WEST POINT — The adjustment took only two weeks.
To be honest, Bo Sanford imagined it was going to take longer. After all, Sanford was transferring schools and had to get used to a new set of rules and a different way of doing things in the classroom. He also had to adjust to a new coach, a new group of teammates, and a new set of expectations on the football field.
But Sanford hasn”t allowed all of that to hold him back. Instead, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound do-it-all sophomore has thrived in his new setting at Oak Hill Academy.
On Friday, Sanford had a breakout performance, scoring four touchdowns and gaining 321 all-purpose yards to help Oak Hill Academy defeat Carroll Academy 45-41.
For his accomplishments, Sanford is The Dispatch”s Prep Player of the Week.
“It has been really different,” Sanford said, “but I look at it as a better thing and a better change and a better opportunity.”
Sanford transferred from West Point High School to Oak Hill Academy and had made an impact all over the field. From running back to wide receiver to punt/kick returner to free safety to linebacker, Sanford has had a hand in helping the Raiders (2-4) rebound from an 0-4 start. His goal is to help his teammates keep the winning streak going and to help the Raiders advance to the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AA North playoffs.
Against Carroll Academy, Sanford had 184 rushing yards and two touchdowns, three receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown, and an 84-yard kick return for a touchdown.
“I felt really confident going into the game,” said Sanford, who celebrated his 16th birthday Thursday. “The team told me they were going to get me a win, and I said I was going to make sure I helped get the team a win. Me and Doss (Miller) ran extra for conditioning that week, so when the game came we were really fired up. Our team went out with the mentality that we were going to win the game and do whatever it took.”
When Sanford arrived at Oak Hill Academy, his goal was to get more than 100 yards and at least two touchdowns every game and to come home with all As and Bs on his report cards. Everything on and off the field appears to be going well two months into his first year at the school.
Oak Hill Academy coach Leroy Gregg said Sanford adds a different dimension to the Raiders” offense and serves as a multi-talented complement to senior running back Doss Miller, who had 156 yards and three touchdowns against Carroll Academy.
“Bo is very elusive,” Gregg said. “The last two teams we have played really have not schemed very much for Bo. As a result, he has hurt them quite a bit.”
Miller”s running style could be described as a human pinball, as he apparently enjoys pinging off bodies for additional yardage. While Miller might be more at home between the tackles, Sanford uses his speed to stretch defenses to the corner — and beyond. His versatility has made him a threat on sweeps, in the slot, and out wide.
“It has been fun and exhausting,” Sanford said of playing all of those positions. “I try to perform the best I can and try to keep myself well conditioned so I can do my best at any position.”
Gregg said Sanford”s versatility also forced him to adjust. He said he tried him at a number of positions early in the season to find where Sanford would work best. His presence gives the Raiders the luxury of having more speed in the backfield, which makes their misdirection running game more dangerous. As a result, the offense has scored more than 40 points in consecutive games for the first time in at least the past 17 seasons.
“Every time he touches it he has a chance to go 80 yards,” Gregg said. “It still has not opened up Doss like I thought it would. Doss has had some good games, and is averaging more than 100 yards a game, but I still feel Doss” huge games are ahead of him just because what Bo has the ability to do and what he brings to this team.”
Gregg said the only adjustment Sanford might need to make for the rest of the season is to find a way to score a touchdown when he is on defense.
But Gregg will be satisfied if Sanford can continue to produce like he did against Carroll Academy.
“Bo has good balance and he can run over you, too, at 175 pounds,” Gregg said. “He has a lot of tools.”
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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