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12-01-2004, 02:19 PM
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Royse City senior learns to play QB on the run
11:32 PM CST on Monday, November 29, 2004
By BOB THOMPSON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
ROYSE CITY – Royse City's James Mapps certainly didn't need a new position.
As the team's featured tailback last year, Mapps gained 846 yards and scored five touchdowns. He was looking forward to a big senior season.
But Royse City needed someone to play quarterback. So when second-year coach Rodney Webb approached Mapps last spring about moving under center, the 5-10, 180-pound senior agreed, although not without some apprehension.
"I've always been a running back," Mapps said. "When I was little, my coaches used to call me 'Little Emmitt' because I wanted to be like Emmitt Smith. That's why I've always worn No. 22." Once a standout tailback, James Mapps overcame a 1-of-18, three-interception debut as Royse City's quarterback.
Mapps' move to quarterback just might have been the masterstroke behind Royse City's run to the Class 3A Division I semifinals, the farthest the school has ever been in the state playoffs. Under Mapps' direction, Royse City has won 10 straight games heading into Friday's 3A semifinal against Abilene Wylie.
He wasn't entirely uncomfortable with the transition. In Royse City's offense, the quarterback is basically an extra running back. Still, there was an adjustment period.
In a season-opening loss to Celina, Royse City fell behind early and was forced to abandon the run. Mapps was unable to engineer a comeback through the air, however, completing just one of 18 passes with three interceptions.
"I didn't know anything about reading defenses," Mapps admitted. "When we got into a long-yardage situation, I basically just picked a receiver, threw it as far as I could and hoped."
But he could still always tuck the ball and run with it. And run he has.
Mapps has carried the ball 273 for 2,403 yards, a whopping 8.8 yards per carry. He has scored 31 touchdowns on the ground and has fumbled only once.
"I've heard of guys rushing for 2,400 yards in a season, but I don't know that I've ever even coached against a player that has done it, let alone had one on my team," Webb said. "He's so instinctive. He can outrun you, he can make you miss or he can run over you."
Of course, Mapps has plenty of support. He's had big holes to run through behind an offensive line that returned five starters this season. Junior running back Cameron Holliness has also helped shoulder much of the load with 1,801 yards and 24 touchdowns.
"I get a lot of the credit because I've put up a lot of yards and scored a lot of touchdowns," Mapps said. "But everybody has played their role perfectly this year to get us to this point."
As the season wore on, he developed into an effective passer against defenses that have put eight or nine men near the line of scrimmage. He has completed 47 of 124 passes for 830 yards and has thrown seven touchdowns along with seven interceptions – but no picks in his last five games.
"We've always known that James had a good arm, but he's really grown into the quarterback position," Webb said. "In retrospect, maybe we should have moved him to quarterback sooner in his career."
Royse City senior learns to play QB on the run
11:32 PM CST on Monday, November 29, 2004
By BOB THOMPSON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News
ROYSE CITY – Royse City's James Mapps certainly didn't need a new position.
As the team's featured tailback last year, Mapps gained 846 yards and scored five touchdowns. He was looking forward to a big senior season.
But Royse City needed someone to play quarterback. So when second-year coach Rodney Webb approached Mapps last spring about moving under center, the 5-10, 180-pound senior agreed, although not without some apprehension.
"I've always been a running back," Mapps said. "When I was little, my coaches used to call me 'Little Emmitt' because I wanted to be like Emmitt Smith. That's why I've always worn No. 22." Once a standout tailback, James Mapps overcame a 1-of-18, three-interception debut as Royse City's quarterback.
Mapps' move to quarterback just might have been the masterstroke behind Royse City's run to the Class 3A Division I semifinals, the farthest the school has ever been in the state playoffs. Under Mapps' direction, Royse City has won 10 straight games heading into Friday's 3A semifinal against Abilene Wylie.
He wasn't entirely uncomfortable with the transition. In Royse City's offense, the quarterback is basically an extra running back. Still, there was an adjustment period.
In a season-opening loss to Celina, Royse City fell behind early and was forced to abandon the run. Mapps was unable to engineer a comeback through the air, however, completing just one of 18 passes with three interceptions.
"I didn't know anything about reading defenses," Mapps admitted. "When we got into a long-yardage situation, I basically just picked a receiver, threw it as far as I could and hoped."
But he could still always tuck the ball and run with it. And run he has.
Mapps has carried the ball 273 for 2,403 yards, a whopping 8.8 yards per carry. He has scored 31 touchdowns on the ground and has fumbled only once.
"I've heard of guys rushing for 2,400 yards in a season, but I don't know that I've ever even coached against a player that has done it, let alone had one on my team," Webb said. "He's so instinctive. He can outrun you, he can make you miss or he can run over you."
Of course, Mapps has plenty of support. He's had big holes to run through behind an offensive line that returned five starters this season. Junior running back Cameron Holliness has also helped shoulder much of the load with 1,801 yards and 24 touchdowns.
"I get a lot of the credit because I've put up a lot of yards and scored a lot of touchdowns," Mapps said. "But everybody has played their role perfectly this year to get us to this point."
As the season wore on, he developed into an effective passer against defenses that have put eight or nine men near the line of scrimmage. He has completed 47 of 124 passes for 830 yards and has thrown seven touchdowns along with seven interceptions – but no picks in his last five games.
"We've always known that James had a good arm, but he's really grown into the quarterback position," Webb said. "In retrospect, maybe we should have moved him to quarterback sooner in his career."