STARKVILLE — When Starkville Academy coach Chase Nicholson looks at his running back group, he smiles.
The first-year coach has three really talented tailbacks and he says their attitudes and abilities are everything he could ask for as a coach. Senior Grant Wolfe, senior Drake Gordman, and junior Dalton Dempsey have meshed well this season and it’s showed as the No. 3 seed Volunteers (9-1) play host to the No. 14 seed Lee Academy Colts (5-5) 7 p.m. Friday night at J.E. Logan Field in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA state playoffs.
The trio allows Nicholson to get fresh legs in, especially late in games.
“You never actually take a step back at running back,” Nicholson said. “They’re all equal to each other. They all bring their own strengths, they all bring different things that they can do from the running back spot. But at the end of the day, they’re all great runners and that’s what we expect them to be.”
Wolfe carries most of the load because he doesn’t play on the defensive side of the ball. In 10 games this season, the senior has rushed for 836 yards on 148 carries and eight touchdowns.
Both Gordman and Dempsey are starters on defense, and they play running back only when Wolfe needs a breather.
The trio has worked together to produce 1,168 rushing yards this season.
“It’s always good to have fresh legs come in there, so when one person gets tired, we can always rotate and get fresh legs,” Gordman said. “We’re never tired.
“(Wolfe) does most of it, but he still gets tired. Once he gets tired, we can go ahead and back him up. Dalton doesn’t play much offense unless he’s behind Grant, so he’s always fresh and ready to go on offense.”
Goodman has rushed for 226 yards and eight touchdowns, while Dempsey has rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
Wolfe played as a sophomore, but didn’t return for his junior year. Gordman has played varsity since his sophomore year and was in line to become the starting running back this season until Wolfe returned.
But Gordman has no ill feelings toward Wolfe. Instead, the running backs are like family.
“We always have fun in running back practice. We love each other and it’s just fun,” Gordman said.
Wolfe said he didn’t really miss football that much last season sitting in the stands, but he missed his friends and his teammates and that was one of the biggest reasons he decided to return to the team.
When Nicholson was hired, Wolfe was there to watch him presented, and at that point Nicholson knew it was inevitable that Wolfe was going to rejoin the team.
But he wanted it to be Wolfe’s decision.
“I think it was all about did he still have a love for it? And that’s the only think I ever told him,” Nicholson said. “I pulled him in here one day and said, ‘Look, play, don’t play, I just want you to come and remember how much you love it.'”
All three running backs have similar styles, but they are different. The 5-foot-9, 160-pound Wolfe has great strength and that’s what Nicholson says his best attribute is.
Nicholson and the team joke with Wolfe that he’s a “power back,” but Wolfe uses his speed more than anything.
“I don’t like to run through people a lot,” Wolfe said. “I like to run around people and I think my speed really helps me more than anything. I can run over people if I have to.”
The Vols have relied on Nicholson many times this season to help seal victories down the stretch when they have a lead. They’ve also relied on him when they are behind to get the offense going.
His speed and strength have been exactly what Starkville Academy needed this season.
“He just runs through tackles that other people might get yanked down,” Nicholson said. “He’s got a lot of upper body strength and throws a lot of stiff arms. You have to be able to get a hold of him good or he’ll run through you.”
Senior quarterback Houston Clark has rushed for 552 yards and eight touchdowns, while senior wide receiver Colt Chrestman has 164 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The Vols have rushed for nearly 2,000 yards this season.
Gordman, who is 5-foot-9, 160 pounds, also plays the slot and is the wildcat quarterback, but both he and Dempsey, who is 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, are viable options when Wolfe has to come out.
“Dalton’s just so big,” Wolfe said. “His size is his biggest factor. They both run it so hard. Drake’s similar to me. He’s a little bit quicker than I am. We just all mesh real well together because we’re not exactly the same. It’s good to have three different types of running backs.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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