Going the extra yard: Lincoln-Way West RB Joey Campagna

Lincoln-Way West senior Joey Campagna has plenty of role models he tries to emulate to become a better running back.

Campagna is a fan of former University of Illinois star and current Cincinnati Bengals rookie Chase Brown, as well as longtime NFL standout Marshawn Lynch.

Then there’s one hometown legend he loves to dig into the vault to watch old videos of.

“Walter Payton, I just love how, after contact, he always got 2 or 3 yards, or he broke it and ran for more,” Campagna said. “He was just a hard runner, and I love the way he played.

“Before the games when I’m getting locked in, I watch videos of other running backs I look up to. You’ve got to get into the right mindset and realize you have to run hard and keep going.”

“He does anything he can to get that extra yard.”

—  Luke Lokanc, L-W West football coach

Campagna has been running hard — and running over opponents — all season for the Warriors, who beat Hoffman Estates in a Class 7A first-round game to improve to 8-2 heading into their second-round clash this past Saturday at Collinsville.

“We saw great signs of what he can do as a back last year as a junior,” Lincoln-Way West coach Luke Lokanc said. “What’s different this year is, obviously, he has playmaking abilities, but his best quality is he’s just so tough.

“He does anything he can to get that extra yard.”

After running for 189 yards on 24 carries in the first-round win, Campagna was up to 1,300 yards for the season on 178 carries. He had also run for 17 touchdowns.

“I had a feeling it was going to be a good season, but I had no clue it was going to be this good,” Campagna said before Saturday’s second-round game. “We did a 7-on-7 in the summer, and we incorporated the running back a lot in the passing game, and I realized, ‘Oh, this might be a really good season where I get really involved.’ ”

Anticipating those extra opportunities, Campagna knew there was a simple way to improve his game.

“I watched some of my highlights from last year, and I realized I’d hit the contact and fall instead of keeping my feet going,” he said. “I told myself this year I have to keep running, keep fighting for every yard I can get, because it’s my senior season, it’s almost over, and I’ve heard so many stories from people wanting their high school days back.

“I knew I had to put everything out there to keep these days going.”

Winning a first-round game at home was really special for Campagna and his fellow seniors.

“It felt great, especially after not making the playoffs last season,” Campagna said. “It felt great to finally bring one back home for West. I always dreamed of having a playoff game in high school, especially at home. That was even better. I was really nervous going into it, and after that first snap, that first run, all the nerves go away and I was ready for it. It was fun.”

Lokanc said Campagna has set the tone for the entire Warriors offense with his determination and work ethic.

“He’s really fun to watch progress in practice and on game day,” Lokanc said. “What’s even more impressive than his athletic ability is the way he carries himself. He’s a no-ego guy. He does whatever he can to help the team win, and that’s his biggest priority.

“It spreads around that entire offense and to the whole team. They feed off his momentum, but he’s the first one to give everyone else credit, and he’s the last one to take it. He understands that the team is the most important, and that’s why that group is really clicking right now.”

Campagna wanted to take on a leadership role in the backfield and help fellow running back Jahan Abubakar, who has had success as a sophomore complementing Campagna.

“With Jahan coming up as a sophomore, I was like, ‘I want him to be great when he’s a senior,’ ” Campagna said. “I’ve tried to lead by example as much as possible and try to help him with reads. As a sophomore coming up to varsity, I’m sure he was nervous and scared. We ran track last year together, and I drive him to school every day, so we have a nice bond going.

“It’s nice having that bond in the backfield.”