Stat stuffers back for more – 1000 yard rushers II
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Staying with those 1000-yard rushers who are not done racking up high school football stats, here are five more backs looking to repeat and improve on impressive seasons. Sean Washington MN #70 RB #7 HEIGHT 5'7" WEIGHT 210 POS RB…
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Continue ReadingStaying with those 1000-yard rushers who are not done racking up high school football stats, here are five more backs looking to repeat and improve on impressive seasons.
1425 yards, 7 touchdowns
Washington runs well behind his pads. With a low center of gravity, he gets his shoulder pads beneath most would-be tacklers, allowing him to bounce off, run through, or drag tacklers for extra yards. The sophomore has good vision and quick feet – especially at the line of scrimmage. Those feet keep him from committing too early, so he can bounce a run a hole or two over from where the play was designed. Although he is effective in space, the sophomore is most effective if he can make one cut and get downhill. Washington is not just a rushing threat. He catches passes out of the backfield and is a willing blocker.
1327 yards, 21 touchdowns
The Lakeville South rushing attack was and will be in good hands with Cade. The junior is one of the most complete running backs in the state. His open-field speed has him outrunning defenders who think they have an angle on him. Even though he doesn’t look like a physical runner, the strength he has in his lower body powers him through tacklers. He has excellent feet and balance, making him a threat in the downfield passing game, not just out of the backfield on screens or check-downs. Cade has solid hands, will line up in the slot, and runs downfield routes.
Highlights
Cooper Crandall
Cooper Crandall
1322 yards, 15 touchdowns
Few runners in the state have the balance and cutting ability of Crandall. His ability to go full speed, only to stop on a dime and make a cut, immediately stands out. His quickness out of his cuts required great balance, and Crandall shows that balance by bouncing off and running through tacklers. He is not a big back, but he is much more of a physical runner than his frame suggests. The junior is quicker than he is fast, but defenders better take good pursuit angles, or Crandall will make them pay. He is a good pass catcher out of the backfield, too. He looks natural, catching passes in the flat, which allows him to operate in space.
1313 yards, 19 touchdowns
Johnson makes getting in and out of his cuts look easy. One of the reasons he makes it look easy is his athletic ability, but it is much more than that. Johnson runs low to the ground and does a solid job of getting in behind his blockers and making himself hard to find. Once he sees the hole, he explodes from behind his blockers and is at full speed within a couple of steps. With his naturally low pad level, the junior is a nightmare in the open field because all you have to hit is shoulder pads and knees. Despite his size – maybe more accurately because of his size – he is physical in the sense that to get Johnson down, you must square him up. Arm tackles will do defenders no good.
Highlights
1204 yards, 15 touchdowns
Thode is next up in a long line of great running backs to come out of Hutchinson’s program. The junior might be a better baseball player than a football player, but either way, Thode has a chance to make an impact well past his senior year. A taller running back, Thode seems to glide – not run – when he gets the ball. His cuts – while just as effective as any other top runner – look smooth, like he is always in control. Just because he looks so smooth with his long strides that quickly eat up yardage, Thode will lower his pad level and drive for those extra yards.