High school football: Every state's greatest single-game rushing performance ranked

Early reports from Mississippi over the weekend credited Poplarville running back Tylan Keys with 546 rushing yards in a 60-54 win over Hancock (Kiln), which would have been a new single-game state record.

However, when the Poplarville coaching staff uploaded the stats to MaxPreps, Keys was only credited with 506 yards, thus missing the state record of 543 yards by Jaley Adams of Kossuth in 2015. Nonetheless, Keys' performance is one of the all-time best marks in the Magnolia State and it would have been a record in at least 14 other states.

Which got us to thinking, which states have the highest single-game rushing records? For many years, New Jersey was thought to be No. 1 behind the reported 754-yard rushing performance of John Giannantonio of Netcong in 1950. However, research of that game has shown the total to be "all-purpose" yards, not just rushing totals. That puts Journey Brown's 722-yard performance for Meadville (Pa.) at No. 1 as he rambled for 10 touchdowns in a 107-90 win of DuBois in 2015. West Virginia comes next with Paul McCoy's 661-yard effort in 2006 while Kansas quarterback Tanner Wood of Conway Springs is third with 659 yards in 2012.

Every state's single-game rushing record ranked
 
Nos. 1-10
722 — Journey Brown, Meadville, 2015 PENNSYLVANIA
661 — Paul McCoy, Matewan, 2006 WEST VIRGINIA
659 — Tanner Wood, Conway Springs, 2012 KANSAS
643 — Thomas Tyner, Aloha, 2012 OREGON
619 — Ronney Jenkins, Hueneme, 1995 CALIFORNIA
619 — Joshua Jones, Berwick, 2018 LOUISIANA
608 — John Bunch, Elkins, 1974 ARKANSAS
599 — Rudy Rudison, Marian Christian, 1978 and Matt Gadek, McKinney, 2017 TEXAS
593 — DeAndre Hooper, Austin Academy, 1996 ILLINOIS
593 — Adam Nunes, South Park, 2024 NEW YORK

11-20
584 — Leonard Jones, Montbello, 1999 COLORADO
584 — J.J. Jude, Johnson Central, 2010 KENTUCKY
581 — Chase Van Schoyck, North Central, 2013 INDIANA
577 — Derius Stone, St. Mary, 2015 NEW JERSEY
573 — Bryce Hoisington, Vashon Island, 2015 WASHINGTON
572 — Taeton Wienk, Stewart County, 2016 TENNESSEE
566 — Ethan Johnson, Westwood, 2015 ARIZONA
559 — Gunnar Martin, Polo, 2015 MISSOURI
556 — Jesiah Wade, Manchester Central, 2013 NEW HAMPSHIRE
549 — Devin Tripp, Sioux Central, 2014 IOWA



21-30
546 — Zach Levy, Bellingham, 2016 MASSACHUSETTS
543 — Zach Davis, Sheehan, 2016 CONNECTICUT
543 — Jaley Adams, Kossuth, 2015 MISSISSIPPI
535 — Kayleb Wagner, Baker, 2021 FLORIDA
533 — Mike Kanellis, Spanish Springs, 2004 NEVADA
532 — Jason Bainum, Williamsburg, 2001 OHIO
531 — Tony Dixon, Parrish, 2003 ALABAMA 
529 — Dwain Koscielniak, St. Mary Cathedral, 1990 MICHIGAN
524 — Nathaniel Loging, Wautoma, 2014 WISCONSIN
521 — Frederick Mallay, Mt. Pleasant, 2019 RHODE ISLAND

31-40
517 — Colson Coon, Sheridan, 2022 WYOMING
516 — Anthony Griffith, Ben Eielson, 2014 ALASKA
512 — John Bannon, Powell County, 2015 MONTANA
510 — T.J. Logan, Northern Guilford, 2012 NORTH CAROLINA
507 — Quasim Benson, St. Elizabeth, 2021 DELAWARE
507 — Payton Scott, Charles Page, 2017 OKLAHOMA
504 — Cesar Quintana, Estancia, 2014 NEW MEXICO
502 — Steven Peoples, Galax, 2013 VIRGINIA
496 — Jaylin Bradley, Bellevue West, 2016 NEBRASKA
487 — Devyn Collins, Pepperell (Lindale), 2014 GEORGIA

41-50
486 — Mason Pickett-Hicks, South Pointe, 2024 SOUTH CAROLINA
486 — Lote Sotele, Hunter, 2023 UTAH
477 — Jason Williamson, Owatonna, 2018 MINNESOTA
458 — Derek Ostermiller, Sugar-Salem, 2015 IDAHO
446 — Sam Hess, Hancock, 1998 MARYLAND
421 — Jacobi Krouse, McCook Central/Montrose, 2020 SOUTH DAKOTA
413 — James Johannesson, Fargo South, 2013 NORTH DAKOTA
379 — Jesse Carney, Kalaheo, 2010 HAWAII
359 — John Hussey, Marshwood, 2007 MAINE
350 — Nate Long, Burlington, 1999 VERMONT

Additions or corrections? Email kevinaskeland65@gmail.com