By LORI LYONS, Journal Sports
It takes a lot of sacrifices to be a scholar-athlete.
Huntington High School senior quarterback Justin Whitaker knows.
When Whitaker’s dad, Johnathan, got transferred from Dallas to Shreveport over the summer, it meant Whitaker had to leave his South Oak Cliff High School teammates behind. He went from being a Bear to a Raider at Huntington.
So far, he hasn’t missed a beat. Whitaker is still a standout athlete and a stellar student. He is one of is one of 37 Shreveport-Bossier seniors who have been named to the fifth annual National Football Foundation McNaughton Chapter Preseason Scholar-Athlete Watch List. Nominees must have at least a 3.2 grade point average, have won all-district honors or have remarkable team impact, and be involved in extracurricular activities.
“I feel blessed,” said Whitaker, who was unaware of his inclusion. “I just feel blessed by God.”
It hasn’t been easy. When Whitaker and his dad moved east to Louisiana, they left behind mom, Latasha, and little sister, Aniya. An older brother is already off at college.
“It’s hard,” the recently-turned 18 Whitaker said. “It’s a drain on all of us. I miss my mom and my little sister a lot. I see her on game day. They’ll come and spend the weekend with us.”
If Mrs. Whitaker made it to Friday night’s game, she got to do a whole lot of cheering for her son. The Raiders’ 6-foot-1, 175-pound quarterback completed 19 of 25 passes for 354 yards and four touchdowns, plus he ran for 65 yards and another score in a 59-57 battle against Benton (and Huntington’s former coach, Stephen Dennis).
“That was my best game so far,” Whitaker said. “The O-line blocked real well for me and I was able to get the ball out quick. The defense made the stops when they had to. Our running backs did good. It was a back-and-forth battle in the first half, but in the second half we just held the ball and chewed clock.”
There wasn’t his first outstanding performance for Huntington. In Week 1 against West Monroe Whitaker was 19 of 29 for 245 yards and three touchdowns.
Whitaker said he got started with football when he was pretty little, playing everything from defensive back to wide receiver, running back to quarterback. But he didn’t really get serious about it until seventh grade when he had to compete for the job as quarterback. And he thinks it was his ability to stay cool under pressure that earned him the job.
“It was a hard-fought competition,” he said. “I’d say it was my mentality and staying calm and poised. It’s something I worked on.”
Whitaker also puts the scholar in scholar-athlete, holding a 3.9 grade point average. While he has an affinity for science, he really enjoys math – algebra in particular.
“It gives me a challenge,” he said. “It something’s easy I tend to get bored with it.”
He also enjoys graphic design and making visuals for his teammates.
But engineering is where Whitaker’s future lies. He has his eyes on Colorado School of Mines, which is one of the top engineering programs in the country. But if a football offer comes his way, that would be something to consider as well.
Whitaker said he also participates in track, tackling the 300-meter hurdles, the 4X4 relay, the high jump and triple jump. A regional finalist last year in Texas, Whitaker has yet to compete in Louisiana – but he’s checking the competition already.
“I feel like it’s going to be good,” he said.
Contact Lori at sportslyons@gmail.com