Running the Show: A Mid-Season Look at 6A's Leading Rushers

As we hit the halfway mark of the high school football season, it's time to recognize the players who have been dominating the ground game. In the 6A division, a group of elite running backs has emerged, carving up defenses with their speed, vision, and power. These rushers have been the driving force behind their teams' success, consistently putting up big numbers and making the most of every carry. In this article, we'll dive into 6A's leading rushers, breaking down their performances thus far and what sets them apart from the rest.    Tristan Halsana is an incredibly well-rounded back coming out of the backfield for Chandler's offense. A really nice blend of power, speed, and vision, he's currently averaging a whopping 10 yards a carry through the first half of his senior season. When the hole he's supposed to hit gets filled up, Halsana quickly cuts with no hesitation and finds a sliver of space, effortlessly turning it into a big gain. When defenders are able to catch up with him, he has a mean stiff arm that often ends with the defender on their back watching Halsana continue trucking down the field. Coming off a tough loss to a good Highland team, Chandler will likely lean heavily on their ground game that had been so successful to start the season.      [player_tooltip player_id='975177' first='Kyler' last='Drunasky'] came out firing to start his junior season. Surpassing 200 yards on the ground and scoring five times in the first week alone, anyone who wasn't aware of what Drunasky could do certainly is now. He has some incredible balance moving through the trenches; cutting on a dime and bouncing off big hits, his ability to keep stay upright is nothing short of impressive. At 5'11" 190 lbs, he has a strong base and is more powerful than you'd expect, allowing him to move piles and power through arm tackles. The fact that Drunasky is second in rushing yards while his offense also has the 6A leader in passing yards and two of the top-five leaders in receiving yards just shows you how truly effective he is with the ball in his hands.      [player_tooltip player_id='606264' first='Isaiah' last='Linyear'] is a real bruiser with the ball in his hands. Taking on a big role for Casteel's offense, he's really finding his stride here in the last few weeks. After posting back-to-back weeks with 135+ rushing yards, Linyear got into the endzone four times last week in a win over Mesa. The strong and powerful back can wear out a defense throughout a drive, consistently delivering the big hits himself. Linyear's also a surprisingly reliable receiver for a bigger back. Despite his size, Linyear is also a surprisingly reliable receiver, with soft hands that make him a threat in space. He's a player coaches should take a long look at if they're looking to add physicality to their program.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/CasteelFootball/status/1840611382028357776 </div></figure>     The only sophomore currently in the top five for 6A rushing yards, [player_tooltip player_id='1198983' first='Keshawn' last='Barkus'] is a very patient back who does a good job of waiting for the holes to develop in front of him. He's excellent at fighting through contact and his feet never stop churning until he's all the way on the ground. Westwood's shifty running back regularly fires into a crowd of defenders only to somehow come out the other side at full speed. As he continues to grow, he's only going to gain more power and be able to break more tackles. Barkas is a player college coaches should be watching closely as he develops over the next couple of years.      [player_tooltip player_id='1242301' first='Bentley' last='Corbin']'s quick feet have been on full display to start the 2024 season. Starting the year with a 212-yard, four-touchdown performance, it seems effortless for the O'Connor running back to make defenders miss. Whether it's making a cut that leaves them grasping the air, or using those quick feet to burst him up the field, Corbin can turn a loss/measly gain into an explosive play in the blink of an eye. Going up against some really tough defenses through the first half of his senior year, he's found his way into the endzone seven times and is averaging nine yards a carry. Although O'Connor hasn't gotten off to the start it was hoping for, there's no denying that Corbin has shown he's a true playmaker.

As we hit the halfway mark of the high school football season, it's time to recognize the players who have been dominating the ground game. In the 6A division, a group of elite running backs has emerged, carving up defenses with their speed, vision, and power. These rushers have been the driving force behind their teams' success, consistently putting up big numbers and making the most of every carry. In this article, we'll dive into 6A's leading rushers, breaking down their performances thus far and what sets them apart from the rest.