Merrillville's Horton is Singing His Own Song

MERRILLVILLE – Recruiting great athletes from high schools across Indiana is nothing new. It has been happening in one form or another for more than 100 years.
But the script has been flipped a bit at Merrillville High School.
Pirates football coach Brad Seiss was walking down a hallway a couple of years ago when he was cornered by the school’s choir director.
“You’re not trying to take my best singer, are you?” she asked.
The crooner and defensive end they were discussing was Josiah Horton, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound senior.
Horton didn’t always play football. He put on the cleats for the first time in eighth grade.
Music, however, has always been part of his life.
“The Jackson 5, they are my favorite,” Horton said. “I love all those bands from that time. I guess I’m old school. But music has always been with me.”
Seiss has no doubts about Horton’s standing in the choir.
“Josiah is the best singer in the choir,” he said.
But Horton isn’t too bad on the gridiron, either.
The relative newcomer played junior varsity as a freshman. He saw some varsity action as a sophomore, but opposing teams hardly had him on their scouting reports.
Like the program itself, Horton didn’t step into the spotlight until last season.
After a 1-2 start, the Pirates won 10 straight games and advanced to the Class 5A state championship game.
“Last season was like a movie,” Horton said. “Running onto the field at Lucas Oil was a dream. That’s what it’s all about.”
In the semistate victory over Concord, Horton recorded a strip-sack with a couple of minutes remaining before halftime and recovered the fumble. The play set up a late touchdown in Merrillville’s 41-14 victory.
It marked the first time the Pirates had advanced to a state championship game since 1976.
Horton finished second on the team in sacks last season.
Merrillville lost seven offensive and defensive starters from that team to graduation.
“Josiah is the lone senior on our defensive line,” Seiss said. “We’re a much younger team.”
Perhaps that youth factored into the Pirates’ 27-21 victory over Andrean last Friday, when the defense stood tall in the closing minutes to stop a 59ers drive.
“Our program has always gotten stronger as the season goes on,” Seiss said. “We take pride in that every single day at practice.”
The young Pirates face another tough task Friday when they travel to Lafayette Jeff, which lost to state power Indianapolis Chatard, 35-7, last week.
“Last year we were a brotherhood,” Horton said. “I followed the older guys. We had all the right pieces. Like a bond with glue. We always knew where everyone would be, and we always had each other’s back. That’s what we’re working to do this season.
“But this year I’m one of the leaders. Just like last year, we know what the end goal is.”
An honor-roll student, Horton has become a positive influence throughout the school, whether he has a microphone in his hand or not.
On Monday night at Demaree Stadium, Horton and a teammate served as the chain crew for Merrillville’s first girls flag football game in school history.
Horton plans to play college football when this season ends.
The Apollo Theatre can wait.
“I just want to leave a legacy here,” Horton said.
Anyone who watches this young man do his thing knows he is doing just that.

​By Steve Hanlon
Heartland Sports Network