Rushing yardage piles up
A talented corps of area running backs threatens the season record.
Never mind all that talk about the emergence of the pass-happy spread offense as the hot wave in South Jersey football.
This is the new golden age of the running back.
There has never been a season like 2011 when it comes to running backs, and the most accomplished of those guys have two more games to add to their incredible rushing totals.
The South Jersey record for rushing yards in a season is 2,286 by Kingsway's Gary Fauntleroy in 1994. Before this season, just 10 backs in South Jersey history had cracked 2,000 yards.
But Millville senior Alquann Jones and Glassboro junior Corey Clement both are on pace to shatter the South Jersey record for rushing yards in a season.
And that has happened in the same season in which Holy Spirit's Donta Pollack and Nigel Jones have made state history by becoming the first set of classmates to rush for more than 4,000 career yards.
The 5-foot-8, 165-pound Alquann Jones has 2,036 yards this season. He ran for 257 in Millville's wild, 42-41 victory over Washington Township in the South Jersey Group 4 semifinals Friday night.
"He's just a terrific football player," Millville coach Jason Durham said. "He finds a way. He's just a special back."
Washington Township coach Mark Wechter was impressed with Jones.
"He's fantastic," Wechter said.
Jones still has two games to play - Thursday in the annual Thanksgiving Day game against Vineland and Dec. 2 in the Group 4 title game against Pennsauken at Rowan University. He could approach 2,500 yards this season.
The same goes for the 5-11, 190-pound Clement.
He ran for 228 yards on 38 carries in Glassboro's 28-14 victory over Haddon Heights in the South Jersey Group 1 semifinals Friday night.
Clement has 2,008 yards. He has two games remaining - Wednesday night at Deptford and the South Jersey Group 1 title game Dec. 3 vs. Pennsville at Rowan. He could approach 2,500 yards this season, too.
"The first thing with Corey is heart - he's all that," Glassboro coach Mark Maccarone said. "He's got the will to be the very best and not let his teammates down."
While Alquann Jones and Clement are fashioning incredible seasons, Holy Spirit's Pollock and Nigel Jones are putting the finishing touches on sensational careers.
Pollock ran for 227 yards and four touchdowns Friday night in a 62-13 victory over Montclair Kimberley in the Non-Public 2 semifinals. Jones ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
Pollock has 4,544 career yards. Jones has 4,019. They are believed to be the first set of teammates in New Jersey football history to pass 4,000 rushing yards in the same season.
Holy Spirit coach Chalie Roman, whose team will play Thanksgiving Day vs. Atlantic City and Dec. 2 vs. Camden Catholic in the Non-Public 2 state title game at the College of New Jersey, said Pollock has recovered from a knee injury that was slowing him this season.
"Donta looked fantastic," Roman said.