Fayetteville’s top high school running backs to watch in 2023 football season
Fayetteville had four high school football running backs log more than 1,000 rushing yards in 2022.
Three of those players – Seventy-First’s Anthony Quinn Jr. and Jayden Shotwell, and Jack Britt’s Sincere Baines – have moved on. Baines and Shotwell graduated and Quinn transferred to a school in Georgia.
South View’s Christian Rutledge returns as Cumberland County’s lone 1,000-yard rusher. Here’s a look at Rutledge and 10 other returning running backs to keep an eye on in the 2023 season, which begins Aug. 18.
Johnathan Higgins-Simmons, Terry Sanford
After rushing for more than 1,300 yards as a sophomore, Higgins-Simmons battled through injuries last season. He had 822 yards and 10 touchdowns, including 441 yards and six touchdowns in the first four games before being limited the rest of the year.
Christian Rutledge, South View
The senior went from 493 rushing yards as a sophomore to 1,134 yards as a junior. He had 13 touchdowns, including four games with multiple rushing TDs. Rutledge logged 100 or more yards in five of the last seven games.
50 PLAYERS TO WATCH: 50 Fayetteville high school football players to watch, 50 days before 2023 season
GAMES TO WATCH: Fayetteville’s top 5 high school football nonconference games to watch in 2023 season
2023 SCHEDULE: Which Fayetteville high school football teams have the toughest 2023 schedule?
Javon Webb, Gray’s Creek
The senior had 945 yards and 11 touchdowns on 165 carries last season. Webb averaged 42.7 rushing yards per game as a sophomore before increasing his average to 94.5 yards in 2022. He scored touchdowns in four of the last five games.
Michael Ross Jr., Trinity Christian
The senior had 505 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games last season. Ross had a season-best 216 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries against Harrells Christian.
Brandon Avery, Westover
The senior had 99 carries for 666 yards and seven touchdowns in seven games last season – his first with the Wolverines. Avery had three games with 100 yards, including 184 against St. Pauls.
Rashad Dockery, South View
The junior had 488 yards and nine touchdowns last season as a backup to Rutledge. Dockery had multiple touchdowns in three straight games, including three TDs and 158 yards against Douglas Byrd.
Donavan Frederick, Seventy-First
Following the departures of Quinn and Shotwell, Frederick could be in line to step in as the Falcons’ top back. The junior had 22 two-point conversions last season.
Favour Murtala, Cape Fear
One of the breakout players in 2022, Murtala had 782 yards and eight touchdowns on 139 carries. The senior had a season-best 170 yards and two touchdowns in a Battle of the Blues win against Terry Sanford.
Terence Rogers, E.E. Smith
The senior had 376 yards and eight touchdowns on 43 carries last season. Rogers had a breakout performance with 175 yards and three touchdowns against Clinton.
Kenyon Slaughter-Keen, Terry Sanford
The senior had nine rushing touchdowns on 42 carries. Following the graduation of Jre Jackson, Slaughter-Keen is positioned to be the change-of-pace back to aid Higgins-Simmons.
Sincere Blount, Douglas Byrd
The senior had 369 yards on 106 carries last season. Blount had a season-best 73 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries in a win against Purnell Swett.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville’s top high school running backs to watch in 2023
