Derrick Henry vs. Kelvin Taylor: Greatest high school running back matchup ever

For four years, Yulee (Fla.) head coach Bobby Ramsay and Glades Day (Belle Glade, Fla.) head coach Pete Walker each have had the luxury of featuring one of the nation's best running backs in their backfield in Yulee's Derrick Henry and Glades Day's Kelvin Taylor.

And, for four years, their respective opponents have been forced to plan, plot, and pray for ways to slow down a dominant offensive force at running back.

When the teams meet Friday night, the proverbial shoe will be on the other foot, as both Ramsay and Walker will be coaching against the caliber of player they are mostly accustomed to having on their own sidelines.

"I get to see how the other half lives this week," Ramsay joked.



Walker said that his team is accustomed to taking on dangerous running backs, but it has never had to account for a player of Henry's physical gifts.

"Over the years, we've faced some great running backs, so this isn't the first time we've had to prepare for a great running back. But it's the biggest guy with the speed that he has that we've had to prepare for. He runs the ball on everybody," Walker said.

Neither Walker nor Ramsay has encountered a matchup like this because, well, there's never been a running back showdown like this. Put simply, from a statistical standpoint, this is the greatest running back showdown in the history of high school football.

With 10,582 career yards from his eighth grade season until now, Taylor is the state of Florida's all-time rushing leader while Henry, with 9,255 yards, is No. 2.

The two all-time leading rushers from a state whose running back lineage includes the likes of Emmitt Smith, C.J. Spiller and Trent Richardson is a matchup made for prime time. As such, it's fitting that the game will be nationally televised, with coaches from Alabama and Florida in attendance as well as nearly two dozen members of the Jacksonville Jaguars, where Taylor's father Fred spent 11 seasons.

Ramsay said that despite the media hoopla, his team has maintained its focus.



"They're fired up, but every week, the guys do a pretty good job of keeping it in context, and it's a one-game season each week. The focus is there," he said.

Walker said the excitement was natural and that the added exposure was good for his team. He feels his team is seasoned enough not to be overwhelmed on the big stage.

"We have experienced kids on the team," said Walker, who has led Glades Day to two state titles in the last three seasons.

For his part, Taylor has tried to maintain a sense of normalcy despite the intense spotlight.

"I'm treating it like a regular game," Taylor told the Palm Beach Post. "It's going to be hard to do. You can't really treat it like a regular game with ESPN there."

It will be even more difficult for Henry to maintain the status quo. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound senior will announce his college decision just hours before game time at 3 p.m., in a press conference held at the school.



Henry committed to Georgia as a junior, but reopened his commitment and has narrowed his options to Tennessee and Alabama. He's looking forward to ending the process.

"Recruiting for me has been so long. I'm ready to focus on the season, that's my main focus," Henry told the Florida Times-Union.

Lost in the Henry-Taylor hype is the fact that Glades Day and Yulee are both very good football teams, each with a chance to play for a state title.

Glades Day (4-0) is the top-ranked team in Class 2A, while Yulee (3-1) is among the top teams in 4A, with its lone loss coming against arguably the state's top Class 6A team, Gainesville.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday.