Cream Of The Crop: Class of 2024 2A Rushing Leaders

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Cream of the Crop” has only been one of my favorite phrases. I get that "the cream always rises to the top” reference. I understand that crops are still the backbone of rural Kansas. I also have a giant weakness for ice cream.  So that phrase hits home on multiple levels.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That brings me to the cream of the crop of running backs in the class of 2024 from Class 2A schools. There was a huge gap in yardage between the top five rushing leaders and the rest of the pack. A couple of those were quarterbacks with pistons for legs that have recently already been featured in a recent scouting report.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He is a report on four running backs from the Class of 2024 who just happen to play for some of the teams that are the “perennial cream” among football programs in Class 2A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1107796' first='Nathan' last='Friesen']</strong>, 5'10”, 175, Southeast of Saline</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Friesen rushed for 997 yards and 17 touchdowns during his junior season, a giant uptick in production. The Trojans continue to produce offensive weapons that can transition to the college game. Friesen is quick and breaks tackles. He moves well in open space and sees the field.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1107786' first='Colin' last='Menold']</strong>, 5'7”, 155, Sabetha</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Menold is an absolute stud running back. He has a high motor, runs north to south, and has a low center of gravity. Menold rushed for 860 yards and five touchdowns during his junior season for the Bluejays. The Sabetha prospect can catch the ball out of the backfield, and serve as an effective lead-blocker. When watching his film if you didn't already know that he also wrestles, you would quickly guess that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mason Alderdice</strong>, 5'6”, 130, Hoisington</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hoisington's Alderdice explodes through holes in the defense. He rushed for 569 yards and five touchdowns for the Cardinals during his junior campaign. He is hard to tackle and can also catch balls out of the backfield. He caught seven balls for 107 yards and one score in 2022. Like Southeast of Saline, Hoisington is a program that college coaches can count on athletes being well-prepared for college football.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Judah Smith</strong>, 5'11”, 185, Neodesha</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>During his junior season, Smith rushed for 557 yards and six touchdowns for the Bluestreaks. He has a quick first step and is a smart ball player. He could have a solid future on defense as well at linebacker. He had 37 total tackles and five tackles for loss in the 2022 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->