Malcolm Jones of Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.) didn’t have his gaudiest statistical performance Friday night in a 28-25 win over Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.), but the senior running back came through when it mattered most, delivering a 48-yard touchdown run to start the fourth quarter that helped put the game out of reach.
Jones, who finished with 128 yards on 20 carries, wasn’t thrilled with the play call that helped him break loose for the game’s biggest play.
“I didn’t want to run that play,” Jones said. “The stretch play wasn’t working all game long so I was telling coach ‘We can’t run that, we can’t run that.’ We stuck with it, I found a little seam, cut back and I was gone.”
In another big week for running backs, Jones joined South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore, North Carolina’s Kevin Parks and Pennsylvania’s Rushel Shell in posting 100-yard rushing performances.
Player of the Year Watch List
Teddy Bridgewater, Jr., QB/WR, Northwestern (Miami, Fla.)
Last Game: Bridgewater went 12 of 24 for 153 yards and four touchdown passes as Northwestern (2-0) handled Hialeah 42-20.
Season: 20 of 45 passing, 300 passing yards, 5 TD passes, 2 TD runs
Anthony Carrothers, Sr., QB, Independence (Charlotte, N.C.)
Last Game: Independence (5-0) eased past Vance 40-7. Complete stats unavailable.
Austin Collinsworth, Sr., RB/WR/DB, Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.)
Last Game: Collinsworth did not play as Highlands got past Boone County 36-14. He is expected to be back in action this week in a CBS College Sports-televised showdown with St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio).
Season: 35 carries, 351 yards, 8 TDs; 3 receptions, 27 yards; 489 all-purpose yards
Chas Dodd, Sr., QB, Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)
Last Game: Dodd completed 16 of 24 passes for 218 yards and a pair of touchdowns as Byrnes (4-0) crushed Woodland 85-8. Things will get tougher in the next two weeks as the Rebels face rival Gaffney and national No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).
Season: 63 of 91 passing, 996 passing yards, 15 TD passes
File photo by Cecil Copeland
Chas Dodd has thrown 15 touchdown passes for 4-0 Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.).
Malcolm Jones, Sr., RB/LB, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.)
Last Game: Jones carried 20 times for 128 yards, including a key fourth-quarter touchdown that helped Oaks Christian (3-0) put away Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.) 28-25.
Season: 69 carries, 538 rushing yards, 5 rushing TDs
Marcus Lattimore, Sr., RB, Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.)
Last Game: Lattimore tallied 111 yards rushing and three touchdowns on just eight carries as Byrnes (4-0) routed Woodland 85-8. He also caught two passes for 41 touchdowns and a score. Expect Lattimore’s workload to increase in the coming weeks.
Season: 396 rushing yards, 8 rushing TDs
Kevin (K.P.) Parks, Sr., RB, West Rowan (Mt. Ulla, N.C.)
Last Game: Parks topped 1,000 yards rushing on the season as West Rowan (5-0) dominated Mooresville 48-9. Parks finished with 225 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries. According to the Salisbury Post, it was the senior running back’s 44th 100-yard rushing game, which ties a state record.
Season: 1,136 rushing yards, 15 rushing TDs
Rushel Shell, So., RB, Hopewell (Aliquippa, Pa.)
Last Game: Shell turned in 168 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as Hopewell (3-0) blasted Ambridge 48-6. The super sophomore is averaging nearly 12 yards per carry.
Season: 51 carries, 596 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs
Phillip Sims, Sr., QB, Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Va.)
Last Game: Sims hasn't needed to post huge numbers as Oscar Smith (3-0) continues to win big. This week the Alabama-bound signal caller completed 17 of 27 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown as the Tigers downed King’s Fork 34-0.
Season: 41 of 64 passing, 697 passing yards, 3 TD passes
Robert Woods, Sr., WR/DB, Serra (Gardena, Calif.)
Last Game: Woods caught five passes for 33 yards and also made eight tackles in a 27-17 Serra (3-0) win over Carson. Teammates George Farmer and Paul Richardson are taking advantage of the attention opposing defenses are giving Woods, combining for 449 receiving and five touchdowns.
Season: 13 receptions, 174 receiving yards, 2 TD receptions, 18 tackles, 3 interceptions
Scotty Young, Sr., QB, Ryan (Denton, Texas)
Last Game: Young had a much-deserved week off after throwing for 550 yards and eight touchdowns in a 70-63 Ryan (3-0) win over McKinney Sept. 11.
Season: 66-97 passing, 1,172 passing yards, 20 TD passes (Ryan averaging 63.6 points per game)
On the bubble
Michael Brewer, Jr., QB, Lake Travis (Austin, Texas): Could lightning strike twice at Lake Travis? Replacing last year’s National Player of the Year Garrett Gilbert at the Austin school, Brewer has thrown for 1,318 yards and 11 touchdown passes while leading the Cavaliers to a 4-0 record.
Jake Heaps, Sr., QB, Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.): After a slow start statistically and a loss to Oaks Christian Friday night, Heaps is down but not out in the race. Expect the BYU commitment’s numbers to pick up and the spotlight to return later on in the season as he pushes Skyline toward a third-straight state title.
Mark Miller, Sr., QB, Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio): Miller isn’t putting up huge numbers, but Elder continues to navigate through a rough-and-tumble schedule behind his steady leadership under center.
Nick Montana, Sr., QB, Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, Calif.): Montana had a nice showing on national television in the win over Skyline but will have a tough time overshadowing teammate Malcolm Jones.
Traylon Shead, Sr., RB, Cayuga (Texas): After last week’s game was wiped out due to lightning, Shead was limited to just 59 yards on 16 carries due to injury as Cayuga (2-1) got past Kerens 32-26. Shead is looking more and more like a longshot to reach the national rushing mark of 11,232 yards held by Ken Hall of Sugar Land, Texas.