2023 Midseason Stock Risers: RBs
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We have now completed the first half of the 2023 season and there have been plenty of athletes that have seen their stock rise through the first five weeks of the season. Here are some running backs that have really…
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Continue ReadingWe have now completed the first half of the 2023 season and there have been plenty of athletes that have seen their stock rise through the first five weeks of the season. Here are some running backs that have really stood out during the first half of the 2023 season!
Parkersburg South’s Gage Wright Gage Wright 6’0″ | 200 lbs | RB Parkersburg South | 2024 State WV is already ranked as our #1 2024 running back so how could his stock rise any more than it already is? Well, the senior Virginia Tech wrestling commit has taken his game to a whole new level and is the current favorite to win the Kennedy Award as the state’s best overall athlete. Wright has been putting up insane stats through the first five weeks of the season and has made our weekly standouts every week. Wright is averaging an incredible 240 yards rushing per game and has run in 15 touchdowns. He’s also been a factor in the passing game with 10 catches for 198 yards and 6 more touchdowns. Wright is a very good linebacker as well and has over 20 tackles and 3 TFLs on that side of the ball as well. He has 23 total touchdowns in the first five games and is just playing on another level than everyone else right now.
Bridgeport’s Zach Rohrig Zach Rohrig 5’11” | 185 lbs | RB Bridgeport | 2024 State WV has been another regular on our weekly standouts and is currently the second-leading rusher in the state behind just the aforementioned Gage Wright Gage Wright 6’0″ | 200 lbs | RB Parkersburg South | 2024 State WV . Rohrig leads the Bridgeport Indians’ three-headed monster at running back and is the bell cow in their single-wing offense. Rohrig has carried the ball 91 times for 872 yards and 10 touchdowns with a 9.6 yards per carry average. He’s averaging 174.4 yards per game rushing and on pace for a 2,000-yard season with some playoff wins.
Sean Winfrey Sean Winfrey 6’0″ | 185 lbs | RB Tyler Consolidated | 2024 State WV has been awesome all season and is yet another regular in our weekly standouts. The Tyler Consolidated Silver Knights have played just four games through the first five weeks but the senior running back is already the third-leading rusher in the state. Winfrey has rushed for 796 yards in four games which is an average of 199 yards per game. He has 15 total offensive touchdowns with 14 of them coming on the ground. They’ve gotten him involved in the passing game too with 234 yards receiving and the Tyler Consolidated offense goes as Winfrey goes.
A new name on our radar this season who has quickly made himself known is Poca junior Preston Bonnett Preston Bonnett 5’11” | 165 lbs | RB Poca | 2025 State WV . The 5’10 155 junior has exploded onto the scene this season and is currently one of the Top 10 leading rushers in the state. Bonnett has rushed for 731 yards in five games and scored three touchdowns on the ground. He’s averaging 146 yards per game and a 7.1 yards per carry average. The Poca Dot has also been involved in the passing game with 10 catches for 203 yards and two more touchdowns. Bonnett has over 1,000 all-purpose yards through five games and five touchdowns.
Roane County senior Brandon Richardson Brandon Richardson 5’7″ | 170 lbs | DB Roane County | 2024 State WV is currently in our 2024 rankings as a defensive back where he’s ranked 7th overall but the dynamic athlete is seeing a lot of carries on offense this season due to an injury to a teammate. Richardson has answered the call in a huge way to the tune of 703 yards rushing and 8 touchdowns. He’s averaging 7.9 yards per carry and 140 yards per game. Richardson has also added 84 yards and two more touchdowns in the passing game and has 813 all-purpose yards through the first five games. He’s still making an impact on defense as well with 38 total tackles and an interception.
Klypsan Wallace Klypsan Wallace 5’8″ | 180 lbs | RB Cameron | 2025 WV made the transfer from Class AAA John Marshall to Class A Cameron this season and has quickly made a huge impact on his new team. The Dragons have played just four games but Wallace is already one of the top rushers in the state. He’s carried the ball 75 times for 633 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 8.4 yards per carry and 158 yards per game. Wallace also has 20 total tackles with two going for a loss and a sack on defense. With some more big games this season and a playoff run, Wallace could flirt with a 2,000-yard season with still one more year of high school to go.
Mingo Central appears to be turning to junior running back Dylan Vance Dylan Vance RB Mingo Central | 2025 WV to carry the load this season. After a couple of shortened games in weeks two and three, Vance has rattled off two very good games against quality opponents in Man and Independence. Vance has carried the ball 44 times for 551 yards and five touchdowns with two of his games only having three carries each. Vance has had games averaging 30.7 and 24.7 yards per carry and is averaging 12.5 yards per carry on the season. He’s also been very productive in the passing game with 9 catches for 216 yards and three more touchdowns which is a 24-yards-per-catch average. Vance has clearly been a big play machine through the first five games and the Mingo Central Miners are now 5-0 on the year.
Chase Lowe Chase Lowe 5’10” | 175 lbs | RB Wirt County | 2024 State WV is carrying the load yet again this season for the Wirt County Tigers and the senior running back is a Top 5 leading rusher currently in the state. Lowe has rushed for 675 yards and seven touchdowns through the first five games of the season and averaging 135 yards rushing per game. He appears to be well on his way to surpassing his junior year total of 1,097 yards if he can stay healthy. The 5’10 190 senior has now rushed for 2,000 yards in his career and could cap off his high school football career with his best season yet.
Lynken Joy Lynken Joy 5’11” | 185 lbs | RB Williamstown | 2025 WV saw some playing time as a sophomore but the junior Williamstown running back has stepped up this season as their go-to guy running the ball with senior QB Maxwell Molessa Maxwell Molessa 6’0″ | 190 lbs | ATH Williamstown | 2024 State WV . Joy is averaging 9.4 yards per carry and averaging 104 yards per game while only playing in the first half in most of the games. Joy has carried the ball 54 times for 507 yards and six touchdowns while adding another score through the air. He should be well rested come playoff times with so many lopsided victories for Williamstown and has yet to carry the ball 20 times in a game. Joy has been big on defense as well with 35 total tackles and 6 TFLs.
The high-flying Princeton Tiger offense has gotten great production from junior running back Marquel Lowe Marquel Lowe 5’11” | 185 lbs | RB Princeton | 2025 State WV . Lowe has now rushed for 619 yards in the first five games of the season and eight touchdowns. Lowe and the Tigers are a perfect 5-0 at the halfway point of the 2023 season and the Princeton offense is averaging 41.8 points per game with many of them being blowouts. Lowe is a speedy and dynamic running back that can take it the distance on any given carry. He’s a homerun hitter in their prolific offense where defenses can’t key on just one athlete so Lowe is able to chew up long gains after they loosen up defenses with the pass. Lowe is currently ranked as the 13th running back in the 2025 class but will assuredly see that number climb in the next update.