Mary Persons enjoying varied options in rushing attack
A look at the Mary Persons stable of running backs reveals a microcosm of the Bulldogs and a major reason for their success.
Mary Persons entered the season with a mixture of rising talent and upperclassmen, including few who had game experience. The Bulldogs had the numbers, including a sizeable senior class, but those players were unproven.
Flash forward eight games, and the fourth-ranked Bulldogs are unbeaten and find themselves leading GHSA Region 2-AAAA with two weeks left in the regular season. Mary Persons (8-0) hosts Baldwin on Friday.
A chief reason for that success lies in the offensive backfield with the three-pronged rushing threat of senior Jaquavious Sims, junior Zach Harvey and freshman Quen Wilson. Each of them has found success, giving Mary Persons three reliable options to give one another a breather if needed and provide options.
"They've done a good job; they really complement each other. You add (Wilson) in there, and he does a good job, too," Mary Persons head coach Brian Nelson said. "With Zach, Jaquavious, and you throw Quen in there, all three of them have done a really good job for us."
The wide-ranging effort has led to the Bulldogs to average 224 rushing yards per game. The trio has accounted for all but two of Mary Persons' rushing touchdowns. Harvey has received a slightly heavier load, averaging 112 yards per game and with 901 yards gained so far this year.
In all but one game, he has carried the ball more than 14 times, shouldering an even heavier burden against LaGrange and Upson-Lee when he carried the ball 28 and 23 times, respectively. And he has made the most of the chances, surpassing the 100-yard mark three times and was a yard shy of the century mark against Howard, while scoring 10 rushing touchdowns.
Like Harvey, Sims has not shied away from being counted on en route to averaging 76 yards per game on the ground. Four times this year, he has rushed more than 20 times in a single game as part of the season to date of 146 carries for 605 yards.
And then there's Wilson. Although his carries have been limited, he has shown an innate ability to step up. With a 6.6 yards per carry average, he has also gone past the century mark once in a 42-24 win against Perry.
"They've filled in with what we need on offense and have shared duties," Nelson said. "It helps them stay fresher; all of them have done a good job with that."
Mary Persons will be looking for another strong effort across the board against Baldwin. The Braves (3-5) are in last place in the region and are winless in four region games. But the Bulldogs are wary of Baldwin, a team one year removed from advancing to the second round of the Class AAAA playoffs.
"They'll come in here ready to play," Nelson said. "We've talked a lot this week about not taking things for granted and focusing on each opponent."
Win or lose on Friday, the Bulldogs can clinch the region championship Nov. 6 at West Laurens.
"Our kids have done a good job all year of just focusing on each particular game and each particular week," Nelson said. "They've had that focus and that mentality, and this week has really been no different."
This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 9:16 PM with the headline "Mary Persons enjoying varied options in rushing attack ."