The Oklahoman’s Player of the Week
Edmond Santa Fe’s Tyler Travis is The Oklahoman’s Player of the Week after an impressive performance against Yukon on Friday.
EDMOND — Edmond Santa Fe football coach Kyle White was cautiously optimistic this summer about a new move-in at running back.
Tyler Travis had a breakout postseason at McGuinness last fall. Now, he was trading shades of green, moving to Edmond Santa Fe. But White wasn’t ready to anoint his new junior the starter.
“You don’t want to put too much stock into him,” White said. “We’d heard things about him. Obviously, he was great at McGuinness last year towards the end of the year. But I think anytime we get a new kid moving in you’re hopeful but you’re cautious because you don’t know the kid.”
Midway through the season, White is nothing but comfortable with Travis in the backfield.
So much so that White called Travis’ number 32 times in a big 30-14 win over Yukon on Friday. Travis responded with 190 yards and two touchdowns, showing he fits just fine at his new school.
He is The Oklahoman’s staff pick for Player of the Week.
“The running game was working, so coaches said to keep pounding it in their throats,” Travis said. “Our line was doing good to keep moving the ball down the field.
“I think I’m doing pretty good. I’m just telling myself to keep running hard and keep working hard at practice and being a leader.”
Through five games, Travis is up to 675 yards and eight TDs and the fourth-ranked Wolves are 5-0 entering Friday’s game at Enid.
It’s an impressive start for a player who almost didn’t get a shot last year at McGuinness.
Travis opened the year behind star running back Dominic Richardson. But Travis was forced into more action when Richardson suffered a seasonending injury in Week 10.
Travis responded to lead the Irish back to the Class 5A title game. He rushed for 236 yards and a TD in the semifinals.
“I loved going against (Richardson) every day, just making me better and I was trying my best to make him better,” Travis said. “I just told myself when he got hurt it was my turn to step up and take over and do what I need to do and take my team as far as possible. I felt like I did that.”
But that was in Class 5A. Travis knew Class 6A-I would be different, even if he had been coached by some of Santa Fe’s coaches in Little League and grew up around some of his new teammates.
He had to prove himself.
At a summer team camp in Owasso, he did that. He played well against Owasso, Jenks, Tulsa Washington, Westmoore and Bentonville, Arkansas.
White was impressed and knew then Travis would help stabilize the
offense.
“He’s got some things that make us go,” White said. “He brings some things to the table that
maybe our other backs don’t have and vice versa. He’s definitely a difference maker, for sure. He’s been a big boost.”