Running Backs

[E.T.]

Howie, I figured that I would start a thread for each position ... you could put them here about certain players or their own thread, I will just put a copy here.

What do you think?

I'm not sure if i should post this here. So, let me know, or just move it.

Posted on Thu, Aug. 26, 2004

 

 

I M A G E S  

GRANT JEFFERIES-The Herald  

Harold Smith's speed is the talk of the county, and Palmetto plans to ride his legs as much as possible this year.

PALMETTO - Tigers will take advantage of Crazy Legs

EMERY SKOLFIELD

Herald Staff Writer

PALMETTO - Jessie Bundrage had come off the field the play before, giving him an unobstructed view from the sideline.

"The most electrifying moment of the year," recalls Bundrage, a senior on the Palmetto High football team.

It happened 11 months ago, Sept. 19, 2003, and Bundrage still struggles to make sense of what he saw.

"I don't know how he did it," says Bundrage of the night a teammate ran down the un-catchable - Terrence Jones, the All-State running back from Sarasota Booker. "It was like a flash of lightning. All of a sudden, you just saw J.R. Lightning struck, that's the only way to describe it."

Coaches around the area caught the play on videotape and quickly adjusted their game plans accordingly, accounting for No. 23.

J.R.

Harold Smith Jr.

"When people saw that, they just knew ... Harold has to be faster than any man in the county," Bundrage says.

Jones, who signed at South Florida after rushing for 2,621 yards and 37 touchdowns, was enjoying another big evening when he busted through the Tigers' defense and zipped down the sideline, racing toward the end zone and six more points.

That's about the time most defenders would slow to a jog and take a moment to appreciate the raw speed displayed by Jones, who was said to run the 40-yard dash in 4.31 seconds.

Smith, a cornerback, didn't have time for that and didn't much care about Jones' 40 time. There was a touchdown to save. And, as it turns out, a memory to make.

"He had broken out for about 50 yards, and I was just trying to chase him," says Smith, a first team All-County pick in football (defensive back) and baseball (center field) as a sophomore. "I guess I got him."

Just as Jones neared the goal line, Smith stripped the ball, which was quickly scooped up by teammate Josh Mitchell. To Jones and Booker, which won the game 35-7, Smith's remarkable play was a mere hiccup in an unbeaten trek to the Class 3A state semifinals, where they finally fell.

It made a small legend of Smith, though, and likely has something to do with the recruiting letters first-year Palmetto coach James Haynes has received from Michigan, Michigan State and South Florida.

They all want to know more about No. 23.

"He does some things you can't and don't coach," Haynes says of Smith, who has been timed at 4.4 in the 40. "He just makes moves that are 100 percent God-given talent."

With All-County running back Eddie Hills, a Bethune-Cookman College recruit, playing ahead of him, Smith made modest contributions to the Tigers' offense last season. Out of the backfield, the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Smith gained 204 yards on 31 carries; as a receiver, he had 11 catches for 203 yards.

That is sure to change this fall, when he becomes a top priority in Haynes' diverse, adapt-to-the-opponent offense.

"If we can give him some blocking, I figure we can ride his legs a long way," says Haynes, who led Class 1A Hawthorne to playoff berths in each of the past two seasons.

And ride him they will.

Smith, who has added about 20 pounds of muscle since last season, expects to play running back and receiver for the Tigers. He'll also play cornerback. And he'll return punts. Probably some kickoffs, too.

"I think I'll come off during kickoff team," Smith concedes.

Sound busy? In the spring, Smith played baseball and ran track, meaning he got to school around 7:30 a.m. each day and didn't leave campus until the end of baseball practice - around 6 p.m.

"He's the type of guy that's always gotta stay busy," says Bundrage, a quarterback/receiver/safety for the Tigers. "He doesn't like to just sit around doing nothing."

Over the summer, Smith played AAU baseball for the Tampa Hitmen, batting .430 as a leadoff hitter. In the spring, he hit .355 with 26 stolen bases, helping Palmetto to the regional playoffs.

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/sports/9516595.htm

With the freshmen we have, if they turn out as good as we expect and hopefully Terrance Jones becomes a BULL, I say we would only need to bring in 1 RB, but he would NEED to be a Top talent.

Go BULLS !!!

[E.T.]

Demetrius McCray 6-0 180 lbs. Seffner, FL

[E.T.]

Friday, 8-27-04

Clearwater running back Jason Harris ran for 178 yards on 12 carries, including touchdowns of 71 and 70 yards...

