Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pa.), known for its famed quarterbacks, is suddenly riding the short but ultra quick, strong legs of sophomore Damian Jones-Moore.
The 5-foot-6, 165-pound running back won't make anyone forget about former Central Catholic greats Dan Marino and Marc Bulger, but he's sure brought some electricity to the 2-0 Vikings, who host Mt. Lebanon (Pittsburgh) Saturday at Carnegie Mellon University in this week's Nike 5 Days 2 Friday showcase.
"Our running game has been pretty stellar so far, and Damian has a lot to do with that," Central Catholic coach Terry Totten said. "Our offensive line has definitely given him some holes to pick from, but Damian picks his spot, is very fast; but his greatest asset is his balance. He breaks a lot of tackles and keeps going forward."
Damon Jones-Moore as a freshman.
Photo by George Powers
In wins over Ursuline-Youngstown, Ohio (49-22) and Canon-McMillan (21-7), Jones-Moore has rushed 52 times for 459 yards and six touchdowns, leading the state’s No. 9 team, according to the MaxPreps Freeman ratings.
Fullback Dom Maggio (5-7, 195) has added 83 yards and three touchdowns as the Vikings have piled up 307 yards per game on the ground compared to just 41 through the air.
Senior quarterback David Smyers, a second-year starter, has managed each win nicely, according to Totten, whose defense has had two big games from senior linebacker Bob Haraczy (27 tackles).
"So far, so good," Totten said when assessing his team thus far. "We’ve done well pretty much in all areas. It’s a good group and a hard-working one. It’s a long season ahead, however."
The Vikings have a tough opponent in Mt. Lebanon (1-1), a giant team up front that likes to "whack you between the tackles," Trotten said.
The Blue Devils opened with a tough 17-16 loss to North Hills before rebounding with a 21-7 victory over North Allegheny (Wexford). Mt. Lebanon finished 2-8 last season, including a 21-0 loss to Central Catholic.
Mt. Lebanon features some remarkable size up front, including seniors Tony Good (6-6, 280) and Bill Whitaker (6-5, 315), along with juniors Tim Cwalina (6-8, 270) and Andrew Bohatch (6-6, 270).
"They’re young, but they are one big football team," Trotten said. "They have two good tailbacks and a young but talented quarterback who can really hurt you when he gets outside the pocket."
The game figures to draw upwards of 8,000 to 10,000 fans Saturday afternoon, and it’s one of just two home games Central Catholic gets to play all season.
Carnegie Mellon is right across the street from Central Catholic.
"It’s the closest thing we have to a home game, so we’ll definitely have a little more bounce in our step than normal," Totten said.
Jones-Moore always has that.
Last week, he rushed 28 times for 258 yards – 123 in the final quarter – leading Central Catholic past the then-Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s top-ranked 4A school, Canon-McMillan.
Afterward, the Post-Gazette named Jones-Moore, who gained more than 500 yards as a freshman on varsity, one of its Athletes of the Week.
He told the Post-Gazette that his favorite athlete ever is Barry Sanders, a player he might identify with because of his lack of size. Asked about his diminutive nature, Jones-Moore told the Post-Gazette: "I really just play. I don’t look at my size. I just look at how I can beat the other team. It’s kind of an advantage being behind big linemen."
More from the Nike Five Days 2 Friday
Look for video reports from MaxPreps’ Nick Reasons and Karl Wilhelm throughout the week live from Pittsburgh.
