Honorable mention
Omar Brown, North Jackson: He scored four touchdowns while rushing for 283 yards on 20 carries.Brandon Rudd: He had 19 carries for 243 yards and four touchdowns, including a 97-yard run.Jake Sartin, Whitwell: He had just 15 carries but ran for 226 yards and two touchdowns.Coaches and/or statisticians are invited to nominate players by emailing Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com by 2 p.m. each Saturday.
Walker Valley High School's football team has scored prolifically over the past two weeks, with the Mustangs throwing up 75 points while allowing just 14 and registering their first shutout.
"I knew all along we could be explosive offensively," Walker Valley coach Glen Ryan said. "Our question mark was the line, and they've continued to get better."
Junior running back Alex King has been doing his part, using churning legs and lowered shoulders to gain extra yards and even using his hands to haul in a touchdown pass as the Mustangs beat neighbor Cleveland 34-0 last Thursday.
"I would say it's probably his most complete game. I don't know if it's his best," Ryan said. "He caught the ball well, he ran the ball well, blocked when we asked and did a good job on defense, too."
For his performance, King has been selected by the Times Free Press sports staff as the Waffle House All-Star player of the week.
For the second straight week, King's night was cut short. Two weeks ago against Tyner, he was pulled very early in the second half. The game at Cleveland - Walker Valley improved to 3-3 overall and 1-1 in Region 4-5A - was called due to inclement weather with 3:03 left in the third quarter.
The 5-foot-9, 170-pounder still gained 180 yards on 20 carries with three touchdowns and caught a 54-yard pass for his fourth score.
King's speed, while in the 4.6 range, isn't blazing, and he isn't an overwhelming physical specimen.
"He's strong, works hard in the weight room, and he's very explosive," Ryan said. "He has good speed and better quickness, and he can pop through a hole before you can blink an eye. When he gets open field, he has a chance to go the distance."
King scored a pair of short touchdowns against the Blue Raiders, but his first - on Walker Valley's opening offensive series - was all but a back-breaker. He went 69 yards while leaving all pursuit in his dust.
Yet King also is good when the going is between the tackles, always seeming to fall forward after pushing the pile with quick-step churning legs. Ryan doesn't always check the yards after contact, but he was confident King's numbers in that category were quite good, if not extraordinary, against Cleveland.
"Very seldom is he going to get totally knocked back unless we've been terrible up front and the defense has penetrated and gotten to him before he gets going," Ryan said. "He's going to grind and he's going to get that extra yard or two. He's very quick and he's very strong for his size."
He also has a gritty, throwback mindset - a plus for any coach - and isn't timid about bowling over would-be tacklers.
"He might make a cut, but he's not going to tippy-toe around. He'll lower his shoulder and try to get that extra yard," Ryan said. "He's a good student, always with a smile on his face; not loud or mouthy, just real easygoing."
That is only with the exception of situations where there's an extra yard to be gained or a touchdown to be scored.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.