Running Backs with a Big 2021 Season

The regular season has been an impressive one in the state of Arkansas this high school football season. In this article we are going to examine some of the running backs that have had monster seasons. Five running backs stuck out to me as I was preparing to write this article and we will take a brief look at all five. <strong>Josh Shepherd-Rogers Mounties-2022</strong> Shepherd is one running back that does a little bit of everything for the Mounties. The Rogers Mounties have been a pleasant surprise this season going 6-2 with two games left to go in the regular season. Shepherd has led the Mounties on the ground rushing for 1,219 yards and 10 touchdowns. He is one of those players that does a great job of finding the rushing lanes and exploding through the holes. Shepherd has had a terrific senior season for the Mounties and has helped give offense a threat in the running and passing game. The Mounties offense is a dangerous one going into the playoffs. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="75143" first="Josh" last="Ficklin"]-Bentonville Tigers-2023</strong> The Bentonville Tigers have a dangerous rushing attack going into the playoffs. Ficklin has a dynamic second gear and can explode through the hole. However, the Tigers running back displays patience and allows that powerhouse offensive line to create holes to rush through. Ficklin has churned out 1,323 yards this season. Meanwhile, the Tigers running back has powered into the endzone 19 times this season. Ficklin is going to be a running back to pay attention to over the next year. He is a running back that will play on Saturdays in the future. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="131175" first="Darryl" last="Kattich"]-Cedarville Pirates-2022</strong> One player that has had an incredibly impressive high school football career is [player_tooltip player_id="131175" first="Darryl" last="Kattich"]. The Cedarville Pirate will not be brought down on initial contact and will force the defense to send two or three defenders to bring him down. At this point in the season, Kattich has rushed for 13 touchdowns and churned out 1,354 yards on the ground. Kattich is a player that is everything you want in a running back and he should close out the regular season in strong fashion. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="224937" first="Connor" last="Baker"]-Pocahontas Redskins-2023</strong> Baker is a powerhouse running back that has good speed. Baker will not be brought down on the initial contact by the opposing defense and is a player that has forced the opposing defense to account for him this season. Baker will allow his blockers to create a rushing lane before exploding through it and punishing the defense. He has amassed 1,486 yards and 26 touchdowns on the season. The Redskins still have two games to play this season and Baker could easily surpass the 30 touchdowns mark this season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="136008" first="Dede" last="Johnson"]-Searcy Lions-2023</strong> The Searcy running back currently has the most rushing yards in the state, with 1,561 yards and 16 touchdowns. Johnson makes great use of the mix of speed and power that he possesses. He has the speed to outrun defenders, but he also does not mind just running right over opposing defensive players. Johnson is going to be a player to watch over the next few months. The Searcy running back has the potential to play on Saturdays in the future.