Eagles turn to running back committee after losing Simone finalist

by Michael Smith
 
The Grain Valley football team will be making a big transition going into the 2024 season, especially on offense.
 
Not only will the Eagles have a quarterback starting their first season at the varsity level, they will have a new look at running back, too.
 
Last season, they featured arguably the best running back to ever come through the program, Ty Williams. He was a Simone Award finalist (an honor given to the best large class football player in the Kansas City metro area), who broke the school record for yards in a season with 2,485 yards rushing and 33 touchdowns.
 
He was also a threat in the passing game as he caught 12 passes for 385 yards and five more scores.
 
This season, Grain Valley doesn’t have big shoes to fill, they are gigantic following a rare standout season Williams had. However, head coach David Allie has a talented group of running backs ready to step up this season as the Eagles look to turn to a running-back-by-committee approach rather than having a bell cow like Williams.
 
That group will be led by senior DJ Harris who was a varsity running back his freshman and sophomore seasons before playing as a full-time outside linebacker as a junior to fill a need on defense and make room for Williams to be the primary running back.
 
As a sophomore, Harris was the No. 2 behind Jaxon Wyatt as he ran the ball 69 times for 344 yards and seven TDs. As a sophomore, he was a part of a three-player running back committee with Williams and Christian Lanear. That season, he ran the ball 69 times for 459 yards and seven scores. So he has similar production in both seasons.
 
He will bring a steady presence to the Eagles and will serve as a vocal leader for some of the younger running backs playing varsity full time for the first time.
 
“His physicality is out of the roof and he brings everyone up with his energy,” sophomore Zach said. “He’s been a mentor for us. He taught us the importance of ball security and when to make our cuts.”
 
Harris is eager to return to his natural position of running back after totaling 20 tackles and .5 sacks as a linebacker in 2023. He noted he doesn’t think it will be an issue to transition back to being a full-time running back. His goal is to reach 1,000 yards rushing for the season.
 
“I think I will pick it right back up,” Harris said. “During (organized team activities) and the Pittsburg State (camp), I felt like a freshman and sophomore DJ again. It feels so good to go back to what I love again.”
 
Allie described Harris as a thicker running back which makes him a good candidate to be a physical presence during runs between the tackles. He is also good at catching the ball out of the backfield and has enough speed to get the edge on outside running plays when needed.
 
Those are similar traits to senior Robert Palmer, a transfer from North Scott High School in Iowa. Last season, he averaged 9.4 yards per carry for the Lancers, carrying the ball 33 times for 309 touchdowns and four scores. He also caught three passes for 23 yards and a TD through the air.
 
Allie expects Palmer to be in the mix for some carries as he comes in with varsity football experience with Class 4 North Scott.
 
“He’s like DJ and Ty, he’s a big powerful kid and he can run around people, too,” Allie said. “He’s done a great job of taking advantage of reps he’s had over the summer.”
 
The Eagles also bring in a trio of backs who could receive consistent varsity carries for the first time in their careers. Sophomores Alby Negrete, Zach Dowhower and Sjoeren Aumua all could be in the mix to be a part of the Eagles’ committee, and each had a few varsity carries last season in games in which the Eagles held a large lead late in games.
 
Dowhower is a running back who has some good size for the position and has the ability to run for both speed and power. He’s some Allie said doesn’t go down easily when opponents try to tackle him.
 
We call Dowhower ‘Crazy Legs’ because he’s got those big ol’ long, powerful legs,” Allie said. “Once he gets going, he can churn down that field. He got a little bit of speed and has some power behind it. He makes up some yards by running through tacklers.”
 
Dowhower had a similar assessment of his abilities as he said he hopes to earn playing time in 2024.
 
“Even if there are two defenders there, I can make something happen,” Dowhower said. “And even if there is no space to run, I can make space.”
 
Aumua is a smaller running back at around 144 pounds. He’s not someone who will break a lot of tackles or try to run through people. He likes to use his speed to get behind the defense in the open field and use his agility to evade tacklers.
 
“I am not as big and heavy as these other running backs,” Aumua said. “I am going to try and work on that.”
 
Added Allie on Aumua: “He has great quickness and vision. He is able to get through those holes inside that may not be as big as you would like. Once he gets to that second level, he has another gear and he can turn it on.”
 
Negrete is a physical running back who Allie said he can use in two-back formations and use him as a blocker from the full back position.
 
“For me, it’s how hard I run the ball,” Negrete said. “Even when I get hit, I will keep my feet moving.”
 
Even though Grain Valley will be tasked with replacing perhaps the most talented running back in their program’s history, Allie and his players are confident they can have a successful season in the running game.
 
“With what we have back there, we will be just fine,” Harris said. “I think we are good at being powerful running backs and being physical. Everyone is physical and knows how to get it done.”

From left, Grain Valley sophomores Sjoeren Aumua, Alby Negrete and Zach Dowhower will look to earn playing time at the running back position for the football team in 2024.
Photo credit: Michael Smith

Grain Valley senior Robert Palmer is a transfer from North Scott High School in Iowa and I'm will be in the mix for some carries at running back for the football team. He ran the ball 33 times for 309 yards and four touchdowns for North Scott in 2023. Photo credit: Michael Smith