Week 3 Top Running Backs in Mid-Season Form

In this day and age of wide-open offenses and prolific passing attacks it is easy to get caught up in the wizardry of elite QB-WR connections (for a quick visual, think Eisenhower's [player_tooltip player_id='676467' first='Derek' last='Morgan'] to [player_tooltip player_id='442660' first='Carter' last='Pabst']), and the firepower they bring to an offense.   But, there is a Yin and Yang element to football and particularly on offense, where achieving the right balance between two opposing but interconnected forces is the cheat code to success. Offensive coordinators realize this and even when they have passing-on-every-down in their DNA, they know the key to on-going success is first getting the run game down.   Establishing the ground game is critical as it sets up a wide array of play-calling options and keeps the defense on it's heels. It enables the offense to exert greater control on the game and dictate the ebb and flow of each drive.   Sometimes early in the season it takes a few games to get the running attack hitting on all cylinders, but for the game-breakers below success was immediate this fall.   In this report we will take a look at some of the top running-back performances in the state from week 3. There are some familiar names on this list as well as a few newcomers who won't be flying under the radar long.   So, without further adieu, let's take a look at the best and the brightest baller backs from week 3.     The 200+ Club:   [player_tooltip player_id='1453234' first='Xavier' last='Porras'], Liberal '25, shifted into overdrive last week in Liberal's win over Guymon, OK, logging 271 yards rushing and scoring four touchdowns. Porras keeps getting better every game, as he opened the season with 107 yards rushing in game one, amped it up to 167 yards in game two before exploding last week. Liberal is off and running on a 3-0 start behind a young QB and a strong ground game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1296536' first='Landin' last='Johnson'], Ellsworth '25, was once again among the state's leaders last week when he churned out 263 yards and racked up four TD's. He is off to a legendary season, already averaging 241 yards per game and scoring 11 touchdowns. For the year, he has 58 carries for 722 yards, averaging an incredible 12.5 yards per carry.   [player_tooltip player_id='442659' first='Blake' last='Ellis'], Humboldt '25, joined the ranks of the backs with 250+ rushing yards as he shredded Erie in a 20-9 win, piling up 253 yards and six touchdowns on the day. Humboldt moves to 3-0 behind the stellar running of Ellis.   Ross Rider, Lakin '25, put together one of the better all-around games in western Kansas this past week when he rushed for 213 yards and scored three touchdowns on offense and added 13 tackles on defense in a 32-22 loss to rival Hugoton.   Maddox Archibald, Andover Central '25, continued his hot start on the high-flying Andover Central offense, carrying only 12 times but gaining 205 yards and scoring three touchdowns, averaging a mind-bending 17.1 yards per carry. He was also effective catching the ball out of the backfield, taking one reception 72 yards to the house. As strong as AC looks, Archibald better rack up his stat line early as he may be subbed out early in their blow-out wins.   [player_tooltip player_id='426515' first='Brayden' last='Pappas'], Eisenhower '26, another strong performance leading the charge on the Eisenhower running game, as he carried the ball 21 times for 202 yards and two touchdowns, averaging right at 10 yards a carry. He also hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass. On the season, Pappas has 356 yards on 58 carries as the Eisenhower offense keeps getting better every week.   [player_tooltip player_id='1398429' first='Korbin' last='Johnson'], Holcomb '26, helped spearhead a strong running attack with 200 yards on 19 carries and four touchdowns in a 42-16 victory over Ulysses last week   [player_tooltip player_id='1552973' first='Kade' last='Smith'], Hutchinson '25, helped energize the Hutch attack with 200 yards rushing and a pair of TD's in a 21-0 rain-delayed victory over Maize last Friday. He is averaging 175 yards a game rushing through three games, with 525 yards on 88 carries.     Other Noteworthy:   [player_tooltip player_id='904436' first='Augie' last='Fast'], Wichita NW '26, has been the Northwest beast of burden so far in 2024, leading a powerful running attack with 540 yards on 78 carries and four touchdowns. He is averaging an impressive 180 yards per game rushing and is the obvious choice when NW chooses to grind it out.   [player_tooltip player_id='1515919' first='Garrison' last='Wells'], Clearwater '26, had another outstanding game in a loss to Wellington last week, carrying the ball 30 times for 172 yards and a pair of TD's. On the season he has rushed for 493 yards on 73 carries, scoring four touchdowns. He is averaging just under 150 yards a game and 7-yards per carry.     In conclusion, as you can see we have a significant number of game-changing running backs off to fast starts. Get out and see some serious ballers putting on spectacular performances every Friday night near you.   And, as a reminder, I will be posting "Week #4 Games of the Week" tomorrow (Thu); and, as always, if you run across a team or player flying under the radar, feel free to reach out to CoolDaddyO via DM on X.

In this day and age of wide-open offenses and prolific passing attacks it is easy to get caught up in the wizardry of elite QB-WR connections (for a quick visual, think Eisenhower's Derek Morgan Derek Morgan 6'2" | 190 lbs | QB Eisenhower | 2025 State KS to Carter Pabst Carter Pabst 6'1" | 185 lbs | WR Eisenhower | 2025 State KS ), and the firepower they bring to an offense.