Why Zion Dobson Should Win Mr. Football 2023

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not many folks saw this coming.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not a kid from the middle of Hampton County.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>But <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='239076' first='Zion' last='Dobson']</strong> has defied the odds.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 5-foot-10&nbsp; hidden gem is a Mr. Football finalist, and he could very well be driving home from Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium with the title.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With his standout play at running back, Dobson has made the Hampton County Hurricanes' first season of football extra memorable, becoming the driving force of an offense that has helped the ‘Canes cruise to a 9-1 regular season record and the Region VI-2A championship.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spending the first three years of his career at now-defunct Wade Hampton, Dobson joined the new school via a merge with his old one and Estill High. He found some time playing in the secondary and at running back while waiting in the shadow of South Carolina walk-on Jamian Risher. Dobson took over the starting role in the backfield during his junior season and became a reliable weapon on early downs. But he lacked the elite vision and the will to break that extra tackle for explosive runs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One year, 1,843 yards, and 26 touchdowns later, he found it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dobson spent this past summer in the weight room with the intent to build that strength. With the foresight of Rob Hanna and his coaching staff, Dobson challenged himself to seek out the open seam- and hit it even harder. The improved patience and vision became evident quickly, and his confidence grew along with it.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With an assist from Hampton County's terrific offensive line, Dobson has become as complete of a running back as you'll see at the high school level. His physicality has been especially noticeable this year, fighting off more tackles and keeping his balance to turn solid gains into huge ones. And his breakaway speed has turned to a gear we've rarely seen here in the state.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dobson has been remarkably consistent throughout the schedule, going over 100 rushing yards in each game while averaging 11.1 yards per carry, an astounding leap from last year's mark of 5.3 yards per touch. His talents all came together in his biggest test of the season, leaving no doubt in a 64-0 demolition of an unbeaten Woodland team where he scored five times in just the first half. It was a workmanlike effort for Dobson, who carved up a stout Wolverine defense with his lightning-quick first step and flashy acceleration to the outside. And he was a dominant force between the tackles with his incredible showing of lower-body strength, plowing through a swarm of defenders for an eye-popping 30-yard touchdown. It's rare to see a single player dictate and dominate a top-10 matchup to that level, but it's exactly what Dobson did that night. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/15065066/652ab14f0661450718e577d7' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-654504e136e07"} /--> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And he's far from done here in the Lowcountry. Dobson's nonstop grit should translate beautifully to the playoffs, and the Hurricanes have a high-flying complementary defense built to create havoc in the backfield. The offense will go as Zion goes, and it's a good bet he'll have an even higher gear in the tank starting this Friday night when the ‘Canes open the postseason at home against Bishop England.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hampton County might be tucked away between the bigger reaches of Charleston and Columbia. But it hasn't stopped a motivated [player_tooltip player_id='239076' first='Zion' last='Dobson'] from putting the state - and the football community - on notice on a weekly basis. His talent has soared off the charts this year, but more importantly, he's been a dependable leader and nonstop worker on the field. And, as head coach Rob Hanna notes, it's translated to success in the classroom and beyond.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Zion is very deserving of this accolade,” Hanna said. “His commitment and sacrifice to the team and development of becoming a football player has paid off in helping him become one of the best in the state. I couldn't think of a better student-athlete to be chosen for this accomplishment.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Truly, a perfect storm.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>EDITOR'S NOTE: </em></strong><em>This is a five-part series breaking down the finalists for South Carolina's Mr. Football award for this fall. Our scouts have seen these players this season and in most cases have tracked them since the beginning of their varsity careers. The 2023 Mr. Football award will be announced and presented at halftime of the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl on December 9 in Myrtle Beach.&nbsp;</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023 MR. FOOTBALL FINALISTS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='239076' first='Zion' last='Dobson'] RB, Hampton County</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='267431' first='Avery' last='McFadden'] WR, Hillcrest</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='265222' first='Turbo' last='Richard'] RB, Northwestern</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='139295' first='Josiah' last='Thompson'] OL, Dillon</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1142430' first='Watson' last='Young'] OL, Daniel&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->