Chiles' Lawton Campbell turns running injuries into touchdown receptions

Among a historically prolific Tallahassee running scene, Chiles senior Lawton Campbell was as heralded an up-and-coming runner as has come through the area.

She had five wins her eighth-grade year at Deerlake Middle School, including winning the Leon County Middle School Championship at Apalachee Regional Park in 12:11 on a two-mile course.

Campbell's thrilling ARP win came while leading a field that included five current Chiles runners – among them Emily Culley, who took second place at state at ARP as a junior; Alyson Churchill, who won a state title in 2016 on the same course; and Caitlin Wilkey, who has two top-10 state finishes at ARP.

Campbell, likewise, was going to be a star runner for the Timberwolves – maybe even the star – or so it was rumored.

“I heard a little bit of whispering about where I was going,” Campbell said. “I was zoned for Chiles and I’d always wanted to run for Chiles, so I was excited to run for Chiles High School. It was my goal to run all the way through my senior year and hopefully run as a collegiate athlete.

“That didn’t really work out well.”

In late July 2015, the summer before her freshman cross country season at Chiles, Campbell was doing a simple stride workout at Forest Meadows when she stepped on a root and rolled her ankle. She continued to run, but that night felt something was wrong.

The prognosis was she had broken it. Instead of running in regular-season meets, Campbell spent her fall in a boot, then rehabbed her way back with pool workouts.

She returned just in time for Chiles’ district meet, which allowed her the minimum needed to run in the upcoming state championships. The Timberwolves won a state title, and Campbell finished as their seventh runner.

“I was thrilled to run,” Campbell said. “I definitely didn’t run what I anticipated I’d run my freshman year, but it was nice to be on a state-winning team.”

Based on her time, Campbell wound up as second-team All-Big Bend runner.

During her spring track season, she ran five two-mile races (personal record 11:08), four one-mile races (PR 5:13), a couple 800-meter runs (PR 2:22), and she was a part of Chiles’ fourth-place 4x800 relay team at state. She was named second-team All-Big Bend.

All seemed good. But it wasn’t.

Campbell was overcompensating for the initial ankle injury, which affected her hips and growth plates that weren’t yet fused as she grew. That resulted in her spine getting out of alignment. Further rest and rehabilitation were needed.

“I hit the wall,” Campbell said. “My dad, who was a professional athlete in tennis, and I always talked about peaking and we were always real cautious. We never went crazy, never wanted to peak in middle school.

“Unfortunately, it kind of seems like my career as a runner peaked in middle school. But it was just a series of bad luck. It was one injury resulting in the next and the next. It snowballed.”

Fighting sophomore year during cross-country season just to see if she could have a track season, a trip to Tallahassee Orthopedic Clinic resulted in words she never thought she’d hear.

She shouldn’t run. 

“They didn’t see a good future,” Campbell said. “They said it would keep escalating. It was frustrating. It was a loss for me. That was my identity, as a runner. It was almost like I was mourning a death.”

Campbell hung around her teammates through track season. But she was just the girl helping out with meet tasks. There was no running. The camaraderie she had long enjoyed on side-by-side runs was gone.

“It was a life-changing adjustment,” Campbell said. “Ever since then it has been about how do I overcome and respond to adversity.”

Then one day Campbell’s mom got an email from another track mom about a flag football interest meeting at Chiles.

“My mom said, ‘Lawton, you need to be active. You’re missing out, and I know you’re a competitor,’” Campbell recalled. “My dad really encouraged me, but I didn’t want to do it. They didn’t force me to do anything, but they really encouraged me to do it. I went in there with an open mind.”

She played some fall ball her junior year and enjoyed it. That turned into powder puff, then her first flag football season last spring. Though, just for good measure, she got injured during the season.

“I have no luck,” Campbell said. “It’s not my go-to sport, but I’m having a great time, honestly.

“It’s a completely different atmosphere and environment. There’s running, which is a great way to do what I love the most, but it’s really cool picking up something new.”

