Class 5A’s Best Backfield Duos
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Come spring practice, coaches will be searching for reliable players who are most likely to have the ball in their hands during the upcoming season. These five Class 5A programs are well ahead of the curve. They each have a…
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Continue ReadingCome spring practice, coaches will be searching for reliable players who are most likely to have the ball in their hands during the upcoming season.
These five Class 5A programs are well ahead of the curve.
They each have a reliable back-field tandem who can not only sustain, but excel against the biggest and best competition the state has to offer. In each case, these teams have experienced players capable of elevating those around them.
CAROLINA FOREST
• Scott Saylor Scott Saylor 6'1" | 200 lbs | QB Carolina Forest | 2023 State SC , QB, SR
• Kalil Johnson Kalil Johnson 5'7" | 160 lbs | RB Carolina Forest | 2024 State SC , RB, JR
Johnson had a fine performance in the Panthers’ playoff loss to Chapin, rushing for 156 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. The then-sophomore led the team in carries and rushing yards – despite sharing the backfield with an all-state two-way star. Johnson won’t get every carry this fall, but he’ll be up there. As for Saylor, the college interest he’s started to accumulate is a direct product of an offseason conditioning program that has put weight and strength on his frame. He should be even more durable in an offense that likes mobile quarterbacks (he rushed for 244 yards and six scores last year). He also threw for 1,214 yards and eight scores in the abbreviated season.
DUTCH FORK
• Jarvis Green Jarvis Green 5'11" | 190 lbs | RB Dutch Fork | 2023 State SC , RB, SR
• Aliam Appler Aliam Appler 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Dutch Fork | 2023 State SC , QB, SR
Adding Aliam Appler Aliam Appler 6'4" | 205 lbs | QB Dutch Fork | 2023 State SC to the Dutch Fork carousel of quarterbacks is expected to pay off nicely for the Silver Foxes. Appler got limited snaps last year behind Davin Patterson, throwing 29 mostly garbage-time passes. But don’t forget that the 6-foot-4 Appler was the starter at New Hanover (N.C.) before moving south. Dutch Fork also has a history of getting the most out of one-year starters at the position, having turned that job over quite a bit during its run to six straight state championship games. Also, you know, Green. One of the state’s best running backs went off 1,726 yards and 35 touchdowns on the ground and another 448 and four receiving. Another season like that puts him in the Mr. Football conversation.
FORT DORCHESTER
• Zolten Osborne Zolten Osborne 6'2" | 205 lbs | QB Fort Dorchester | 2023 State SC , QB, SR
• Davian Brown Davian Brown 5'7" | 190 lbs | RB Fort Dorchester | 2024 State SC , RB, JR
Osborne’s body of work includes 5,107 passing yards and 57 total touchdowns between his sophomore and junior seasons (neither of which included a full regular season). He’s got a big arm and fantastic decision-making capabilities and plenty of pieces around him to put up big numbers again. The most-recent addition to Patriots’ stable of weapons is Brown (pictured). Formerly a three-year starter at nearby First Baptist, the 5-foot-6, 185-pounder runs with a low-to-the-ground mentality, using his lack of height to his advantage. This is a player who is capable of a 1,000-yard season this fall. And if his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield continues to improve, Osborne will surely take advantage of his speed in the open field.
HILLCREST
• Logan Coldren Logan Coldren 6'0" | 190 lbs | RB Hillcrest | 2023 State SC , RB, SR
• Bennett Judy Bennett Judy 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Hillcrest | 2023 State SC , QB, SR
As a junior, Coldren put his field vision and shiftiness on display. He rushed for 1,195 yards and 15 scores, all while averaging a stout 7.4 yards per carry against decent competition (Hillcrest swept through region play). Coldren, at 6-foot and 190 pounds, is big enough to handle the workload, one that also included 31 receptions for 363 yards last fall. The other big catalyst for the Rams averaging 43 points per game was Judy. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound signal caller had a monster junior season, throwing for 3,140 yards and 35 touchdowns while running for another 415 and 12. If they can increase that production, the sky’s the limit.
NATION FORD
• Carson Black Carson Black 6'3" | 190 lbs | QB Nation Ford | 2023 State SC , QB, SR
• Jeremiah Hailstock, RB, JR
Not all that long ago, we highlighted Hailstock, the Falcons’ leading rusher from last fall. The 5-foot-8, 150-pound tailback missed a game and was sharing reps with a senior. This season, though, his rushing tally could easily double from his sophomore campaign – when he finished with 517 yards and three touchdowns. It won’t hurt that everyone will probably be paying extra attention to the quarterback standing next to him. Black’s offer list has consistently grown this offseason while college squads noticed his film from his junior season. It was then that he threw for 2,771 yards and 27 touchdowns. His arm strength sets him apart, and the one-two-punch between the two of them could push Nation Ford up the Class 5A ladder.