Bower, Griskey ink national letters of intent

HUNTLEY — Huntley High School senior football players continued to make their selections for colleges they will attend in 2022-2023. They helped lead the Red Raiders to an 8-2 season in 2022, a co-Fox Valley Conference title and a Class 8A playoff spot.

Offensive linemen Luke Griskey opted for D-I San Jose State, after de-committing to Air Force Academy. Eric Bower selected Butler University in Indianapolis, a D-II school.

“Griskey and Bower had anything but an easy football career at Huntley,” HHS coach Mike Naymola said. “They both dealt with loads of adversity during their years here and I’m happy to say they both handled it well and with dignity.”

“Bower didn’t even play offensive line until the midpoint of his junior year and he worked his tail off to become the physical force he became. He is very coachable and a natural leader but his toughness is really what separated him.”

Bower to be a Bulldog

Bower, a Fox Valley Conference all-league selection, described the recruiting process that led him to choose the Bulldogs.

“My best advice to others starting the recruiting process is to get on Twitter and make sure you keep your direct messages open,” Bower said. “The biggest way to reach out to colleges is through Twitter so allowing them to contact you through Twitter makes it easier. Also reaching out through coaches’ direct message is one way I started talking to a few colleges. I would also go online and complete the football questionnaire.”

He added Butler was a good fit for him after a campus visit for spring practice.

“I fell in love with the campus and after researching it with my family I knew I wanted to earn an offer to play there,” Bower said.

He added, “after a mega camp at Northwestern I earned an offer and

then went down to Butler for a couple of visits. My first impressions of Butler football and its facilities were very good from the beginning and only grew as I started to learn more about the campus and the program. I also love how Butler is constantly reaching out whether by mail or by calling and talking.”

HHS will always be an outstanding memory for Bower.

“I think the thing I will miss most about HHS football is the family and brotherhood,” Bower said. “Taking a team from 3-6 (in 2021)to 8-2 and co-FVC champions showed me how much of a brotherhood was needed to do that. However, I’m extremely excited to be part of a new brotherhood with the Butler Bulldogs.”

Griskey goes west

“Griskey also transformed himself into a strong physical offensive lineman through countless hours in the weight room,” Naymola said. “What people see on Friday’s was just a fraction of the hard work and effort that Luke put in to become the D1 recruit he became. Luke has a great motor and his drive to want to get better is second to none.”

“I think choosing San Jose State was the right choice for me,” Griskey said. “It is in the middle of a city, I’m a big city kid. I can do almost anything I want within a couple of hours. I could go inland for two hours and ski or I could surf on the beach off campus. I could bike on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.”

Several aspects of the San Jose State campus in an urban setting with 30,000 people were appealing to campus which “blew me away just for the school and not just the football team,” he said.

“It’s not a huge school but it’s not tiny, either,” Griskey said. “The football team’s facilities are beyond what I could imagine. They are completing a $100 million addition to their stadium, the Student-Athlete Center, which will be shared between the football team and other various teams. The people are at a whole new level, the whole staff embraced me like I’ve never felt before. I love coach Oglesby and coach Brent Brennan’s desire to win but also the morals he stands on.”

While Griskey will be away in college in California, he will always remember his Huntley football roots, capped off by a playoff season.

“I think the thing I will miss the most about my senior season is the people,” he said. “A lot of the coaches changed the way I view my own life, I can’t wait to see them succeed. The time we put into building the foundation the program now stands on and I’m excited to come back every year to see what the future holds.”

“I think choosing San Jose State was the right choice for me,” Griskey said. “It is in the middle of a city, I’m a big city kid. I can do almost anything I want within a couple of hours.”

Several aspects of the San Jose State campus in an urban setting with 30,000 people were appealing to campus which “blew me away just for the school and not just the football team,” he said. The football coaching staff also impressed Griskey.

While Griskey will be away in college in California, he will always remember his Huntley football roots, capped off by a playoff season.

“I think the thing I will miss the most about my senior season is the people,” he said. “A lot of the coaches changed the way I view my own life, I can’t wait to see them succeed. The time we put into building the foundation the program now stands on and I’m excited to come back every year to see what the future holds.”