B.B. Griffin Comes Home

Originally Published: Jan 25, 2010 2:49 PM CDT

Gerald Goodridge
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

HAWORTH, Oklahoma -- It had been 23 years since the last time B.B. Griffin walked the halls of Haworth High School, and he always longed to get back to his roots.

“It was always a dream of mine to come back here,” said Griffin. “I was gone so long I didn’t think I’d ever come back.”

When Griffin walked onto campus for the first time in more than a decade, it was as the boys basketball coach rather than as a student. Despite it being a dream-come-true for him, the pressure was on from day one.

“It’s a joyous feeling, but there are a lot of expectations,” said Griffin. “Even though we hadn’t been to state for a couple of years before I came back, our goal every year is to go to state.”

In his first season as the head coach for the Lions, he led them to a birth in the state tournament, achieving one of his goals for his alma mater. But it wasn’t enough to just lead the school to athletic prominence.

“Being from this school, I want to see more of our young people get out and be successful,” said Griffin. “[I wanted to] create an atmosphere where young men want to go to college; to do more than just stay around here in the neighborhood.”

And nobody exemplifies the fulfillment of that goal like his senior post man Seth Patterson. At 6-foot, 6-inches, Patterson is a force down low for the Lions that can play along the outside and keep the glass clean for Haworth.

Patterson also has a plan for life after high school. After graduation he will be attending Eastern Oklahoma State College, and later he plans to transfer to Oklahoma State to pursue a degree to become a veterinarian.

Couple that with Haworth’s 11-4 record and top-10 ranking, it looks like Griffin’s dreams for his return home are materializing.