Boise State commit leads rush at Frisco Liberty

FRISCO, Texas – Liberty (Frisco) running back Jay Ajayi has the speed to run away from defenders and the power to run over them. When Ajayi takes a few steps with a handoff, the senior looks like he was born to play running back.

But Ajayi was actually born in London, where "football" means soccer. He didn't even play American football until his family moved to Maryland when he was in fourth grade. He signed up for a pee-wee team, and his talent showed immediately.

"The coaches put me at running back," he said. "I've always been a running back."

The coaches knew what they were doing. Eight years later, Ajayi is one of the best running backs in the state. The 6-0, 200-pound star, who has orally committed to Boise State, has rushed 107 times for 1,296 yards this season, giving him a ridiculous 12 yards per carry. He has also scored 23 touchdowns, meaning he gets in the end zone every five carries.

"Every time I touch the ball," Ajayi said, "I want to make a big play."

He usually does for Liberty (6-0, 3-0 in District 9-4A), a school in its third varsity season that has blossomed with Ajayi. Just two years ago, Ajayi was 25 pounds lighter and the third-string running back on Liberty's first varsity team.

"He made a commitment to get bigger, faster and stronger," Liberty coach Galen Zimmerman said, "and it paid off."

The work paid off with a junior season that included 1,526 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns, which got the attention of Boise State. Another offseason of hard work is showing this season as Ajayi hopes to take Liberty deep in the playoffs.

Last month, Ajayi rushed for 266 yards in a win over Carrollton Newman Smith. Newman Smith coach Paul Ressa said that nearly 200 of those yards came after Ajayi made contact with a defender. That doesn't surprise Ajayi, who said he takes pride in not being brought down by one person. It doesn't surprise Ressa, either, because he knows Ajayi is pretty special.

"He's the real deal," Ressa said.

TOP PERFORMERS
* Jeff Thomas, Duncanville football: The receiver caught seven passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner as time expired in Duncanville's 41-35 victory over previously unbeaten Mansfield.

* Shaun Hoagland, Carroll (Southlake) football: The defensive back returned an interception 64 yards for a touchdown and also returned a punt for a touchdown in Carroll's 55-21 victory over Justin Northwest.

* Robert Domanic, Hebron (Carrollton) cross country: Domanic, one of the state's top runners, ran away from everyone at the Jesuit XC Classic, finishing the 5K course in 15 minutes, 56 seconds. He was 23 seconds in front of the second-place finisher.

LOOKING AHEAD
Southlake Carroll plays at Coppell on Friday in what could decide the District 7-5A championship. Coppell (6-0, 3-0) lost to Carroll (5-1, 3-0) last season, 24-6, but Coppell should be favored over its neighbor this season. Carroll has won five straight games since opening the season with a loss to Copperas Cove. The loss came on the night when Carroll quarter Daxx Garman, an Arizona commit, was ruled ineligible.

NEWS AND VIEWS
Four Dallas-area football teams have won four straight games since starting the season 0-2: Martin (Arlington), Duncanville, Skyline (Dallas) and Hillcrest (Dallas).

Martin, featuring Purdue commitment Russell Bellomy at quarterback and Oklahoma commitment Danzel Williams at running back, has an excellent chance to take an eight-game win streak into the playoffs, where it will be tough to knock out. … Dallas Jesuit senior receiver Brian Wetzel, who leads the team with 46 catches and eight touchdowns, is out for the season with a broken ankle. Wetzel is expected to be able to return for the other sport he excels in, basketball. … Wilson (Dallas) shooting guard Marc Brown has orally committed to Illinois-Chicago, according to TexasHoops.com. Brown averaged 14.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season.

FINAL THOUGHT
The medical advisory committee of the University Interscholastic League has proposed recommendations to amend the UIL Concussion Management Protocol. The most important change is that if a student-athlete suffers a concussion, he or she cannot reenter the game or play later in the day. That's a big step forward in the treatment of concussions, which has been a hot topic in recent months.

But it comes down to this:

Athletes need to tell someone when they are experiencing concussion symptoms. Coaches and trainers often don't know, especially at the high school level. There aren't multiple trainers watching each play and cameras that show violent impacts.

An athlete might not want to say anything because it could force them to leave the game. We can only hope they make the right choice, because if they don't, it could be life-threatening.

Matt Wixon is the high school sports columnist for The Dallas Morning News. He can be reached at mwixon@dallasnews.com or on Twitter @mattwixon.