A ONE-TWO PUNCH
RUNNING BACK COMBO OF DARRAN WILLIAMS AND JEROME BRYSON JR. LEAD WOLVES PAST RIVAL HUSKIES
EDMOND — Jerome Bryson Jr. made sure he took extra time to stretch during pregame.
With the memory of the hamstring issues that limited him on the field as a junior, he wanted to be ready Friday night when he took a handoff for Edmond Santa Fe.
Bryson certainly was ready and he even stole the spotlight in the first Edlam game of the season at Wantland Stadium with three touchdowns in No. 8 Santa Fe’s 28-9 win over Edmond North, which ultimately proved the Wolves have not only one powerful running back but two.
“It felt great helping my team out,” Bryson said. “We’ve been working on it since freshman year and we’re just trying to make it stronger and stronger every game and do our best.”
Bryson rushed for 82 yards on 12 carries and scored on runs of 17, 3 and 14 yards, each coming straight through the heart of the defense while breaking multiple tackles.
Darran Williams, who averaged nearly 200 yards per game last season, was still the workhorse with 158 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. But now the Wolves have another option to wear down opposing defenses.
“I’ve been trying to tell people all along we’ve got two good backs,” said Santa Fe coach Kyle White, who earned his first career victory as a head coach. “I think J.R. in his own way is every bit as good as Darran. I think they’re a little bit different. Darran’s an extremely physical runner, no doubt. He runs physical, but J.R., there’s just something. He’s bigger and stronger. Maybe he just bangs inside a little more.”
Williams got the scoring started on the second drive from 3 yards out after Santa Fe’s Zeke Jenkins recovered a fumble by North’s Noah Tews.
North then took a 9-7 lead on a field goal and pick-six by Antonio Williams off quarterback Julian Hoskins, who was ultimately replaced by Drew Rasmussen after
throwing two interceptions.
Santa Fe’s defense then tightened and finished the night allowing just 182 total yards.
Bryson scored a touchdown in each of the remaining quarters after Williams led the way to the red zone. White said it was not by design that Bryson got the red-zone carries, but maybe the Wolves are on to something special with the duo.
“They’ve got to worry about somebody with speed and quickness and they’ve got to worry about someone with power,” Williams said.