Whatever the case may be, the stats he’s racked up – and the determination he’s shown on the field in each game – don’t lie. Avers has made an obvious difference in Carroll’s return to dominance this season.
"Tommy’s a playmaker," Carroll coach Hal Wasson said of his senior running back, who’s been on varsity for three seasons. "Our goal is to be consistent, and the running game is a big cog and a big key of this offense. To get that going this year has been really important.
"The biggest thing with Tommy that I’ve seen this year is that he’s running with more confidence," he said. "When he gets a little bit of space, he’s going to make the most of it."
So far, Avers has done just that. With 10 touchdowns – eight rushing, one receiving and one on a kickoff return – Avers has proven he can burn opponents with speed and moves, getting to the end zone through various methods.
His 10 touchdowns are nearly a third of the entire team’s scoring this season, while his 763 yards rushing through six games (127.2 yards per game) is only 116 yards behind what the runner registered through 10-plus games last year. His highlight performance thus far was a 220-yard, five-touchdown rushing game against Mesquite in Game 4 of the season.
"As a running back in this system, you don’t get the ball in the spread as much as you would in other systems," said Avers, whose team improved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in district with a 24-6 victory over Coppell last Friday. "Every time the ball’s in my hand, I want to make people miss and get the most out of each run.
"I want to set an example and come out of the blocks fast so we can set the tone and show that we’re going to dominate from the first snap."
Avers has shown marked progress every year he’s played. As a backup to current University of Texas running back Tre Newton during his sophomore season, Avers showed flashes of brilliance. As a first-year starter last season, the runner was solid, but was not satisfied with his performance.
"I think last year I was kind of caught up in the whole recruiting thing [for baseball] and I kind of lost the love of the game, and I didn’t have that kind of season [in football]," said Avers, who’s been a standout for the Dragons baseball team the last two seasons. "I’m probably going to play baseball at the next level, so I just want to go out and leave it all in the game as much as I can, and create as many memories as possible until the football season’s over."
If Avers and his teammates have their way, that could be a while. Joining the varsity team one year removed from Carroll’s last 5A state championship run in 2006, Avers has a special feeling about this year’s group.
For Avers, it’s more than just personal accolades and achievements. It’s about team legacy.
"I don’t want to look too far ahead, but I think when we hit the playoffs, it’s going to be electric," he said. "I think when the rubber meets the road, we want to show everyone that we’re back.
"When I’m old, I’m not going to remember what numbers I had rushing and if I was all-district or not, but what I’m going to remember is whether or not we came back with the hardware. That’s really what it’s about."
Marauders a Threat Once Again
Carroll’s win over Coppell might not have been pretty offensively, but it was a solid effort defensively and on special teams, Wasson said. The coach said it was a huge confidence boost to beat a Cowboys team that was 5-0 and to get off to a 1-0 start in 6-5A after losing to North Shore two weeks earlier.
But the test has only just begun, as the Dragons host a Marcus team that is 4-1 and has defeated opponents 170-67.
"They’re a playoff team from a year ago," Wasson said. "Their kids play hard and they feature a very strong, physical running game.
"They had a strong running game against us last year, and we have to go into this game with the same mindset as we did last year," he said, recalling Carroll’s 42-35 comeback victory over the Marauders in 2008. "They scored a lot of points on us last year and we took that personally."
Carroll (5-1, 1-0 in 6-5A) vs. Marcus (4-1, 1-0 in 6-5A)
7:30 p.m. Friday
Dragon Stadium, Southlake
Prediction: Carroll 35, Marcus 21. The Dragons seem to have regained their swagger with a win over long-time rival Coppell, playing great defense. If the Dragons can halt the Marauders running game and reignite their offensive spark of earlier this season, Carroll should be able to pull away for the win.
"When I’m old, I’m not going to remember what numbers I had ... what I’m going to remember is whether or not we came back with the hardware."
— Carroll running back Tommy Avers
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