Georgia's rushing leader puts in work on Skipper Road: Rutland's Jessie Phelps Jr.

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

           The state’s unofficial rushing leader?

          A Rutland Hurricane.

          Jessie Phelps Jr. is off to a monster start for the Hurricanes, with more yards rushing after three games the Rutland as a team has had on a given year.

          The senior enters Friday’s game with Perry (highlights) at 875 yards on 83 carries, a staggering average of 10.5 yards a carry and 291.7 yards a game. That puts him ahead of East Coweta’s Jayden Bolton (812) or River Ridge’s Amehre Morrison (827).

          The 5-8, 205-pounder ran for 1,416 yards on 240 carries last year with 11 rushing touchdowns for Rutland, which finished 2-8 in the first year of head coach Rusty Easom, but broke a 23-game losing streak in the 2019 opener with a 44-21 win over Hawkinsville.

           Easom said Phelps, who was worried at one time that the Hurricanes might be too much of a passing team, is a poster child for how to take care of business, that you play how you practice.

          Phelps practices hard.

          “We use him as an example to really kind of get (teammates) going in practice,” Easom said. “I’m like, ‘Look, y’all, … Jessie totes the ball about 30 times a game, and he never gets cramps, he never really gets tired during the game. Why is that? Well, when Jessie touches the ball in practice, he runs as hard as he can every rep in practice.

          “ ‘Some of y’all don’t do that. You don’t go as hard as you can every practice. That’s why your body gets shocked on Friday night.’ ”

          Phelps isn’t one to turn a successful run into a spotlight moment.

          “He’s very quiet, doesn’t say a whole lot,” Easom said. “Knows what his job is, does it.”

          And raves about the offensive line of Keyjuan Searcy, Erick Broughman, Connor Wood, Ronald Christian, and Keyundre Whisby, along with Carlos Sellers and Zerrick Henderson.

          “Without them …” Phelps said.

          No doubt Phelps will have a tougher task Friday night against Perry. The Panthers are, like the Hurricanes, better than their record, 0-3 for Perry and 1-2 for Rutland.

          Easom has been a little frustrated at the Hurricanes start, record-wise. They’ve had red-zone issues in a 21-6 loss to 4A Luella and a 30-20 defeat to AA Worth County.

          Of course, Phelps’ improved speed has led to more breakaway runs. He still pounds, but the 15-yard run from 2019 has turned into a 50-yard run in 2020.

          “Now, he’s taking it to the house,” Easom said. “That’s why his yardage is up so much.”

          Still, odds are fairly safe that Phelps will crack the 1,000-yard mark at some point Friday night.

          Cracking the 250-yard mark for the evening will be a major accomplishment, going against a defense with more athletes than Rutland has faced and one that has battled 6A Houston County, 5A Harris County and ranked 5A Veterans.

          But, of course, the Warhawks haven’t quite faced a back like Phelps yet this year, either.