charlesrixey
12-20-2007, 08:43 AM
Celina's one-two punch
Juniors gladly share running, blocking and scoring workload
10:31 PM CST on Wednesday, December 19, 2007
By DAVID HINOJOSA / The Dallas Morning News
dhinojosa@dallasnews.com
CELINA – There is one glaring difference when you compare Celina's starting running backs, Charley Waldrep and Troy McCartney.
Waldrep has rushed for 31 touchdowns and McCartney 12.
A problem?
"If it means that we are going to win a state championship, I'm cool with it," McCartney said.
They share many similarities. They're juniors listed at 5-11, 180 pounds. Waldrep has rushed 207 times for 1,639 yards and McCartney 120 times for 1,089. Each serves as the other's lead blocker. They are the catalysts for a team that averages 337.4 of its 454.9 total yards on the ground.
Waldrep and McCartney are also a big reason Celina is one win away from a record eighth state title. Celina (15-0) meets China Spring (14-1) for the Class 3A Division II championship at 6 p.m. Saturday at Texas Stadium.
"The good thing is that it doesn't matter to either one of them," coach Butch Ford said of their scoring. "That's what makes them good right there. No jealousies. That's pretty rare these days to find kids willing to sell out for each other."
The best example of this occurred two weeks ago in Celina's 70-21 victory against Glen Rose in the Region II final.
McCartney rushed 11 times for 125 yards and caught four passes for 80 yards. He never reached the end zone, though. Meanwhile, Waldrep had six touchdowns (five rushing, one receiving) while accounting for 94 total yards (including 85 rushing).
Yet McCartney wore a broad smile after the game.
"He's unselfish," Waldrep said. "He doesn't care if he doesn't score any touchdowns the whole year as long as we win the state championship. That's a great characteristic to have as a player."
McCartney says he's just doing his job.
"I think I have to protect him because we mostly depend on his legs more than anyone else's in the running game," McCartney said of Waldrep. "We work together really well."
Each credits the offense line, but senior left guard Adam Thomas said they also get a lot of yards on their own.
"They are undersized, but when they pass that first level, they just run over people and are always falling forward," Thomas said.
"That's just great effort on their part. That's what Celina football is all about. A few yards here and few yards there. That's how we do things."
Juniors gladly share running, blocking and scoring workload
10:31 PM CST on Wednesday, December 19, 2007
By DAVID HINOJOSA / The Dallas Morning News
dhinojosa@dallasnews.com
CELINA – There is one glaring difference when you compare Celina's starting running backs, Charley Waldrep and Troy McCartney.
Waldrep has rushed for 31 touchdowns and McCartney 12.
A problem?
"If it means that we are going to win a state championship, I'm cool with it," McCartney said.
They share many similarities. They're juniors listed at 5-11, 180 pounds. Waldrep has rushed 207 times for 1,639 yards and McCartney 120 times for 1,089. Each serves as the other's lead blocker. They are the catalysts for a team that averages 337.4 of its 454.9 total yards on the ground.
Waldrep and McCartney are also a big reason Celina is one win away from a record eighth state title. Celina (15-0) meets China Spring (14-1) for the Class 3A Division II championship at 6 p.m. Saturday at Texas Stadium.
"The good thing is that it doesn't matter to either one of them," coach Butch Ford said of their scoring. "That's what makes them good right there. No jealousies. That's pretty rare these days to find kids willing to sell out for each other."
The best example of this occurred two weeks ago in Celina's 70-21 victory against Glen Rose in the Region II final.
McCartney rushed 11 times for 125 yards and caught four passes for 80 yards. He never reached the end zone, though. Meanwhile, Waldrep had six touchdowns (five rushing, one receiving) while accounting for 94 total yards (including 85 rushing).
Yet McCartney wore a broad smile after the game.
"He's unselfish," Waldrep said. "He doesn't care if he doesn't score any touchdowns the whole year as long as we win the state championship. That's a great characteristic to have as a player."
McCartney says he's just doing his job.
"I think I have to protect him because we mostly depend on his legs more than anyone else's in the running game," McCartney said of Waldrep. "We work together really well."
Each credits the offense line, but senior left guard Adam Thomas said they also get a lot of yards on their own.
"They are undersized, but when they pass that first level, they just run over people and are always falling forward," Thomas said.
"That's just great effort on their part. That's what Celina football is all about. A few yards here and few yards there. That's how we do things."