As a junior, Campbell had experienced skill position players around her to carry the load.

This year, she is the experience and has proven her worth as a captain and at receiver. Campbell has 30 catches for 260 yards and five touchdowns as the Timberwolves have gone 8-4 heading into Monday night’s district semifinal game against Lincoln.

“I don’t play any defense. I’m not a flag-puller," she said. "I don’t really like the contact. I just like to run, turn over my shoulder, and see if the ball is there.”

In a Senior Night win this past Thursday against Pace, Campbell was a deep threat, catching two long passes in the first half. The latter was a short out-route that she turned into a 40-yard sprint down the sideline to beat a defender to the pylon for a last-second touchdown.

The wheels are still there.

“Never in a million years would I have said this is where I would be when I entered freshman year,” Campbell said. “I would have told you I’d be breaking five minutes in the mile or setting records or going to state or going to run in college somewhere awesome. The thing I have learned the most is when handed adversity, it’s the champions that respond properly that come out on top.

“I’ve really tried to focus my efforts on getting better and not focusing on the setbacks. Flag football has been a great opportunity. I love it.”

Don’t sleep on the Timberwolves

While Class 1A No. 2 Godby (11-1) and No. 8 Florida High (10-1) will meet Monday night in a volatile district semifinal as the 7:30 game at Gene Cox Stadium, the earlier 6 p.m. game features two unranked teams.

Lincoln (5-7) has been as high as No. 7 this season while starting 4-1. But the Trojans lost six in a row during the regular season to fall from the rankings. Lincoln's season-ending upset over Florida High helped clinch a top sub-district seed.

Chiles, despite going 8-4, has not yet cracked the rankings despite securing back-to-back victories over ranked Lincoln, 20-7, and ranked Madison County, 25-13.

RELATED:Lincoln upsets No. 6 Florida High, both teams make flag football district playoffs

That could change if the Timberwolves can pull off another so-called upset of the reigning district champs.

“We’ve been off the radar and people haven’t paid attention to us until we beat Lincoln and Madison,” Chiles senior quarterback Rachel Myrick said. “Finally, we started hearing our name again. That just makes me want to win even more, win all of it. I know Lincoln will come in strong, but if we play the way we have been and play our game, I think we can pull it out.”

Myrick, who is left-handed, and sophomore Sam Wilson, who is right-handed, have been in full sharing mode at quarterback and receiver since Wilson came up from JV at the end of last season.

While Chiles made the district semifinals last year, the Timberwolves were also very predictable offensively. They lost 26-0 to Godby.

LAST YEAR:Lincoln advances to face Godby for district title

This year, the backfield combo has worked smoothly, though Myrick has been used primarily at receiver and in catching passes out of the backfield in two-quarterback sets. She has 30 catches for 400 yards and six touchdowns.

“Having two quarterbacks that throw with each hand has allowed us to throw a lot of double passes,” Myrick said. “Sam coming up last year was a change for me. I’d always played quarterback and had never played receiver. This year, I feel like I’ve played a good role at receiver. I understand now from playing both positions how one can help the other.”

Said Chiles coach Stan Goldstein: “I don’t think we’re very predictable. We have two people capable of running the offense, whether that’s run or pass.”

Wilson, who has passed for over 1,400 yards with 17 touchdowns has reliable targets in Myrick, senior Lawton Campbell, and juniors Molly Hennessy (33 catches, 480 yards, 7 TD) and Talia Miller (48 catches, 300 yards).

FLAG FOOTBALL PREVIEW:Lincoln, Godby prepare for best shots from Janae Scott, others

While the production has been good, the wins have been even better. And Chiles has done it despite returning just four varsity players.

“I’m very proud of them,” Myrick said. “We do have a lot of new girls that have never done this before. I feel like we’ve come so far as a team from the beginning of the season. They came in, learned what they needed to do, and they’re very good at their certain roles.”