High school football 2023: The top returning rushers in 2023
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Nick Woodford wasn’t in prime shape when the season started, or necessarily when it ended.
And he still went for 2,728 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Now, he’ll enter his junior season in prime game shape. And confident, as he showed last week at the Bibb County public high schools media night.
Now that he’s in quality shape, how many yards can we expect?
The Raiders star, now 100 percent healthy and 100 percent in shape, expects an even better season in 2023.
Video: Michael A. Lough/The Central Georgia Sports Report
“How many you want?” Woodford said with a big smile, teammates almost holding their breath while he thought about it. “I would say 3,200.”
He leads the Central Georgia’s top 15 returning rushers, finishing last year in the top two in the state.
Two of the state’s top two dozen returnees go at it right out of the gate, when Mary Persons takes on Northeast in the Macon Touchdown Club Middle Georgia Kickoff Classic at Mercer’s Five Star Stadium on Aug. 19.
That’s when Woodford and Watson will give the opposing defenses plenty of motivation. The teams played last year, with weather ending the game early into the third quarter.
By that point, Woodford had 109 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown, and Watson had 57 on eight. He followed up big, with 290 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries in a 41-28 win over Spalding.
Watson has 3,676 career yards, with 1,716 yards and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Woodford had similar numbers in his second game, 193 yards on 24 tries in a one-point loss to top-ranked and eventual state champ Fitzgerald.
Region 2-3A has three of the top 15 back, with two each back in 2-4A, 2-AAA, 2-AA. Houston County’s Ryan Taleb turned in the program’s best single season last year, and he is 1,783 yards from the Bears’ career mark, set by Ernest Simms from 1996-98.
The GIAA has three players, including FPD quarterback Jakhari Williams, who is also one of the top 10 returning passers in Central Georgia.
Top 15 rushing returnees
Maxpreps only lists the top 200 overall on offense and 150 on defense, but does filter by class
2. Nick Woodford, Northeast 2,728
19. Ryan Taleb, Houston County 1,720
21. Duke Watson, Mary Persons 1,669
43. Aaron Davis, ACE Charter 1,442
46. Ja'quan Bentley, Upson-Lee 1,426
55. Micah Welch, Baldwin 1,373
112. Javian Butts, John Milledge 1,097
133. Kadiphius Iverson, Westside 1,018
133. Jakhari Williams, FPD 1,018
196. Ty Cummings, West Laurens 809
Zach Denton, Brentwood 734
Jessie Bell, Westside 719
Jalen Stewart, Jasper County 707
Evan Bennett, Gatewood 692
Duke Johnson, Dodge County 686