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Last Updated: Oct 27th, 2008 - 09:26:14 |
Just give him a crease and he'll provide the fire works.
That statement has held true for College of the Redwoods running back Lyndon Rowells since the start of the season. His final record-breaking appearance against the morose Marin College quad on Saturday in a lopsided 71-0 win would be no different.
In fact, it was as spectacular as the shifty moves the freshman from Florida has used to make defenders just downright look clueless when attempting a tackle.
Using a sweet combination of power and speed, if Rowells was not mowing a Marin defender down, he was sprinting right pass them.
Entering the final game with 1,179 yards, Rowells needed a meager 92 yards to shatter the 9-game mark Tom Craven stamped in the record books 17 years ago.
It didn't take long.
No, that would be a gross understatement.
Rowells reached the century mark before the end of the first quarter.
Move aside Craven, Rowells is now the man with a season total of 1,388 including 13 TD's.
”I do it for the O-line,” Rowells said with a grin after the game. “They really wanted me to break the record. You know, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have done anything all year. I have to give all the praise to them.”
Indeed.
Running behind a line of steam rollers in Van Dunn, Romeo Semo and Justin Primofire to name a few, you had the inkling No. 2 was going to have a big day.
Already with a 7-0 lead early in the first -- after a smooth 34-yard TD strike from quarterback Keoki Burbank to receiver Miles Schwaab -- Rowells gathered the handoff on an off-tackle run and sprinted down the right sideline. Instead of casually going out of bounds with Marin defensive back Erik Guldbech closing in, Rowells wanted to make a point.
Noticing Guldbech was coming in to tap him out of bounds, Rowells wasn't having any of it, dropping his shoulder and beating the DB to the punch.
Bang!
Guldbech was left to figure out what just happened on the ground as Rowells finished a 37-yard gallop going out of bounds.
From that point on, Rowells was a man on fire.
Breaking away on TD runs of 16, 24 yards and one yards, No. 2 also caught a 12-yard pass from Burbank to bring his touchdown total to four.
Despite CR's shaky season, Rowells emerged as a lethal big-play weapon that dazzled not only teammates but the Corsair faithful throughout the year.
Even more impressive is the fact he is already looking forward to next year in a CR jersey.
”Yeah, I'm going to be back,” he said. “And this time we'll be coming with more people.
”I'm looking forward to wins and not just my personal stuff. It's the team goals first. A winning season and then I'll look to get some records.”
Rowells know exactly what he needs to continue his success.
”I'm hoping the offensive line comes back next year too,” he said.
While Rowells may have been the dynamite, Redwoods wasn't without it's other explosive weapons.
Backup tailback Dayle Sayles -- whose bowling-ball style of running punished Marin even further after Rowells' day came to an end midway through the third quarter -- finishing with 124 yards on the ground and four TD's.
Burbank was a shining example of accuracy at QB connecting on 10-of-13 passes for 136 yards a pair of touchdowns.
CR's offense moved in such perfect harmony, the contest was virtually decided at the half with the score 44-0.
The victory allows the Corsairs to end the season filled with heartbreak and disappointment on a high note closing the season with a 3-2 record in the Bay Valley Conference and a 4-6 overall mark.
Marin on the other hand finished with an abysmal 0-5 conference record and 0-10 overall mark.
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