Saints lean on RB depth

Any football coach would be happy to have one consistent running back on his roster.
Well, St. Anne’s-Belfield coach John Blake must be overjoyed, because he has several able-bodied tailbacks in his lineup this year — namely Aaron Clark, Will McGhee and Quincey September.
The backfield’s offensive production is just one reason the Saints (7-3) are back in the VISAA Division 2 championship game this year. STAB, in its fourth straight trip to the title game, will play Atlantic Shores in Virginia Beach tonight.
“We’ve been very lucky. Normally we’ll have one or two in the mix every year, but this year is just one of those phenomenal years where we have four, five, six deep at that spot,” Blake said. “We’ve kind of had that ‘next guy up’ mentality this year.
“Everybody that’s had a chance to step in and help the team out has really done it. They’ve shown me that we have a lot of talent there, and that we’ve probably got to spread the wealth.”
The Saints have done just that. Aaron Clark, a junior in his first year on the team, has provided a strong presence in the backfield following the graduation of two running backs — Joe Chambers and Jack Thomasson.
He has been sidelined for the past three weeks with an ankle injury, but through seven games, the 5-foot-7, 180-pounder piled up 935 yards on 128 carries (an average of 7.3 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. He will suit up and be ready to play in tonight’s title game.
With Clark out, McGhee has seen more time at the position, and has filled in admirably. The 5-foot-8,
160-pound junior has rushed for seven touchdowns, toting the ball 67 times for 480 yards.
“We knew going into the season that we had two great running backs,” Blake said of Clark and McGhee. “We’ve been trying to find places to get Will on the field — he was playing a lot of defense for us. And [he] did a great job when he got a chance. He’s done it all year — whenever he’s gotten a chance to get in the game, he’s exploded.”
And then there’s September, a senior defensive standout who saw his first-ever action in the backfield last week, as STAB defeated Covenant in the state semifinals. September’s performance was impressive, as he ran for two touchdowns, including a 92-yard jaunt. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder finished with 195 yards on 16 carries.
“I was pretty excited to be playing a lot of offense last week. It wasn’t easy because it was my first time doing it,” September said. “But throughout the practices last week the coaches really helped me out and the other running backs — Aaron and Will — gave me advice on how to find holes and break away and get good runs. The line really helped me out a lot last week, they opened up some huge gaps for me to take advantage of.”
STAB’s line of Sean Zirkle, Andrew Albano, Matthew Sewell, Bryan Stinnie and John Chambers and its fullbacks — Michael Battle, Shane Palmateer and Etosha Lankatilleke — have paved the way for the running backs all season.
“We have an excellent line here at STAB. We have a bunch of key seniors who have stepped up and led the line this year — Bryan Stinnie, John Chambers — they all make sure that the line has everything together throughout the week,” McGhee said. “Mike Battle and Shane are also both are excellent fullbacks who provide great blocking.”
And with multiple scoring threats, it is difficult for opposing defenses to key on just one player.
“It’s hard for defenses to stay balanced on us because we all have different strengths,” said Clark, who hails from Raleigh, N.C. “And with our line, we can hurt a lot of teams on the ground.”
The trio of tailbacks can do that in several different ways. They vary in size and running style, and each has found his niche.
“Aaron’s more of a shifty kind of kid who’s going to give you a lot of moves, and he can still pound it at you, but he’s more of a quick-step get around you guy,” Blake said. “Willie’s a slasher, a get-through-the-hole-kid, make one move and go. Quincey’s just a long strider. So we’ve got a bunch of different things we can throw at people.”
Despite their diverse styles, the backs all have one goal in mind: another state title.