CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Justin Ware could be the best running back you almost never heard of. After not playing football last season, the Walker Valley senior decided to rejoin the team in 2012. At the time he was going to be a part of a crowded backfield that included rising seniors Kelvin Wells and Gabe Cartwright.
He entered the year with the goal that Mustangs coaches would recognize him as a good player.
They’ve taken notice, and so have a lot of opposing coaches.
Ware enters tonight’s Class 5A first-round game against Lenoir City with 1,026 yards rushing and 14 total touchdowns. He burst onto the scene with a 150-yard, four-touchdown performance against Hixson the second game of the season, and he since has enjoyed consistent production for the 5-5 Mustangs.
Wells transferred to McMinn County during the offseason, and Cartwright has been nursing injuries throughout the year, so Ware has turned into the focal point of coach Glen Ryan’s wing-T attack.