Back where he belongs
Middleboro on a run with return of Soule Jr.
MIDDLEBORO — All Jeremy Soule Jr. could do was sit there and watch.
For Middleboro’s star senior running back, being stuck on the sideline hurt more than the pain he felt in his sprained ankle, an injury that forced him out of a pivotal lateseason loss to Norwell with the South Shore League title up for grabs.
But Soule made sure he was back in time for the playoffs, and last week in the Div. 6 South semifinal, Soule got another crack at Norwell. The 5-foot-8, 185-pounder rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns as No. 5 Middleboro upended the top-seeded Clippers, 3222, to earn a spot in tonight’s sectional final against Old Rochester.
“It was really tough. I shed a couple tears honestly,” said Soule on getting injured during the first Norwell game. “On the sideline I was like, ‘Man, I need to be out here with my boys.’ But I couldn’t go. I couldn’t walk really. I’m happy we got a second chance with Norwell with my ankle healthier than it was in that game.”
In that first Norwell game, Soule rushed for 110 yards on four carries in the first quarter before getting hurt. His absence from Middleboro’s potent offense was felt even more the following week in the regular-season finale against Rockland. With Soule looking on from the sideline, the Sachems scored a seasonlow eight points in a second-straight loss.
“I don’t think we really noticed it until you go to the next week and you go and play Rockland and we had to throw the ball 41 times that game,” said Middleboro coach Pat Kingman. “You realize, (Soule) opens things up in the pass game when you can play-action fake to him and do some different things.”
Middleboro limited Soule in its opening-round 34-14 win at Dover-Sherborn before unleashing him in the rematch with Norwell.
Revisiting the place of his injury, the bruising running back came into the contest more determined than ever.
“Normally before the game, I’m the jokester with the guys having fun,” Soule said. “But that game, I was quiet, focused and I was ready to go.”
For Soule, who carried the ball 18 times against Norwell, it was another memorable performance in a terrific season that didn’t go how he expected.
“Honestly, I thought — and everybody thought — that we were just going to go undefeated all the way,” Soule said. “To have some adversity like that and come through and have some resiliency, it was real good.”
Despite missing time, Soule eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second consecutive season to go along with 13 scores. He now has piled up 41 career touchdowns.
While Soule’s statistics are impressive, Kingman has noticed his senior captain doesn’t pay them much attention.
“He’s become more selfless,” Kingman said. “Now he’s just as happy to run down there (and see teammates score). He’s just as excited for those guys as he would be for himself.”
Soule knows there is still work to be done, and now fully healthy, he wants to help Middleboro carry it out.
“I don’t plan on missing anymore snaps for the rest of the season,”
Soule said.