Southern California Top Rushing Performances: Week 1

After nearly 500 days, high school football was played in Southern California. There were some thrilling games in week one to kickoff the spring football season with a bang. Below are six of the top rushing performances that happened in week one in Southern California. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25204" first="Semaj" last="Freeman"], Oaks Christian, 2021</strong> Freeman had a 73-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game and kept dominating throughout in Oaks Christian’s win over Paraclete. The self-proclaimed "Flash" of Oaks Christian football had three touchdowns in the game, including one to seal the victory in the fourth quarter. He was the most dynamic and dominant player in a game full of college prospects and once he gets into open space he is gone. Freeman has offers from a few schools including Nevada and Northern Arizona. https://twitter.com/prepzone/status/1370936072163663872?s=20 <hr /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25124" first="Samuel" last="Green"], Huntington Beach, 2021</strong> Green had an impressive debut for Huntington Beach after transferring from JSerra. The UNLV signee rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns all in the first half in a blowout win over Marina. He had 194 total yards and a receiving touchdown as well. Huntington Beach lost the Victory Trophy last season to Marina for the first time in over a decade and Green told the Daily Pilot "I had to snatch it for them real quick. Me and my team, this is going to be a great team." https://twitter.com/prepzone/status/1370605553471340544?s=20 <hr /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25233" first="Rayshon" last="Luke"], St. John Bosco, 2022</strong> The game between Sierra Canyon and St. John Bosco was on television and had a lot of eyeballs paying attention. Of the many great running backs, the standout was Bosco’s Luke, which isn’t surprising considering he is arguably the top running back in the state in the 2022 class. He showcased his elite track-athlete speed, rushing for 107 yards on just six carries with two touchdowns. He scored his first one when the Braves were surprisingly trailing 7-0 late in the first quarter. In the second half, he outran the entire Sierra Canyon defense for a 67-yard touchdown to extend Bosco’s lead to two touchdowns. Since Saturday’s game, Luke picked up offers from San Diego State and Boston College. https://twitter.com/prepzone/status/1370966461003436032?s=20 <hr /> <strong>Roman Pistone, Foothill (Santa Ana), 2021</strong> Pistone scored all four touchdowns for Foothill in its 28-12 win over crosstown rival Tustin. He had 248 all-purpose yards and a 69-yard rushing touchdown. He also had two receiving touchdowns of 47 and 71 yards. The 5-foot-7, 165-pound senior isn’t a college football prospect and is in fact an even better lacrosse player than he is at football. But Pistone is a very good high school running back and not everyone has to be a Division 1 prospect to get some well-deserved media coverage. <hr /> <strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/10/southern-california-class-of-2021-sleepers-part-4/">Brandon Roberts</a>, Sunny Hills, 2021</strong> The Sunny Hills running game was outstanding in a 56-14 win over Fountain Valley, rushing for nearly 500 yards. Roberts rushed for 142 yards on just nine carries with four touchdowns for the Lancers. Roberts debuted in the middle of the season for Sunny Hills last year and quickly stoodout as the fastest player on the field. He had a very impressive performance in the CIF semifinals against Trabuco Hills and made big plays in the running and passing game. Roberts is signed with William Penn University. https://twitter.com/sh_lancerfball/status/1357071110567645185?s=20 <hr /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25451" first="Joaquin" last="Thomas"], Granite Hills (El Cajon), 2023</strong> Thomas is a sophomore transfer from Helix and he put up some big numbers in Granite Hills’ 56-7 rout of Valhalla. He rushed for 160 yards on just eight carries for a 20 yards per carry average with three rushing touchdowns. He also caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from quarterback <strong>Justus McComb</strong>. Valhalla is the worst team that Granite Hills will play in this short season, but Thomas has the talent to produce against anyone. He will get a chance to play against his former team, Helix, on April 9. His versatility has a receiving threat out of the backfield and kick returner makes him an intriguing college prospect. https://twitter.com/joaquinthomasj1/status/1370980018579402755?s=20 <hr /> <strong>Other standout performances</strong> Malachi Bey, Garden Grove Jonathan Gonzalez, Ocean View <span style="font-weight: 400;">David Harris, Sunny Hills</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Daylen Pedroza, Orange</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Ethan Pocci, Yorba Linda</span> Anthony Ramirez, Ocean View Devin Samples, Long Beach Poly <span style="font-weight: 400;">Anthony Spearman, Sierra Canyon</span> Lucky Sutton, Cathedral Catholic