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Lorton resigns, takes job in Granite City
By Byron Painter
Editor
J.D. Lorton has resigned as Riverton High School football coach, and he will be the new football coach at Granite City.
He turned in his resignation letter Wednesday morning.
“It was a very tough decision,” said Lorton, who was 12-8 with two playoff appearances in his two years as Hawks head man. “I believe a lot of great things are going on in
Riverton, but this move is going to be better for me and my family.
“I have to put my wife and three kids first.”
Lorton’s wife Kerry teaches in the Carlinville school district, where the family lives.
Lorton, the quarterback of the state champion Hardin Calhoun 1992 football team, has coached in the Southwestern Conference before, at Collinsville (for one year before he
came to Riverton), and he also spent four years at Jerseyville, which is in the Mississippi Valley Conference.
His high school coach, Ric Johns, is also at Belleville West, another Southwestern Conference school.
The Warriors, a Class 7A school with just under 2400 students, have eight starters returning on defense from a team that made the playoffs last year (for the first time since
1991).
Lorton was approved Tuesday night by the Granite City school board.
Though the timetable is not finalized, Lorton plans to move to Granite City, in part so his kids can “be part of the whole experience.”
He noted that Kerry and the three kids would come to Hawks’ games and the youngsters (ages 6,5 and 2) wondered why they were not living in the same town where their dad
was coaching football.
After graduating from Calhoun and Illinois College, he helped in his father’s construction business, but he wanted to coach football.
He went to college to become a teacher, and he missed that while in the construction business.
“I told my dad that (coaching and teaching) is what I wanted to do, and I should have been doing it right out of college,” said Lorton.
Lorton expects to teach driver’s education and physical education, though that decision has not been finalized yet.
Lorton applied for the Carlinville head football coach job this spring, but that position went to Chad Easterday, who was the Cavaliers’ girls basketball coach also.
Lorton is not leaving on bad terms, and he expects big things from the returning Hawks in the future.
“It was hard to walk away, because there are a lot of good kids in the program that will be very successful in whatever they choose to do,” he said.
The Hawks started eight sophomores last year.
Lorton admitted that telling the Hawks that he was moving on “was the hardest thing to do.
“I care about the kids so much,” he said.
Lorton said he has recommended that assistant coach Josh Lee be his replacement.
“Coach Lee and the gang will be able to carry the torch,” he said. “And every Saturday morning, I will look to see how the Hawks did.”
Riverton athletic director Rick Wagahoff is sad to see Lorton leave.
“We will miss him for sure, but we wish him luck at Granite City,” he said.
Since the resignation letter has been turned in, the position will be posted within the district, according to Wagahoff.
While there is no ironclad timetable, Wagahoff said it “would be great” if the position was filled by the May board meeting, which is May 12.
“But we will take as much time as needed,” he continued.
There are a limited number of teaching positions available in the district, which could complicate matters, Wagahoff admitted.
By Byron Painter
Editor
J.D. Lorton has resigned as Riverton High School football coach, and he will be the new football coach at Granite City.
He turned in his resignation letter Wednesday morning.
“It was a very tough decision,” said Lorton, who was 12-8 with two playoff appearances in his two years as Hawks head man. “I believe a lot of great things are going on in
Riverton, but this move is going to be better for me and my family.
“I have to put my wife and three kids first.”
Lorton’s wife Kerry teaches in the Carlinville school district, where the family lives.
Lorton, the quarterback of the state champion Hardin Calhoun 1992 football team, has coached in the Southwestern Conference before, at Collinsville (for one year before he
came to Riverton), and he also spent four years at Jerseyville, which is in the Mississippi Valley Conference.
His high school coach, Ric Johns, is also at Belleville West, another Southwestern Conference school.
The Warriors, a Class 7A school with just under 2400 students, have eight starters returning on defense from a team that made the playoffs last year (for the first time since
1991).
Lorton was approved Tuesday night by the Granite City school board.
Though the timetable is not finalized, Lorton plans to move to Granite City, in part so his kids can “be part of the whole experience.”
He noted that Kerry and the three kids would come to Hawks’ games and the youngsters (ages 6,5 and 2) wondered why they were not living in the same town where their dad
was coaching football.
After graduating from Calhoun and Illinois College, he helped in his father’s construction business, but he wanted to coach football.
He went to college to become a teacher, and he missed that while in the construction business.
“I told my dad that (coaching and teaching) is what I wanted to do, and I should have been doing it right out of college,” said Lorton.
Lorton expects to teach driver’s education and physical education, though that decision has not been finalized yet.
Lorton applied for the Carlinville head football coach job this spring, but that position went to Chad Easterday, who was the Cavaliers’ girls basketball coach also.
Lorton is not leaving on bad terms, and he expects big things from the returning Hawks in the future.
“It was hard to walk away, because there are a lot of good kids in the program that will be very successful in whatever they choose to do,” he said.
The Hawks started eight sophomores last year.
Lorton admitted that telling the Hawks that he was moving on “was the hardest thing to do.
“I care about the kids so much,” he said.
Lorton said he has recommended that assistant coach Josh Lee be his replacement.
“Coach Lee and the gang will be able to carry the torch,” he said. “And every Saturday morning, I will look to see how the Hawks did.”
Riverton athletic director Rick Wagahoff is sad to see Lorton leave.
“We will miss him for sure, but we wish him luck at Granite City,” he said.
Since the resignation letter has been turned in, the position will be posted within the district, according to Wagahoff.
While there is no ironclad timetable, Wagahoff said it “would be great” if the position was filled by the May board meeting, which is May 12.
“But we will take as much time as needed,” he continued.
There are a limited number of teaching positions available in the district, which could complicate matters, Wagahoff admitted.
Issue Date: April 24, 2008