5-11 185 lbs. with 4.4. speed ... doesn't have an offer from us(or anyone else) ... and doesn't list us as a team he's interested in (Akron, Boston College, Florida, Florida State, Iowa, Miami (Fl), North Carolina, South Carolina)

[Guest S.  Bien]

Friday, 8-27-04

5-11 185 lbs. with 4.4. speed ... doesn't have an offer from us(or anyone else) ... and doesn't list us as a team he's interested in (Akron, Boston College, Florida, Florida State, Iowa, Miami (Fl), North Carolina, South Carolina)

by the way, Jason's brother plays for USF.  Well at least he walked on last year, I don't know if he's still on the team.  He isn't listed on the roster so he may have quit or left his name was Chad Harris.  They are both speedsters, but Jason could be an academic issue.  He's a dynamite player, and you can bet if he's worthy, and gets academics in order we will come into play.

[E.T.]

What about Maurice Wells outta JAX, last years state running champ in yards? Doesn't seem to have a favorite, are we on his radar ?

[E.T.]

Friday, 8-27-04

The Blue Devils used the nifty running of senior running back Drek Hubbard to score the first touchdown, a 65-yard jaunt up the far sideline eight minutes into the game. Hubbard also had a 35-yard run in the first quarter that ended with a Blue Devil fumble.

...

... with Hubbard gaining 150 of them.

...and the offense was still efficient behind Austin Davis.

Davis stole the show, scoring four touchdowns while rushing for 222 yards on 15 carries to propel the Chargers' rushing attack.

... connected with Davis on a 7-yard swing pass.

The following kickoff, Davis rocked American Heritage's Gerald Miller, setting the tone for the rest of the game.

Davis then set up the Chargers' next score, returning a punt 64 yards to American Heritage's 2yard line. ...

What made it truly Davis' night took place at the end of the first half. Punting from his own 20-yard line, Davis mishandled a long snap. With numerous defenders closing in, Davis somehow dodged two defenders and returned it 80 yards to the house, making it 18-0 at the half.

...

...

Davis scored his third touchdown on a 7-yard run in the third quarter and then ended his night on a 22-yard run making it 31-0 at the end of the third quarter.

[E.T.]

9-10-04

Armwood's Kalvin Bailey's 17 carries for 257 yards and six touchdowns ...

I know he's the big FullBack type, but BULLieve he would flourish as a feature back for our Beloved BULLS !!!

[Guest HowieP1]

Paul O'Hara

http://scout.theinsiders.com/a.z?s=359&p=8&c=1&nid=1167717

Not sure if he should be listed under RB or not, since it seems he wants to play S in College.

[E.T.]

9-17-04

Lake Wales' running back Harry Agee rushed for 173 yards on 15 carries with touchdown runs of 46 and 75 yards.

Durant running back Matt Stwan recorded 16 carries for 171 yards and three touchdowns.

Admiral Farragut's Tai Herrera-Clark rushed for 100 yards on 12 carries for the Blue Jackets.

Jefferson's Alex Suber rushed for 215 yards on 25 carries.

Largo's Dexter McCluster ran for a career-high 223 yards.

[Guest HowieP1]

Demetrius McCray 6-0 180 lbs. Seffner, FL

Florida TB Sets 2 Officials

By Don Callahan  ACC Recruiting Analyst

Date: Nov 14, 2004

After mulling over his offer sheet for a few months, Seffner (Fla.) Armwood tailback Demetrius McCray has finally narrowed things down to a solid five.

In addition, the 6-foot, 180-pounder has begun to map out his official visits schedule.

“I have an official visit with New Mexico on January 3rd to 4th and I set one up with South Florida on January 14th,†explained Demetrius McCray. “Iowa, I want to take an official visit there, Rutgers and Kent State, they just offered me, has been talking about an official visit.â€Â

McCray owns offers from each of the five aforementioned schools in addition to tenders from Central Florida Indiana, and Auburn.

With so much going on and the lack of visits taken, McCray is maintaining his openness and doesn’t plan to narrow his favorites down any further until after he takes his official visits.

“No I don’t have a leader yet,†remarked McCray. “I’m going to wait until after I take my visits.â€Â

Although overshadowed by fellow Division I-A prospect Kalvin Bailey, McCray is just as much a part of the Armwood High School’s success as his teammate posting 1,160 yards and 18 touchdowns in just nine games. The backfield duo most recently combined efforts in Florida’s 4A-Region 3 quarterfinal by defeating Countryside 35-13. Cape Coral Mariner is the next team to attempt to stop McCray and Bailey.

http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=359&p=2&c=318673