Myles McLaughlin of
Knox (Ind.) is close to breaking the national record for average rushing yards per game. But the only problem is that no one exactly knows who holds the record.
With 2,863 yards rushing in eight games, McLaughlin leads the nation with 357.9 yards rushing per game. That average would place him fourth on the all-time list compiled by MaxPreps. He is just 12 yards per game behind leader Ethen Knox of
Oil City (Pa.), who averaged 370.5 yards per game in 2022.
However, it's quite possible that Knox does not hold the record and it's not exactly known what the top overall average might be. That's because the single-season rushing totals of John Giannantonio of Netcong (N.J.) from 1950 are a bit of a mystery.
Record-holder Ethen Knox of Pennsylvania ran for an incredible 3,705 yards and 41 touchdowns as a junior in 2022. (PHOTO: Eric Elliott)
Giannantonio is listed in the National High School Federation of High Schools Record Book with 4,756 rushing yards in an eight-game season. That averages out to 594.5 yards per game. Which is all fine and good, except there is a question as to whether he actually had 4,756 "rushing" yards.
More than one story recounting Giannantonio's incredible 1950 season lists the 4,756-yard total as "all-purpose" yards. Even stories with direct quotes from Giannantonio himself say as much. The late Bob Shwalb of the Morris Daily Record researched every Netcong game from 1950 and concluded that Giannantonio likely had over 3,000 yards rushing and that the 4,756 yards definitely included kick and punt returns along with, perhaps, receiving yardage.
So while Giannantonio did not rush for 4,756 yards in 1950, the 3,000 yards he likely gained is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, if he gained exactly 3,000 yards, that would be an average of 375 yards per game, thus topping Knox for the top spot.
It's one of the mysteries of high school football national records that will have to be listed with an asterisk. Until we get more information, we will list Knox as the overall leader on our records list with a note about Giannantonio's achievement and unknown rushing total.
Knox edges former Vanderbilt University great W.C. "Dixie" Roberts for the top spot. Roberts rushed for 3,690 yards in 10 games for McMinnville (now
Warren County) in 1928. Roberts is 10 yards ahead of No. 3 Zach Davis of
Sheehan (Wallingford, Conn.), who had 3,588 yards in 10 games (358.8) in 2016. He is just a yard ahead of Wes Danaher of
Calallen (Corpus Christi, Texas), who rushed for 3,569 yards in a 10-game season in 1995.
No. 5 Ken Hall of Sugar Land (Texas) makes the list three times, but like Giannantonio, Hall's numbers have an air of mystery about them. Hall's rushing totals were never listed in real time and were only made evident some 20 years later when the Texas High School Football Record Book was compiled by Bill McMurray of the Houston Chronicle.
The NFHS Record Book actually has Hall's senior year of 1953 as his top effort when he rushed for 4,045 yards in 12 games for a 337.1 average. However, his junior year he reportedly rushed for 3,458 yards. While the NFHS record book reports that Hall played 12 games as a junior, he actually missed two games with a concussion, thus putting his average at 345.8. That's good enough for fifth place all-time.
MaxPreps compiled the list using a variety of sources, including the NFHS Record Book, the Cal-Hi Sports Record Book and Almanac, state association record books and the MaxPreps leaderboards. The list is fluid and subject to change.
