Better backs put teams on the run
Gary White
On Preps
Daily Commercial
September 15, 1992
Kindly turn to the second page of this section and you will encounter something utterly unexpected. There is a name above that of Oran Singleton in the high school rushing statistics.
After one week, it's Clermont's Kendrick Moore, not Singleton of Leesburg, who leads the area rushing race. Get a good look at it now, because the guy who wears No. 1 won't stay at No. 2 in the standings for long.
But the rarity is worth noticing if only to introduce a point: Running backs abound this season in Lake and Sumter counties. Nearly every team seems to have at least one decent back, making this year's crop of runners the deepest seen in the area for several years.
Conceivably, four local runners (Singleton, Moore, Eustis' Oliver Longley and South Sumter's Kelly Hart) could rush for 1,000 yards this season. Consider that last season only four runners managed to break 500 yards and that in 1990 no one achieved the 1,000-yard milestone.
So why the high tide of runners this season? Mostly it's just the workings of chance and biological cycles. It just happens that some decent runners popped up this year.
Perhaps it's no coincidence that local coaches have abandoned any flirtation with the forward pass. Last season Mount Dora's Jamie Pruett led the area in passing with 1,306 yards. The leader at the end of this season might not have half that total.
Despite Pruett's big numbers, his team finished last season at 1-9. At the high school level, the passing game is considered too difficult to implement and most coaches settle for the simpler approach of trying to run.
It helps when you have decent runners, and several teams do. Of course, it all starts with the stellar Singleton, who gained a relatively meager 148 yards in Leesburg's opener against Eustis. Make no mistake: Barring injury, Singleton will lead the area in rushing again. Heck, he might even go over the 1,000-yard mark Friday, when Leesburg plays Cypress Creek, a first-year school.
In recent years Clermont has been pass-oriented because of the lack of good runners. No more. Moore, running behind a beefy offensive line and a bullish blocking fullback (Keith Enos), brings a new dimension to the Highlanders' offense. He gained attention with 88 yards in a half against Leesburg in the fall jamboree and followed that with a 177-yard effort in the opener with Lecanto.
Big, strong and fast enough Moore has convinced Coach Bruce Kregloe there's no need to put the ball in the air often.
Longley, a backup last season to allstate tailback Bayfus McCoy, seemed destined for Renaldo Nehemiah syndrome as a track star who seemed out of sync in a helmet. But this season Longley looks like a football player. He's running harder and smarter: unfortunately Eustis offense doesn't give him much help.
Hart's numbers will be limited by South Sumter's deep rotation, but he established himself against Wildwood as a potential star.
The situation is somewhat similar for Umatilla's Lawrence Clark. In the Bulldogs' loss to Keystone Heights, he gained 65 yards - on three carries. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Coach Bernie Carney likes to rotate six or seven backs into the game, but don't be surprised if Clark starts carrying the ball quite a bit more.
Groveland has a strong runner in Jeff Bradham, who gained 605 yards last season. And Wildwood's Mike King doesn't produce breathtaking numbers, but observers usually leave a game impressed with his toughness.
Mount Dora, the only local team currently clinging to the notion that passing can win games, possesses a pretty good fullback in Dewayne Copeland. But he rarely carries the ball in the Hurricanes one-back, pass-oriented offense. Copeland makes up for it on defense, where he is probably the area's best noseguard.
Finally, it may seem odd to mention Tavares in a discussion of running backs. But even the Bulldogs no longer seem to be running on empty. Justin Dudley came within three yards of 100 in Tavares' opener, a feat almost never accomplished by recent Bulldog backs.
Add it all up and it's obvious running back is the most important position for area teams. Get your fill of the passing game from Steve Spurrier and the guys who play on Sunday, and watch everybody race after Singleton's heels on Friday nights.
Despite a less than dazzling 7-6 victory over Eustis in its opener, Leesburg moved up a spot to ninth in this week's Class 4A state rankings. Also of note to Leesburg fans is the presence of Stuart martin Count at No. 5 in the poll.
Martin County, you'll recall, is coached by Ken Weir, who left Leesburg, after the 1991 season.
Gary White is assistant sports editor of the Daily Commercial
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Gary White
On Preps
Daily Commercial
www.dailycommercial.com
September 15, 1992
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