Sep. 23—Football has changed a lot through the years.
Take a look at college football and the NFL, and it's all about how many yards and touchdowns in the passing game. Just ask Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, whose Super Bowl win last season still hasn't silenced critics who think he doesn't throw enough.
In high school, though, running the ball is still king.
Sure, it's nice to have a talented quarterback and talented receivers to form a strong passing game; but if you want to be truly successful at this level, you need a star running back. The top four local teams can attest to that.
So far this season, four teams (Austin, Hartselle, Priceville, West Morgan) in the Daily's coverage area have winning records. Hartselle and West Morgan are both undefeated, while Austin and Priceville each have one loss — to Hartselle and West Morgan, respectively.
What do each of these teams have in common? Some very good players toting the rock.
After a 2-8 campaign last year in its first season in Class 5A, Priceville has had a resurgence. The Bulldogs have won four games by an average of 34 points, with their one loss coming 8-7 to West Morgan. They've done it with a powerful rushing attack as well, rushing for 1,572 yards as a team. Colton Madewell has rushed for 540 yards and three touchdowns, while Bronson Carroll has added 470 yards rushing and seven touchdowns. Quarterbacks Sheldon Graham and Jack Eubanks and running back Zavian Camel have each rushed for at least 125 yards as well.
Hartselle, which has outscored its opponents 190-22 in four games, also has a two-headed attack at running back. Senior running backs Jaheim Pruitt and Jayden Morris have combined for 520 yards and eight touchdowns on almost equal carries. This past Friday in a 42-7 win over Decatur, Pruitt rushed 15 times for 172 yards and two touchdowns, while Morris had 15 carries for 72 yards and a score.
Austin started the season off slow with a 39-7 loss to Hartselle, but the young Black Bears have been on fire since, winning four in a row by 26 points per game. They've found a diamond in the rough along the way with junior running back Aidan Davis, who's playing football for the first time in two years. Davis has emerged as the team's bellcow, rushing 96 times for 655 yards and four touchdowns.
West Morgan has won a state-best 28 regular season games in a row, and senior running back MaCarri Johnson is a big reason why, rushing for 786 yards and 11 touchdowns so far this season. The Rebels needed him dearly this past Friday playing their first game without quarterback Titan Partlow, and Johnson answered the call, rushing for 160 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw a touchdown as West Morgan defeated Hatton 23-14 in an important region game.
Here are some other players having good years on the ground:
—Junior Savarius Evans has rushed 75 times for 520 yards and three touchdowns in his first season at Hatton. Quarterback Tasean Love has added 180 yards rushing and five scores.
—East Lawrence junior Cayne McClure has rushed for 432 yards and three touchdowns. McClure also leads the team in passing (236 yards) and is second in tackles (33).
—Athens quarterback Jaxon Unger (348 yards) along with running backs Xavier Edwards (321 yards) and DaMarcus Malone (270 yards) have combined to rush for 939 yards and 10 touchdowns.
—Jake Fleming of Clements rushed for 357 yards and six touchdowns in a 50-31 win over Elkmont this past Friday.
— caleb.suggs@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @CalebSuggs2
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