Rooting for 'Cokefair 11/12'

Moms and Dads of high school football players are often spied in the stands during games wearing their sons' jerseys.

It's a staple of the Friday night landscape as much as cowbells and classmates with their faces and bare chests painted in school colors.

At the beginning of the season, Cheryl Cokefair was eager to show her pride.

Then, panic struck.

The mother of two Grant football players was having the mother of all outfitting dilemmas. Which jersey should she choose?

Her older son Jimi, No. 11, starts at cornerback and also plays some wide receiver.

Her younger son Justin, No. 12, starts at quarterback for the Bulldogs.

"I was totally stressed out about it," Cokefair said emphatically. "How was I going to wear two numbers at one game?"

Cokefair chose to wear jersey No. 12.

"Jimi was like, 'How come you're not wearing No. 11?'" Cokefair said. "Then I turned around."

On the back of the jersey, she had taped a paper 1 over the 2.

"The boys thought I was pretty dorky," Cokefair laughed.

But Cokefair didn't care and would still be wearing her taped-up jersey today if a few of the boys' friends hadn't stepped in.

"A couple of girls who are good friends of our family were like, 'You can't wear that. Let us make you something,'" Cokefair said. "And it turned out great."

Cokefair is still decked out in Grant colors, but now she wears a black shirt to every game that reads "Cokefair 11/12" on the back scripted in red glitter.

She treasures it, just like she is treasuring every moment she's been able to see her boys on the field at the same time during this season's 6-3 campaign, which has been extended at least one more week.

Grant will visit North Suburban Prairie Division foe Vernon Hills tonight (7 p.m.) in Class 6A first round action. The Bulldogs lost to Vernon Hills in the regular-season finale just one week ago, 7-6.

"When we found out it was Vernon Hills, we all called each other," said Jimi, a senior. "We're all excited to play them again. It's a grudge match."

"We want to get them back," added Justin, a junior.

Maybe a little "Cokefair-to-Cokefair" will do the trick.

That's been the highlight of Cheryl Cokefair's season thus far. In Grant's Prairie Division tilt against undefeated Antioch in Week 6, the Cokefair boys hooked up for their 1 and only touchdown - a 20-yard pass from Justin to Jimi.

"The announcer said 'Cokefair-to-Cokefair for the touchdown,'" Justin said. "My mom was always saying that she would love to hear that someday."

"I was waiting forever to hear that," Cheryl proudly confirmed.

Although the Cokefair boys have grown up playing on many of the same teams - from youth football to travel baseball to everything in between - this has been their one and only shot together on the varsity football team.

Last year, Jimi was a reserve on the varsity and Justin played on the sophomore team.

"It's fun to play together," Jimi said. "We get along really well and our chemistry is really good. We're always throwing a football around the house."

Ironically, though, the Cokefairs had no reason to think they'd ever do that on the field.

At the beginning of the season, Jimi was slotted for defense only and Justin was the backup quarterback. But injuries to other players thrust the Cokefairs into starting positions that gave them the chance to work together.

In the season opener, the Bulldogs lost starting quarterback Izzy Rodriguez to a knee injury. A few weeks later, starting wide receiver Tommy Bychowski came down with mononucleosis.

"I never really thought about the irony of both of those positions opening up to put us together," Jimi said. "It was frustrating that we kept losing people to injuries. But we were pretty excited to play together."

By the time Jimi got his first start at wide receiver, Justin had already set the bar pretty high.

In his very first start, a nonconference game against Grayslake Central in Week 2, Justin rushed for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns on 22 carries. He also hit Bychowski with a 33-yard touchdown.

"I was shocked," Justin said of his reaction to playing so well in his debut. "I never thought I would do good. I was so nervous going into that game."

Justin wasn't the only one.

"I was nervous for him, too," Jimi said with the kind of sly smile that could come from only an older brother. "I think everyone was surprised he stepped up like that. But after that first game, I knew he could handle himself. He's got a pretty good arm for a little guy (5-feet-9) and he's quick and sneaky with the ball in our option."

On the season, Justin, who was slowed two weeks ago by a badly bruised hand but is fully recovered, has rolled up 660 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 126 carries. He's also completed 38 of 68 passes for 454 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Jimi's best contributions have come on the defensive side. He's tallied a team-high 3 interceptions along with 25 tackles, including 18 solos. At wide receiver, where he will now rotate in occasionally since Bychowski is back, Jimi has 13 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown.

"Jimi is pretty quick and he runs good routes," Justin said. "He's just good at catching the ball."

But if Jimi wasn't, Justin wouldn't be afraid to say something. And vice versa.

"We can say things to each other that we might not say to someone else on the team," Justin said. "If I had to, I'd tell him to run a better route, or don't drop it next time, things like that."

"Or I'd tell him not to fumble," Jimi chimed in. "We don't worry about hurting each other's feelings."

Probably because it almost never happens.

Despite being only 16 months apart, Jimi and Justin say they have always gotten along great and that jealousy and competitiveness have never gotten in the way of their strong friendship.

"I think I've seen them fight like once or twice - ever," Cheryl Cokefair said. "They really get along well. I've been very lucky."

Lately, Cokefair has been reminded of that every time she gets dressed for a football game.

pbabcock@dailyherald.com 364512Brothers Jimi (left) and Justin Cokefair are leaders for the Grant Bulldog football team this year.Steve Lundy | Staff Photographer