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CALHOUN, Ga. – There have been very few stressful moments this football season for the Calhoun Yellow Jackets, who are 12-0, but when Georgia’s third-ranked Class AA team has hit a rough spot, coach Hal Lamb hasn’t hesitated to put the ball in Dustin Christian’s hands.
The season’s biggest test came last week when visiting Westminster jumped out to a 13-0 lead, thanks largely to several Calhoun mistakes. The Jackets were visibly shaken by the start, but Lamb knew his senior running back would settle things down.
Christian rushed for 130 yards, caught 100 yards worth of passes and scored three times in Calhoun’s comeback win.
“He’s our go-to guy,” Lamb acknowledged. “We call plays sometimes to try and get one-on-one matchups, even in the running game. If we can get him one-on-one with a linebacker, that guy’s not going to make the tackle, so it’s a good situation for us to try and get in.
“We’ve had some good backs here with Adam Urbano and Eric Carter, but Dustin brings more to the table as far as the total package. He’s got great hands. He could be a wide receiver at a lot of places. He’s got tremendous ball skills, so he could play a lot of places.”
Christian, who has rushed for 1,281 yards and 20 touchdowns despite sitting out one full game and not playing in most second halves with Calhoun holding huge leads, enjoys the extra work load. He was more of a complementary player the past two seasons as the Jackets made back-to-back championship game appearances.
“When we need a big play, I have to respond to it,” said the reserved Christian, who is close to committing to play for the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. “My role has changed a lot. In the past couple of years I wasn’t the big impact player because we had guys like Nash Nance and Da’Rick Rogers.
“I love the added responsibility, and when we get down or need some tough yards, I love being the go-to guy.”
At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Christian is dangerous on the outside, both on runs and pass routes, but it’s his inside running that often surprises teams. Lamb and offensive coordinator Mike Davis aren’t afraid to run him between the tackles at any time. It’s that versatility that makes Christian so dangerous.
“Dustin means a lot to this football team,” Lamb said. “Every game he amazes me with something he does with the ball. He’s special with the ball in his hands. He makes us go, obviously. In the three years he’s gotten stronger and faster, and he’s matured a lot attitude wise. He’s all business on the field.”
As a senior, Christian wants to be a part of a Calhoun championship team after consecutive runner-up seasons. To do that, however, the Jackets will have to defeat eighth-ranked Fitzgerald tonight, then likely will face top-ranked Carver of Columbus and Buford, the team they’ve lost two the past two years.
“We’ve got a tough road, but we’re ready to step up and make it,” Christian said. “It hurts having lost to Buford the last two years, but we’re real hungry for it and I think we’re going to get it.”