Red Zone Royalty, Pt. 2: Power, Speed, and Pay Dirt

When you think about running backs who make a difference, it's not just about the guys who rack up the most yards. It's the backs who can move the chains when it's 3rd-and-2, who punch it in from the 5-yard line, and who make defenses pay for even the smallest mistake. In the red zone, everything gets tighter, so having a back you can trust to break a tackle or carry defenders across the line is pure gold. That's why we're digging into the players who didn't just eat up yardage, but turned carries into touchdowns.   To keep it clean, I looked at yards per touchdown and made sure every name here had at least seven scores to prove it wasn't just one hot Friday night. This way we're spotlighting the true finishers — the guys who made their touches count when the game slowed down and the field shrank down. These are the runners you hand the ball to when everybody in the stadium knows what's coming, and they still find a way to get six.     [player_tooltip player_id='1581502' first='Dominic' last='Hawkins'] was flat-out electric in 2024, the kind of athlete who can flip a game on a single snap. He piled up 1,145 rushing yards at over 12 yards a pop with 22 rushing scores, and that was only part of the story — he also added 710 receiving yards and 11 more touchdowns, finishing with 35 trips to the end zone and over 2,000 all-purpose yards in just 11 games. The speed jumps off the screen; he accelerates so quickly that defenders look like they're stuck in mud trying to close space, and his quick-twitch cuts leave tacklers grasping at air. Heading into 2025, nothing changes — he's still the pace car for the Dragons' offense. You can move a weapon like him anywhere and just force defenses into bad math, and AZCP leans on that by lining him up in the backfield, out wide, or in motion to stress every gap. Even if touches get spread around, his per-touch impact is too deadly to ignore. If they need a spark, they just put the ball in his hands and make defenses pick their poison.     Cuevas is the definition of an ironman for Willcox, doing a little bit of everything and doing it well. He kicks, punts, catches passes, runs it between the tackles, and then turns around and sets the tone as the middle linebacker on defense. What really stands out is how smoothly he reads the game and how fast and physical he plays. As a runner, he brings a downhill style that makes him a nightmare in short yardage and red zone spots — he runs so hard that defenders often bounce off him. At 5'11” and 185 pounds he isn't undersized, but he plays even bigger than that. In 2024 he averaged 74.1 yards per game with 15 touchdowns on the ground while also racking up 94 tackles on defense, powering a 7–4 team that scored over 40 points per game. Heading into his senior year, expect him to handle even more of the load on both sides of the ball. He'll be leaned on for the tough carries that extend drives and for the defensive stops that end them. His ability to stay on the field and deliver in every phase makes him the heartbeat of Willcox football.     Skillings has become the definition of a touchdown maker for Williams Field. Last fall as a junior he averaged over six yards a pop while punching in 14 scores, many of them in the red zone. He runs with that upright, gliding style that makes him look smooth in the open field, but he's also got the lateral quickness to sidestep would-be tacklers and the power to run through arm tackles. What makes him dangerous is how he combines his long strides and breakaway speed with real vision — he sets up blocks, accelerates out of his cuts, and turns daylight into six points. He became the Black Hawks' closer when they needed to finish drives. Heading into his senior year, he'll be sharing carries again with [player_tooltip player_id='1369422' first='Courshawn' last='Hill'], but that might be a good thing. Hill's presence keeps defenses honest, which allows Skillings to keep doing what he does best: finishing. Against a tougher schedule with Chandler, Basha, and Brophy on the slate, expect Williams Field to lean on him in those money situations.     [player_tooltip player_id='549602' first='Derrion' last='Bartholomew'] is one of those backs who just refuses to go down. He runs with impressive balance, constantly bouncing off defenders and keeping his legs churning until the whistle. At 5'11” and 200 pounds, he's built for the grind and especially for those goal line carries where toughness matters most. In 2024 he put up 388 rushing yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season, but really made his name in the playoffs when he exploded for 191 yards on 29 carries against Casteel, during Cenetennial's Cinderella run to the 6A state title. That performance showed exactly why the coaching staff trusts him in the biggest moments. Heading into 2025 as a junior, expect him to handle more of the early-down workload and plenty of four-minute carries when they're protecting leads. Centennial's identity is built on physical football and play-action, and Bartholomew fits that perfectly. If he can bring that postseason form into a full season, the Coyotes will once again be a nightmare to close out games against — boring in the best way possible, and brutally effective.     Jayden Simmons gave Flowing Wells a true workhorse in 2024, piling up 891 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in just 10 games. Built like an old-school back at fullback size but with real track speed, he's the rare player who can grind between the tackles and then hit another gear once he gets into the second level. He runs with vision and patience, protecting the ball in traffic but flashing footwork to make linebackers miss. Last season he delivered four 100-yard, multi-TD nights and helped Flowing Wells get to 5–5, leaning heavily on the ground game. Heading into his senior year, Simmons is the tone-setter again. Flowing Wells will keep its menu simple — gap, power, a little iso — and trust him to wear defenses down before hitting them with misdirection pops. He doubles as a linebacker who can get to the quarterback, giving the team toughness and stability on both sides. When you've got a sturdy RB/LB who can finish drives on offense and save them on defense, you control games.

When you think about running backs who make a difference, it's not just about the guys who rack up the most yards. It's the backs who can move the chains when it's 3rd-and-2, who punch it in from the 5-yard line, and who make defenses pay for even the smallest mistake. In the red zone, everything gets tighter, so having a back you can trust to break a tackle or carry defenders across the line is pure gold. That's why we're digging into the players who didn't just eat up yardage, but turned carries into touchdowns.