Terrell Newby, who has gone head-to-head with top recruits this season, will face another on Friday in a game that will determine the winner of the Mission League.
Photo by Ian Tennant
— Considering his eye-opening numbers in a decorated prep career, it's no wonder that
Terrell Newby is one of the most sought-after uncommitted football players in Southern California. But statistics are merely a fraction of Newby's attraction.
The 5-foot-10 and 185-pound senior running back from
Chaminade (West Hills) has improved each year. Without fail. Just when evaluators appear to determine Newby has reached his full potential, he outdoes himself. Such has been the case season this season, and with Newby in mix for the Eagles, they have emerged as legit and a formidable foe on the CIF Southern Section landscape.
"I'm talking to college coaches about Terrell all of the time, on a weekly and daily basis, and he is going to be able to pick any school he wants when the whole recruiting process if finished up,'' Chaminade coach Ed Croson said. "Things tend to get crazy around here. In a good way, of course.
"I've been around for a while, a lot longer than I ever thought I would be, and players like Terrell Newby don't come around often. He does so many things well, whether it be running, catching the ball out of the backfield or blocking for his quarterback. With him out there on the field and in uniform, we have a chance to win every game we play. He makes my job easier, I can tell you that much.''
Newby and Chaminade can win the
league title with a win over Cathedral
on Friday.
Photo by Ian Tennant
Therein lies the key: with Newby at the helm, the Eagles have won many a game. Croson and company hope the trend continues on Friday night against Cathedral (Los Angeles). The Mission League title will be at stake, and even with a loss, Chaminade can clinch a share of the championship.
Newby is normally the main attraction. That might not be the case this time, however. He will likely share the marquee-name status with Cathedral's
Hayden Rettig. The senior quarterback and LSU commit will attempt to keep the Phantoms offense on the field and Newby on the sidelines.
"Our goal has been to win the league title and there is one team standing in our way,'' Newby said. "We know about Cathedral. We know about Hayden. They are not going to stop us.''
Not many opponents have stopped Newby this season. He's approaching the 2,000-yard rushing plateau with 20 touchdowns.
Retting and the Phantoms are aware of what Newby is capable of accomplishing.
Two weeks ago Newby shared the spotlight with another high-profile recruit, Vanderbilt commit Chad Kanoff. The senior quarterback and his Harvard-Westlake (North Hollywood, Calif.) teammates did not stand a chance. Newby gained 360 yards on the ground and scored eight touchdowns, seven coming in the first half of a 78-34 league victory over the Wolverines.
"It didn't seem like we were going to stop him,'' Harvard-Westlake coach Don Ruggles said. "The risk was not worth the reward. We took a chance. It happened quick, it got out of hand.''
From the day he set foot on campus after transferring from Montclair Prep (North Hollywood, Calif.), Newby has accepted the challenge of being the focal point of the Eagles offense.
As a sophomore, he opened eyes with 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns. An encore effort in his junior season followed: Newby had 2,300 all-purpose yards and scored 34 times.
Newby has offers from several major
Division I programs.
Photo by Ian Tennant
That type of production caught the attention of college coaches and scouts. And the buzz surrounding him has not subsided since — Newby has scholarship offers from more than 10 schools, several within the Pac-12 Conference, including Oregon and nearby UCLA.
His name, however, is not only known on the West Coast. Nebraska and Mississippi have also offered. Boston College, Notre Dame and Tennessee have also shown interest.
Makes sense considering he's ranked the No. 22 running back in the country by MaxPreps/CBS recruiting expert Tom Lemming. He's one of only eight among the top 25 who have yet to commit to college.
But right now Newby is not worried about his future. The plan is to make a decision about the next level at some point after this season. He is currently focused on Cathedral and the subsequent Western Division playoffs.
"This season, the last year really, things have been crazy with the whole recruiting process, but I'm enjoying the ride. This only happens once,'' Newby said. "There was a time when nobody knew my name. Things have changed, no doubt about it. I'm hearing from coaches all of the time.
"You can't be distracted by the attention. You can't feed into the hype. My goal is to take care of business on the field. Everything else will work out off the field. That's how you have to think.''
That strategy has clearly worked for Newby thus far.
Sean Ceglinsky has covered prep and college sports in Southern California for the better part of the past 15-plus years. Follow him on twitter: @SeanCeglinsky
