Stafford helps Dobbins roll over Lincoln

JUST AS HIS offense was in danger of springing a leak, Lou Zambino had the good sense to enlist the aid of a plumber.

That was late last school year at Murrell Dobbins Tech as Zambino, the football coach, realized that his 2010 squad had no one - of high quality, anyway - entrenched at running back.

Paging Terrance Stafford . . . Paging Terrance Stafford.

"I kind of had a feeling it was going to happen," said the 6-foot, 210-pound senior. "There wasn't anyone else. 'Zam' didn't say too much [in the way of explanation]. He just told me I'd be the halfback, that he had confidence in me."

One game does not a season make, no doubt, but Stafford fared rather well Friday as the Mustangs met Abraham Lincoln in a nonleague affair at 29th Street Stadium.

All the former fullback did was turn 14 carries into 204 yards and three touchdowns as Dobbins basically frolicked, 39-0.

"I like playing halfback," he said. "You get a little head start [toward the line], and now I've got a lead blocker."

The new fullback is senior Aaron Walker, who now wears No. 32.

"Remember me?" asked Walker, who added a pair of 2-yard scores. "I wore No. 52 last year. Played guard. I never ran the ball in my life. This is fun, man!"

Walker's second TD was Dobbins' fifth and it followed a magnanimous gesture by Stafford. After Stafford's 3-yard run advanced the ball to the 2, Zambino sent in a play to quarterback Kevin Butler that would have featured a forceful run by Stafford toward the goal line.

Instead, the give went to Walker. Six more points.

"I told [Butler] to switch it up. To let Aaron get it," Stafford said. "He deserved that one. I didn't mind. I like seeing my teammates have fun."

To an extent.

When Walker acted a little too exuberant in the end zone, especially considering the length of the TD and the numbers on the scoreboard (33-0), Stafford barked at him, "Act like you've been there!"

In '09, though the bubbly Stafford was mostly a passionate blocker for Karon "Ron-Ron" James, he did post a 133-yard effort vs. Roxborough. He was surprised to hear he'd topped 200 yards in this one, especially on a somewhat paltry number of carries.

Then again, he had worked hard all summer to make the best of his chance.

Stafford lives near Wayne and Manheim, in Germantown, and Simon Gratz is not far away. He basically lived in a nearby fitness center during the day, working on upper body and lower body strength, then did lots of running come nighttime on and around Gratz' field. His constant partner was former Olney star/best buddy Eric Barrow, who's now a freshman at Hiram College in Ohio.

"After I walk off the field, he's the first one I'm gonna call," Stafford said, laughing. "He'll love hearing I got 200 yards. We always push each other. Help each other."

Stafford's first carry, on the game's first scrimmage play, produced 27 yards. So if Terrance was even remotely hesitant about how'd he perform, he wasn't anymore.

"Until this year, since I started playing football for the Nicetown Titans in seventh grade, I was always a fullback and linebacker," he said. "I didn't really ask to play halfback. But Zam gave me the opportunity, and I ran with it."

Literally.

Stafford's grunts included center Clarence Murphy, guards Ernest White and Justin Smallwood and tackles Dillon Hood and Roscoe Bruce. Wideout Jamil Williams also did some yeoman work on sweeps, pushing cornerbacks far out of the play.

"They were great," Stafford said. "I told my O-line to be ready, and they were."

The morning affair began in ever-zany fashion. After Lincoln won the toss and elected to receive, the refs realized they'd have to execute a do-over. This game had originally been scheduled for Lincoln, but was moved because the new turf field is not quite ready. The new toss went in Dobbins' favor and the first TD was posted in 6 minutes, 45 seconds.

A hamstring problem had kept Stafford out of last week's scrimmage vs. Frankford.

"There was no problem with that today," he said. "Getting that rest helped me."

Lincoln, which is dealing with vast inexperience under first-year coach Ed McGettigan, had a decent shot at scoring early in the second quarter after a 33-yard burst by junior Joshua McClam (13 carries, 95 yards) placed the ball at the 12. The Railsplitters made it as far as the 9 on second down before Malik Flacks and Bruce registered a tackle-for-loss and sack, respectively. Earlier in the second quarter, Flacks had made a fumble recovery at Lincoln's 33 to give birth to a Dobbins scoring drive.

Though Stafford does intend to head for college, he acknowledged the plumbing bug has bitten him hard.

"I like working with my hands," he said. "It's a good profession. I'm trying to learn everything I can. One time I helped fix a toilet in my house. Oh, and a trap in a sink."

Traps? Hey, they're for fullbacks. Terrance Stafford is past that stage in his football life.