It hasn’t taken long for twin brothers Jake and Justin Slaven to make an impact for Highland.
Jake Slaven, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound quarterback, and Justin Slaven, a 6-0, 150-pound receiver/safety, have impressed first-year Trojans coach Ben Geffert.
“They’ve gotten off to a great start on both sides of the ball,” Geffert said. “Both of them are as tough as nails.
“Both of them being sophomores, especially early in the Griffith game (in a season-opening loss), we had to check on our young guys to make sure they were still in it and were moving forward. And both of them, over themselves, were just picking everyone else up.”
Teammates noticed. Jake and Justin Slaven were voted as captains for the next two games for the Trojans (1-2), who will play at Calumet on Friday.
“As sophomores, that’s something big,” Geffert said. “That says a lot about their character, how they work, what their teammates see in them.”
Jake and Justin Slaven gained experience primarily on the freshman team last year. Neither had any preconceived notions about their roles this season.
“I didn’t expect anything,” Justin Slaven said. “I knew I had to earn it. I came in working hard.”
Jake Slaven expressed a similar sentiment.
“I came in wanting to start, and it just happened,” he said. “I’ve been putting in the work. I just play my game and do the best I can every Friday. I just try to make the team better and myself.”
Jake Slaven has thrown for 87 yards and rushed for 122 yards. He has also played middle linebacker in the past, although Highland has tried to limit him to offense this season.
But his mentality hasn’t been lost on Geffert, a former two-way lineman at Griffith who then played at Indiana State and later led the Panthers from 2015 to 2018 as part of his coaching career.
“He’s a physical, downhill runner guy,” Geffert said of Jake Slaven. “He likes that contact, and that feeds into everyone else. Me being a former offensive lineman, I see my quarterback run over someone, that juices me up. I want to play for him.”
Justin Slaven has nine catches for 61 yards, and he has also rushed for 51 yards and three touchdowns. On defense, he has 23 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Justin Slaven also punts, kicks off and returns kicks. Underscoring his versatility, he grew up mostly playing running back before shifting to receiver this season, and he lined up as a defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid last season.
“He’s a little bit of Mr. Everything right now for us,” Geffert said. “They’ve both accepted their roles. They’re out here trying to make everyone else better as well as themselves. For them to be sophomores and have that about them, it says a lot about them.”
Justin Slaven has taken his multiple responsibilities in stride.
“I just want to put us in the best position to win,” he said. “So I’ll play anywhere they put me.”
Jake and Justin Slaven also play basketball and baseball. In basketball, Justin Slaven earned a starting spot at guard in the middle of last season and was named the team’s most improved player. On the junior varsity baseball team, Jake Slaven was limited to three games at catcher before undergoing surgery for a cyst on his lower back.
“I was out for a while because I wanted to make sure I healed and I didn’t mess it up again,” Jake Slaven said. “But I’m good now.”
Justin Slaven was playing shortstop and pitching before taking over behind the plate for most of the season once Jake was sidelined. He anticipates moving to the outfield for the varsity team next season.
Jake and Justin Slaven are part of an athletic family that includes brother Trent and sister Aleysha. Trent Slaven played multiple sports, including football, at Highland and graduated in 2019. Aleysha Slaven, who graduated from Highland in 2014, played basketball and softball.
“They’re Highland guys,” Geffert said of Jake and Justin Slaven. “They have a ton of pride in the program. They want this thing to be as successful as can be.”
Geffert spent his first year in the Highland district teaching physical education in the middle school and crossed paths with Jake and Justin Slaven when they were eighth graders. So Geffert got a glimpse of what was to come.
“You see them, and you see how they interact with other students,” Geffert said. “You could tell others gravitated to them, just their personalities and their competitiveness. You rarely had to tell them to pick it up.
“Early on, we knew these were going to be some guys we’re going to hang our hats on for a few years here.”
