An unknown stepped out of the shadows last week, just in time to lift Notre Dame back into the Class 3A football semifinals.
His move wasn't so much by design as by necessity. Notre Dame nevertheless benefited greatly from sophomore Akil Sledge's repeated runs through the line as the Fighting Irish avenged an earlier loss to East Ridge and moved on to tonight's game at state power Alcoa.
Sledge also fit into a scheme that now allows quarterback Alex Darras to run, thus broadening the Irish's offensive possibilities.
His teammates quickly dubbed Sledge "the Sledgehammer," and he in turn is among those calling Darras "Mr. Dual Threat."
Sledge stepped in after entrenched Irish runner Ricky Ballard suffered an ankle injury. After that first drive and with his ankle retaped, Ballard concentrated on his duties in the defensive backfield, and Sledge erupted. He nearly doubled his season career total while recording his first 100-yard rushing game. Against the previously unbeaten Pioneers, Sledge ran 30 times for 136 yards and three touchdowns.
"Boy, I never expected that, that we could hand him the ball 30 times," Notre Dame coach Charles Fant said. "He has great ball security, runs hard - north and south - and he doesn't try to dazzle you."
The 6-foot, 205-pounder is a quality complement to Ballard.
"Ricky has that mix of speed and he's a tough runner, but Akil is a bruiser. He doesn't run away from any tackle," Fant said.
It was a story that almost went unscripted. Sledge loves basketball and spent the summer toiling with his AAU team. Fant left the door open, a practice he has used each year for those athletes who spend the summer working in other sports.
"I was sad when he said he wanted to play basketball only. I always felt in my heart that football would give him a tremendous opportunity for a scholarship," Fant said. "Then when he decided to play football, there was no one happier than me."
Sledge's decision didn't keep him from makeup work, but Fant knew what kind of work he had put in with Notre Dame's basketball coaches and with his summer program.
"I had to do some conditioning work, but Coach is always saying to be ready, that your time will come," Sledge said of last Friday's breakout performance. "It was amazing."
Notre Dame's running game is now diversified, strengthening Ballard's 1,000-yard credentials. The additions will exploit Sledge's bruising style and coaches' willingness to take the running wraps off Darras.
"We've always made Alex a pocket passer, and he has always wanted to run the football. Yet he does so much for the team - kicker, punter, coach on the field," Fant said. "He's begged us to let him run the ball, and at this time all bets are off. It's survive and advance."
That suits Darras.
"I've been talking to the coaches for a while about running more. It gives us another option - makes us more dangerous on offense," Darras said on the heels of a 267-yard passing and 89-yard rushing performance. "We're doing a good job of spreading the ball around. We have a lot of receivers stepping up and making plays, and we're giving defenses a lot more to worry about."
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him on Twitter @wardgossett.