Central Section: Top 10 Rushing Leaders

Photo: Danny Olivera Twitter

Paul Gregorian August 31, 2021 @ 04:24 PM

After two weeks of play across the central valley, some of the best running backs across the region are starting to emerge. Below, we will breakdown and review the top ten rushing leaders in the Central Section after Week 2. <hr />   Danny Olivera, Firebaugh HS Olivera is one of the best running backs across the section, regardless of school size. He is the leading rusher in the valley thus far and is a every down back that is very versatile out of the backfield. Having a compact frame, he is a tough runner that gets vertical in a hurry and has natural forward lean with sneaky second level speed. Through the first two games, he has shown the ability to run through arm/ankle tackles and is tough enough to get tough yards inside and athletic enough to bounce it outside with patience and a burst when needed.   Kaelen Deloney, Foothill HS The 2022 prospect is a big and physical back that looks for contact near the LOS and is very tough to bring down. Running well behind his pads, he is a inside runner that shows he can play light on his feet and deliver a blow through the hole upon contact. Also having deceptive lateral movement skills, he should continue to carry the load for the tough Foothill squad through this Fall.   Tristan Risley, Clovis HS Risley is a very impressive player with high tier college level abilities. He is another balanced back that can run inside and out while able to catch the ball out of the backfield. Possessing a strong initial burst, he has a good balance of power, contact balance, forward lean and elite third level speed while forcing defenders to take bad angles outside the tackles. Coming off a impressive Spring season, Risley has continued right where he left off and will be one of the top backs, if not the top back across the Valley by the end of the season.   [player_tooltip player_id="141938" first="Logan" last="Bowers"], Garces Memorial HS Everyone knows that Bowers is one of the best linebackers in the valley, but his move to running back for the 2021 season has been more than impressive after two weeks of play. Rushing for over 200 yards this past weekend and being the leader on the Rams defense, he showed his first level explosion and physical running style he brings to the table. More of a vertical runner that hits the hole quickly, he has deceptive long speed and shows impressive vision in traffic while able to bounce off defenders and even make them miss in the open field. A two way player for one of the best teams across the region, he is only going to continue to get better as the season goes on.     Other Rushing Leaders Avian Pesina, Kennedy-Delano HS Andrew Camarillo, Orosi HS Zach Mojarro, Bishop Union HS Hugo Mora, Kennedy-Delano HS Adrian Sierra, Strathmore HS Nate Reese, Nipomo HS