Sergeant Bluff-Luton's Zayvion Ellington pins Sioux Center's Solomon Tea during the 165-pound championship match at the 2A Region 8 tournament in Sioux Center.
Ryan Timmerman
Zayvion Ellington takes things to the next level.
"Zay has always been a real detailed-oriented kid as a player," said Ellington's football coach at Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School, Justin Smith. "Even having him in the classroom, he wanted to know the why all the time, not just the how. I think that's something that's really important for a student-athlete to do.
"On the football field, he'll ask for the why, a lot of kids don't do that. They're afraid to ask questions. He's grown a lot in those areas."
Though Ellington remained statistically consistent after a junior season that saw him rush for over 1,000 yards, it was his growth as a leader that paved the way for the Sergeant Bluff-Luton High School football team to wind up a state semifinalist.
"I love the camaraderie of football," said Ellington. "And going to the Dome this year was great, too. The atmosphere was great there, and everyone was so excited to be there."
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The Journal's Large School Player of the Year, Ellington's senior season included 955 rushing yards on 131 carries and nine touchdowns, four catches for 48 yards and 45 tackles on defense (32 solo, 2 ½ for a loss) plus two interceptions, one of which was returned for the 69-yard pick-6.
"His workload as a ball-carries this year, with a new offense we ran, his workload wasn't quite as heavy," Smith said. "But it his assignments were probably more difficult because on top of still being a ball-carrier, his workload as a blocker became much more difficult. A lot of halfbacks like him don't have to worry about that workload (as a blocker)."
He was named Defensive MVP in 3A District 1 and garnered a first-team all-state nod as as defensive back by the Iowa Football Coaches' Association.
"It means a lot to be recognized like that," Ellington said. "It took the whole team, but after going through the sophomore and junior seasons we had, I definitely appreciated what we did this season.
"Ever since I grew up playing football with my brothers and cousins, I just knew it was something I liked and wanted to be a part of."
For his career, Ellington amassed over 2,500 rushing yards.
"Whether it was succeeding as a safety on defense or as a running back, I needed a good line in front of me," he said. "Getting to be able to block and be a pivitol point in our running game even on plays where I didn't get the ball really made me a better all-around player.
"I was way more invested in being an impact player on defense this season. I went to a few camps over the offseason and picked up a few tips and things that really helped, and little technical things I pay much more attention to, whereas before I just kind of got by on ability. I feel like once I got to be a junior and senior, I built up a lot more mental strength having been through so many big situations as an athlete, that makes you a lot more confident and stable in those situations. That's really helped push me athletically."
But he's come a long way since getting his varsity feet wet as a freshman to the tune of five carries for nine yards that season.
A long way physically and mentally.
"When you're a sophomore out there playing as much as he did, it's kind of like, 'Oh my gosh, I'm out here playing on varsity,'" Smith said. "And you don't have time to think about the small details, you're just trying to survive out there. But Zay became a great leader for us and showed a lot of the other kids how to play the game the right way."
"This year, going back to the offseason, you could see a change if the way people handled their offseason workouts and things like that," Ellington said. "Everyone was fully invested in this season. Especially with how many senior starters we had this year, you could just see a lot more motivation. We all just wanted to win more, and when you get a group of guys united in a goal like that, it makes everyone more driven."
While Ellington's talent was evident from the get-go, it was his -- and the team's -- increased attention to detail and execution that set the table for the Warriors to go 11-1 this season en route to a UNI-Dome berth after two seasons in which SB-L combined for five wins.
Ellington is set on playing sports at the next level but hasn't committed anywhere yet, and may wait to see what opens up as possibilities beyond SB-L in wrestling as he follows up a junior campaign on the mat in which he went 38-4, helped the Warriors get to the Class 2A state dual championship and took third-place at 165 pounds in 2A as an individual.
"One of the reasons I like football and wrestling is that (those sports) give you a platform to let all your stresses and emotions out in a way that can be impactful to your school and community.
Through it all, he's been one of his own toughest critics, and he says a big turning point was when he set high standards for himself.
"Throughout both sports, up until about my sophomore year, I never really set any concrete goals for myself," he said. "But when I started to set goals for myself and after that I realized that when I set my mind to something, a lot of times it can turn out pretty well.
"Succeeding it one of the sports definitely helps build person confidence, and that can carry over to the other. And that can also rub off on teammates and trickle down. Being an upperclassman now, I feel like me and my classmates have been through quite a few things and tough situations where we're down or whatever, we know we're capable of coming back."
Now Ellington and the Warriors hope the momentum of the school's athletic teams carries on into the winter.
"We had a volleyball team that had a really successful season, too, and made it to state," he said. "And when you have teams that are that successful in a school that we feel like is growing into something bigger and better, it definitely makes a difference in setting a culture of winning around the school. There's people that are really invested in making all our teams successful."
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