Hayden scores three TDS in CBHS win over Houston
Dallan Hayden stood in the south end zone of Houston’s Landers Ford Stadium drenched in sweat, tugging on his shoulder pads. He smiled as he talked, showing a newfound confidence that wasn’t there last year.
The 5-foot-11 junior athlete spent his spring and summer lifting in his garage, running hill sprints, and trying to keep up with his older brother, East Carolina running back Chase Hayden, during workouts.
He’s added about 20 pounds of muscle since last season, which has made him more explosive and tougher to bring down. But he’s done it without sacrificing the shiftiness that allows him to slip away from defenders in the open field.
it was all on display Friday night as the state’s No. 10 prospect for the Class of 2022 led Christian Brothers to a 24-14 road win over Houston, scoring all three touchdowns for the Purple Wave. He rushed for 260 yards and 31 carries.
“They gave us a hard-fought game like we expected,” Hayden said. “We were getting creases earlier, but then in the second quarter they started loading the box. But in the second half my line got after it and when I saw daylight I was just gone.”
The four-star prospect, who has offers from Tennessee, Florida State, and
Virginia Tech, among others, is listed as an athlete. Last year, he was tried to specialize as a cornerback. But this year he’s emerged as the main ball-carrier for Christian Brothers after working on running back drills with his dad, Aaron Hayden, who starred at Tennessee before playing four seasons in the NFL.
“He’s always running downhill. If you want to tackle him you’re going to get punished,” his dad said. “And then when you brace for that, he’ll put a little wiggle on you and he has that next level speed. You saw when he broke and was at almost at a complete stop and then went zero to 60. To me, that’s what elite running backs do. You run away from people even when you’re tired.”
Christian Brothers coach Thomas Mcdaniel said that he’s been seeing Hayden play with a chip on his shoulder, eager to prove himself as an Seccaliber player. He says that aggressiveness, paired with speed and vision, are what draw college coaches to him.
“Physically he’s very gifted. He’s big, strong, fast, runs very aggressively and with a chip on his shoulder,” Mcdaniel said. “He’s got wide vision, a big lens so to speak. He can see the whole field and cut it back in a split second and sometimes he can make things right when they’re not perfect and as he continues to see more reps I just think you’re going to see his numbers continue to get even bigger.”
The game, which was one of the first in the Memphis area since the COVID-19 pandemic, was played in front of less than 400 socially-distanced fans who were wearing masks. Spectators had their temperature checked before they were allowed to enter the stadium.
“We had to drive in separate cars, which is obviously very different, but once we kicked it off I don’t think the crowd or lack thereof really affected the kids at all,” Mcdaniel said. “They came out here to play and that’s what they want to do, just be able to play. I think that the odd part is that it actually feels normal for the first time in a long time.”
Christian Brothers is set to host FACS next Friday at Tom Nix Stadium in its home opener.