Southern California Top Rushing Performances: Week 3

Week three was a unique week for top rushing performances in Southern California. Some of the top running backs put up big numbers in blowout games. Those performances are worthy of praise because the blowouts are somewhat due to their dominant rushing performances. This week, two of the six players I highlight are quarterbacks in the San Diego region. In the era of run/pass options and zone reads, quarterbacks are capable of changing the game with their legs and two of them did just that this week. Below are six of the top rushing games in week three. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="25266" first="Jabari" last="Bates"], St. John Bosco, 2022</strong> The defending national champions have a three-headed backfield. With [player_tooltip player_id="25233" first="Rayshon" last="Luke"] out with a leg injury, the other running backs got a chance to showcase their skills and [player_tooltip player_id="25266" first="Jabari" last="Bates"] shined. The junior rushed for 177 yards on 15 carries in a close game with Servite. He is a smaller guy around 5-foot-8 and under 170 pounds but that hasn’t inhibited his ability to make big plays and draw attention from scouts. Bates has some major offers including Michigan, Oregon, San Jose State and Arizona State. https://twitter.com/latsondheimer/status/1375669832390111233?s=20 <hr /> <strong>Jett Daviss, Beckman, 2021</strong> Daviss has been a three-year starter for Beckman and has always lowered his shoulder and ran hard. Now as a senior he has put on the muscle and strength to make those runs more punishing and pick up some yards after contact. He had a big game against Portola, rushing for 206 yards on 31 carries with three touchdowns in a win over the defending league champions. What makes Daviss’ numbers so compelling is that the team has no passing game. Everybody knows he is getting the ball and they still can’t stop him. He has lower level offers from Puget Sound and Pacific University. https://twitter.com/mikehuntley63/status/1375301325668327429?s=20 <hr /> <strong><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2020/08/top-san-diego-section-quarterbacks-6-10/">Jacob Laverdiere</a>, Mount Miguel, 2021</strong> Laverdiere had the most passing yards of any returning quarterback in the San Diego Section but he has also been making an impact with his legs this season. He rushed for 172 yards on 37 attempts and scored all four touchdowns in the Matadors’ win over Valhalla. The senior quarterback has rushed for nearly 400 yards through two games and has six touchdowns. He accounts for 80 percent of Mount Miguel’s offense this season. He has an offer from Pacific University. https://twitter.com/JacobLaverdier1/status/1375935737598648323?s=20 <hr /> <strong>Justin McCoy, Newport Harbor, 2021</strong> McCoy is a guy who has games where opponents stack the box and he gets two yards per carry but also has games where he goes off for 10 plus yards per carry and leads the Sailors to victory. He is a strong runner who weighs around 190 pounds but also has sneaky speed when he gets into the open field. His biggest strength is that he hits the hole quickly before linebackers can fill their gaps which leads to productive runs. McCoy had three rushing touchdowns in the Sailors’ rout of Huntington Beach last week. https://twitter.com/JustinMcCoy33/status/1170732756487172096?s=20 <hr /> <strong>Lucas Pesak, Tesoro, 2022</strong> Tesoro is typically known for its explosive passing offense, but this season its running back is propelling the team to early wins. Pesak got little playing time as a sophomore last year because the Titans had a successful senior running back, but coach Matt Poston said that Pesak was a player to watch before the season started. He had a massive game against Trabuco Hills, rushing for 189 yards on 28 carries with two touchdowns. https://twitter.com/JonathanKhamis/status/1375901692735094787?s=20 <hr /> <strong>Mario Villa, Sweetwater, 2021</strong> Another San Diego quarterback makes the list for his legs rather than his arm. Villa rushed for 128 yards on 19 carries with three touchdowns in the Red Devils’ win over El Cajon Valley in week three. He has 36 rushing attempts compared to just six pass attempts this season. He and running back Carlos Hopper are a good rushing attack and defensive coordinators can’t focus on stopping just one of them. https://twitter.com/BW_DCX9/status/1375666084401979392?s=20 <hr /> <strong>Other top performers:</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Rodrigo Aguilar, Century</span> Josaiah Aiono, Tustin <span style="font-weight: 400;">Eddie Allain, Norte Vista</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Joshua Berna, Templeton</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="25122" first="James" last="Bohls"], San Clemente</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Stephen Britton, Santa Fe Christian</span> Brayden Burnes, San Juan Hills <span style="font-weight: 400;">Jackson Golden, Laguna Beach</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Adam Harper, Northwood</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Jalen Punsalan, Great Oak</span> Brantt Riederich, Marina <span style="font-weight: 400;">Evan Sanders, Corona del Mar</span> Vince Silva, Sunny Hills <span style="font-weight: 400;">Lucky Sutton, Cathedral Catholic</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">DJ Watts, Murrieta Valley</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[player_tooltip player_id="25109" first="Marceese" last="Yetts"], Mater Dei</span> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;