STARKVILLE — Rodrigues “Dreke” Clark wouldn’t be a running back if he didn’t like touching the ball, but he isn’t selfish.
After getting a third of the carries in the Starkville High School football team’s season opener against Noxubee County, Clark said he enjoyed watching fellow running backs Andreus Swanigan and KJ Lawrence run.
Now Clark is being asked to supply the energy as the Yellow Jackets’ featured back.
Twenty-two carries for 157 yards and three touchdowns last week against Provine set the new standard for Starkville (5-1, 1-0 Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 6A, Region 2). Expect more of the same at 7 p.m. Friday when Starkville plays host to Northwest Rankin for its Homecoming game.
“It’s time,” Starkville coach Chris Jones said of Clark’s increased role. “When I was at Kemper (County High as football coach), we didn’t run the ball a whole lot until district play, and we always had good backs. We don’t start loading them up until around October because that’s when it starts to get kind of cold, the weather changes, and I don’t believe in wearing them out on the front end.”
In 2014, Jones called Kemper County running back Devante Scott’s number 307 times (20.4 times per game). Scott responded by rushing for 2,765 yards and 38 touchdowns to fuel a run to the state championship game.
Jones also made a feature back of Chandler Roberts. Scott is now at Hinds Community College and Roberts at Pearl River C.C.
Jones said he hopes to get Clark 20 carries a game. He added he will stretch the offense “as far as we need” to ensure Clark stays busy.
“It’s so important we do well, and I think his success is going to be important for us doing well as a whole,” Jones said. “It’s no secret. Dreke knows. Everybody on the team knows.”
Clark’s importance is based on production and presence off the field. Jones believes running backs see the field better when they get more touches. He also feels Clark has the ability to wear down a defense the more he touches the football.
“I was watching (Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott) and all his runs are going forward,” Jones said. “He never goes to the side or goes backwards. He always finishes his runs. Even when he’s tackled by a defensive lineman, he’s always finishing and doing what good backs do.”
Clark’s impact off the field also has proven to be critical. After an injury kept him out of spring practice, a minor ankle injury forced Clark to miss a couple of games as a precaution. Even now, Jones estimates Clark is at 90 percent, but he said Clark is ready for him to “get him in the groove.”
The timing couldn’t be better.
While Clark was out, Jones noticed a change in his team.
“You could see us kind of lackadaisical,” Jones said. “He wants to be great. It’s not by luck he’s having success.
“Even off the field, kids kind of follow him. I can hear kids saying, ‘Hey Dreke, what’re you doing tonight?’ It’s kind of like Dreke’s doing this so we might want to do this. He’s just that guy. He’s got that contagious attitude where people want to be around him.”
Jones hopes Clark can continue to produce like he did against Provine and help Starkville build momentum for a postseason run.
“If I played ball, I would want him on my team,” Jones said, “so I’m blessed to have him as a coach.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
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