Signal Mountain’s James McClellan broke a 70-yard run earlier this football season. Marion County’s Blake Zeman has the area’s top rushing performance to date with 311 yards. Ooltewah’s Desmond Pittman has a pair of 200-yard rushing games, and Polk County’s Zach Miller has gained at least 100 yards in 15 of his last 16 games.
They’re the big backs – from the lightest of the four, Zeman at 230 pounds, to McClellan at 260-plus – who power their respective offenses.
“I’d hate to be back there at safety and have to take one of these guys on,” Polk County coach Derrick Davis said. “If you have to try, you better play your best technique and you better have help.”
While Pittman shares the limelight with quarterback Brody Binder in a spread offense, the other three are centerpieces, without which their respective offenses would struggle. They have four of the area’s top five rushing games this season.
McClellan has 1,002 yards and is averaging 143.1 per game. Pittman, who sat out last week and is questionable tonight, has 956 and a 159.3 average, while Miller has 1,136 yards and a 162.3 average. The 5-foot-9 Zeman leads the group with 1,190 yards and 170 per game.