Class 5A All-State RBs: Big-Time Numbers From Big-Time Players

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While some teams might have shifted to more of a quarterback-run offense, there are still those out there who prefer to let the running back handle that portion of the attack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a very difficult decision to narrow down the field to the Top-3, but here goes nothing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Team - [player_tooltip player_id='246740' first='Abu' last='Sama'] - Southeast Polk - Senior</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What [player_tooltip player_id='246740' first='Abu' last='Sama'] accomplished this season was incredible. But what he did on the biggest stage of the season was breathtaking. Sama led Southeast Polk to the Class 5A state championship with a performance for the ages. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He finished his final season before heading of to Iowa State by rushing for 1,408 yards and 28 touchdowns on 144 carries. Let me do the math for you: that comes out to 9.8 yards - almost a first down - on every rush attempt for the speedy and shifty back. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Second Team - [player_tooltip player_id='247950' first='Ty' last='Cozad'] - Muscatine - Junior</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Numbers cannot be ignored, especially when competing in Class 5A. And the fact that [player_tooltip player_id='247950' first='Ty' last='Cozad'] led the state's largest classification in rushing yards makes him an easy choice for this group. Cozad led Muscatine - and, as mentioned, 5A - with 2,079 yards on the ground. He scored 20 touchdowns and averaged 8.4 yards per carry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It would not surprise me to see even more out of Cozad next year, adding more work in the passing game to his skill set. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Third Team - Aron Gonkaryon - Des Moines North - Senior</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Opposing defenses knew Aron Gonkaryon was going to get the football. They still could not contain the Des Moines North back. Gonkaryon finished the year second in Class 5A with 1,490 yards, averaging just over nine yards per rush with 14 touchdowns. He is the complete package and can really change the course of a game with his skills.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gonkaryon also caught 15 passes for 146 yards and a score while adding 62.5 tackles on defense, including 11 for loss. He added a pick-6 and averaged 24.6 yards per kickoff return and 32 yards per punt return with a score. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Honorable Mention</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It is hard to believe, but [player_tooltip player_id='246740' first='Abu' last='Sama'] wasn't the only 1,000-yard back for Southeast Polk, as senior classmate [player_tooltip player_id='533053' first='Harrison' last='Gibson'] ran for 1,246 yards and 11 TDs. [player_tooltip player_id='246738' first='Makelle' last='Taylor'] out of Cedar Rapids Prairie had almost 1,500 yards and 14 scores, while [player_tooltip player_id='152703' first='Jazan' last='Williams'] found the end zone 14 times for Ankeny. Juniors Drake Gelhaus of Cedar Falls and Demarco Young from Sioux City North are part of the next wave alongside sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='252230' first='Jamison' last='Poe'] of Ames. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->