warriors.
Fellow defensive back Cam
Gavin is headed into his junior season
while linebacker Trey Telez will
be a redshirt freshman.
“Playing with those guys is going
to be a huge help,” Price said.
“Cam’s already a big leader on the
team up there and Trey is ready to
do big things this year. They both
know the whole gang up there and
I know they both really want to win,
so I’m excited to go up there and
win some games with them.”
Winona State, a NCAA Division
II program in Winona, Minnesota,
has developed quite a connection
with Lincoln-Way West. West defensive
coordinator Luke Lokanc is
a Winona State alum.
“It’s one of the rare places in college
football where the core coaching
staff stays in place,” West coach
Dave Ernst said. “We usually tell
our guys to pick the school, not
the coach, because the coach might
leave, but this is a place where the
coaching staff is going to stay there.
That really attracted all three of
those guys.”
Winona State head coach Tom
Sawyer is set to begin his 23th season
coaching his alma mater, while
co-defensive coordinator/defensive
backs coach Brian Curtin is in his
20th year on the staff.
Price said his comfort level with
the coaching staff was a big draw.
“My recruiting process was a
long one,” he said. “I waited until
the second Signing Day in February.
I really enjoyed the whole process,
though. I went on visits and
got to see how coaching staffs run
their programs.
“At Winona State, it felt like they
ran things a lot like at Lincoln-Way
West. It just felt like the right fit.”
Price capped a terrific career at
West last fall, earning All-State honors.
He recorded 82 tackles, 18 for a
loss, had four sacks, and scored two
touchdowns on kick returns.
“My senior year, we all came together
as one team,” he said. “My
teammates always kept my spirits
up. My coaches and teammates
were great resources for me, always.
They helped me get to college
football, because they were always
there with great tips and advice.”
Price has dreamed of playing college
sports since he was a youth
player with the New Lenox Mustangs.
He drew inspiration from his
older brother, Tyler, a 2012 Lincoln-
Way Central graduate who wrestled
at Elmhurst College.
“I’d watch my brother on the
football field, scoring touchdowns,
and I wanted to do the same thing,”
Price said. “Then seeing him go on
to college wrestling really motivated
me. He got injured and his career
got cut short, but I saw how hard he
always worked to get that far.”
Price said his experience playing
in big games for West helped prepare
him for college football. It all
started in 2015, when he contributed
heavily to the Warriors’ state
runner-up finish in Class 5A.
He recorded a team-high eight
tackles in the Warriors’ loss to Nazareth
in the state championship game.
“I’ll remember that 2015 team the
most,” Price said. “We just played
so sound as a team. I was a sophomore
and I learned a lot from the
seniors. They helped me so much.
“Getting to play against that
Nazareth team, competing against
(wide receiver) Justin Weller, who’s
at Penn State, and (defensive back)
Julian Love, who’s at Notre Dame,
really helped me grow as a football
player.”
Price heads to Winona State with
the ability to contribute in a number
of ways, whether on defense or on
special teams.
Ernst, for one, is confident Price’s
role will grow as soon as he gets a
chance to show what he can do.
When envisioning a future scenario
for Price, Ernst referenced
Lincoln-Way West alum Jake Price was a standout defensive back and kick returner for the Warriors and
capped off his senior season earning All-State. Adam Jomant/22nd Century Media
Price, who was one of the team’s captains, was part of the 2015 Warriors team that made it to the state
championship game.
Wally Pipp, the former New York
Yankee who famously lost his starting
position to future Hall of Famer
Lou Gehrig after Gehrig filled in for
him one game.
“Jake is going to get up there and
he’ll probably be on special teams
right away as a freshman,” Ernst
said. “Then something will happen
where someone gets hurt or something
and that guy will get Wally
Pipp-ed and never get their job
back. Once Jake gets on the field,
he’s not going to come off.”
Price is ready to accept whatever
role he gets but hopes to contribute
immediately.
“The coaches told me they expect
me to play as a freshman,” he said.
“They said Cam Gavin came in and
played as a freshman and that I’m
a Lincoln-Way West, so they expect
me to do the same. I just want to go
put the work in, help us make the
playoffs and go after a national title.
“You have no clue how excited I
am.”