Webb Doing It All for Chargers

Football coaches aren’t usually happy when a player commits a penalty, particularly one of the 15-yard variety. Yet, it was impossible for anyone to stay mad at junior lineman Greg Webb after his 15-yard infraction in Timber Creek’s Friday night contest with Woodrow Wilson.

It was even harder not to crack a smile.

Webb brought the fans to their feet when he reached high and grabbed a tipped pass at the line of scrimmage for his first interception in more than two years. The 6-foot-2, 290-pound lineman dragged a couple of tacklers with him for a few yards before finally being brought down to the ground. Once he popped back up, Webb spiked the ball to the ground in celebration, bringing out a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“I don’t know what was on my mind,” Webb said with a grin. “I looked up at the ball and my first thought was ‘What am I going to do with this thing?’ I went to go get it and when I had it in my hands, I just tried to run. Even though I had a couple of people on my back, I just tried to trudge my way. I ended up being a little too excited and it cost us a penalty. I wasn’t expecting it. That’s a one-time thing.”

Actually it has happened for him twice, but not since his freshman year.

“It’s been a long time,” he said.

Teammates raved about Webb’s impact after the game, with quarterback Calvin Lowe saying his interception got the whole bench excited.

“It’s sort of like he lived the lineman’s dream I guess,” joked Lowe. “It was a really special moment as a team, just to see one of our lineman, with all the hard work they do in practice, finally pay off by getting an interception."

Webb said he heard plenty of comments when he returned to the bench.

“They were excited,” Webb said. “They enjoyed watching me trying to run with the ball.”

The interception may be rare, but big plays from Webb have become commonplace through the first five games of the year.

A transfer from Paul VI, Webb has been a disruptive force on the defense line, causing nightmares for opposing linemen, quarterbacks and running backs. He recorded one-and-a-half sacks on Friday and was constantly in the Woodrow Wilson backfield.

Recruiters first noticed Webb as a freshman and interest really picked up during his sophomore season, when he was selected to the All-South Jersey team. Webb has reportedly garnered interest from schools including Penn State, Iowa and Connecticut.

Webb, linebacker Quanzell Lambert, and lineman Dajuan Drennon give the Chargers three potential Division I players on the defensive side of the ball. So it should come as little surprise that Timber Creek is giving up just nine points a game this season.

Webb said his transition from Paul VI to Timber Creek has gone smoothly and that he is enjoying playing on such a talented defense.

His only regret is that it can’t last longer.

“It’s really exciting because it’s our first year together and you can see our chemistry already,” Webb said. “I wish I could have a couple of more years with Quanzell. Me, Dajaun, Quanzell, all the juniors and seniors, I think are jelling together and are making an effort to play ball the rest of the season.”