Aumua, Head to lead the back field for the Eagles in 2025

by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News
 
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The running game has been the strength for the Grain Valley football team in recent seasons.
 
In 2023, Ty Williams, who was a Class 5 first-team, all-state selection, had a historic season at running back for Grain Valley, totaling 2,485 yards rushing and 38 overall touchdowns. Last season, Robert Palmer was a Class 5 third-team, all-state selection as he notched 1,472 yards rushing with 20 total TDs.
 
With Palmer having graduated, who will be next in line to take over at running back for Grain Valley? Well, it’s a pair of players.
 
Junior Sjoeren Aumua, who was the backup to Palmer last season, and sophomore Dawson Head are projected to get a bulk of the carries for the Eagles in 2025 and both have varsity experience.
 
“We have been blessed with a lot of really good running backs,” Grain Valley head football coach David Allie said. “I think these two kids will fit right in with the group.”
 
Aumua was used primarily in third-down situations early in 2024, but started to get more carries late in the season when Palmer had a minor knee injury. The junior impressed as he carried the ball 72 times for 672 yards and eight touchdowns.
 
At 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, Aumua is more of an agile and speedy running back rather than a power runner. Last season, he showed his strong ability to catch passes out of the back field and showed his break away speed and agility which allowed him to break off big runs.
 
His breakout game came against Truman late in the season when he rushed for 156 yards on 11 carries and scored two TDs.
 
“Sjoeren is shifty,” Allie said. “He has tremendous balance. He is hard to bring down and he keeps moving. He is not a bruising back, but he doesn’t shy away from contact either.”
 
Aumua said the varsity reps he had last season as a third-down back and late in the season as a primary piece of the running back rotation gives him confidence going into the 2025 season as he knows what to expect.
 
“It was definitely a valuable experience to see what it would be like if I started,” Aumua said. Hopefully it will be that way this year.
 
“Agility and balance is my strength, I can keep on my feet pretty well. I can get through gaps pretty easily.”
 
In the offseason, Aumua said he’s been working on securing the football as he had a few fumbles in 2025.
 
Head, on the other hand, said he’s been working on learning the offense from a running back perspective. Last season, he was used as a wide receiver, but got a few rushing attempts out of the Wildcat formation and on end arounds and sweeps.
 
He had a couple of breakout games against William Chrisman, one in which he carried the ball two times for 55 yards and a score; and Truman, in which he had two carries for 49 yards and two TDs.
 
The sophomore was primarily a running back for his middle school team in Tennessee, so he’s familiar with the position. He’s a player with advanced-level speed and he has the ability to break off big runs for the Eagles.
 
“Speed is his superpower,” Allie said of Head. “He’s the lead sprinter for the track team. He’s not a small guy and he’s not afraid of contact, but he’s not going to truck anybody. He’s going to outrun them.”
 
Head added that finding gaps to run through also is a strength of his. So far through the summer, he’s picking up the running back position well.
 
“My vision is pretty good,” Head said. “I am good at spotting the holes and getting through them as fast as I can. I can get moving, there is probably not a whole lot that is going to stop me. I think I am picking everything back up pretty well. There are some bumps that I am hitting, but other than that, it’s been an easy transition.”
 
It will help Grain Valley return four of their five starters on the offensive line from the 2025 team, which will help ease the transition of Aumua and Head taking on increased roles.
 
Allie is confident they should have no issue taking over the backfield and said they have the potential to do some big things this upcoming season.
 
“I think both of those guys have the potential to be 1,000-yard guys,” Allie said. “It’s pretty hard to predict going in, but they should be very productive and successful for us.”
 

Grain Valley sophomore Dawson Head, left and junior Sjoeren Aumua will provide a 1-2 punch at running back you the Grain Valley football team in 2025. Photo credit: Michael Smith