Amherst-Harrisonburg match-up pits speed vs. strength

AMHERST — Tonight’s Region III, Division 4, championship game between Amherst and Harrisonburg, starting at 7 at Lancer Stadium, shapes up to be a showdown between the Lancers’ speed and the Blue Streaks’ size.

“They’ve got really good athletes and tremendous size,” Amherst second-year coach Cecil Phillips said. “Their guys range from 250 to 310 pounds across the front.”

That includes Landon Turner, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound junior left tackle who is being recruited by dozens of schools across the country, and senior right tackle Herb Singleton (6-3, 275).

“Size-wise, we haven’t faced an offensive line quite that big all year long,” Phillips said. “We need to keep our shoulderpads low (because) if we stay up and play high, they’ll be able to push us around.”

Running behind those big blockers is junior tailback Michael Holmes, the VHSL’s leading rusher regardless of classification with 2,738 yards and 40 touchdowns on 244 carries.

“He’s got special skills,” Harrisonburg coach Tim Sarver said of Holmes, who runs about a 4.4-second 40-yard dash time.

“He’s a tremendous football player,” Phillips added. “Last year, he played free safety against us, but when Alex Owah got hurt (in the regular season), he started three games (at tailback) and put up 800 yards.

“My concern with Holmes is his yards after contact,” he added. “We’re really going to have to wrap him up when we make contact and keep our feet moving because he keeps those legs driving.”

Whereas Harrisonburg with Holmes — like Jefferson Forest with Rashad Hall — has relied on one primary running back to carry it as far as it can go, Amherst has used a stable-full of rushers to lead it back to the Region III final, where it will be seeking its fourth consecutive crown.

“We’ve been able to get some teams that have rode their horses all year long,” Phillips said. ”Last year, with (Pulaski County’s Nubian) Peak and (Harrisonburg’s Alex) Owah who carried the ball hundreds of times in a season, their bodies were broken down from taking a season worth of beatings. Our backs have an average of 50 to 60 carries, so they haven’t taken nearly the physical pounding as others.”

Led by Mario Vaughan, who has gained 977 yards and scored 15 touchdowns on 87 carries, Amherst’s top five rushers have combined for 3,253 yards and 43 scores.

The Lancers’ backs are especially hard to slow down running on their Pro-Grass field turf, which enables them to accelerate even faster than on natural grass.

“One thing to our advantage is our speed,” Phillips said. ”We have an opportunity to get kids in space and they do a tremendous job of finding the end zone.”

Two of Amherst’s top five rushers are senior brothers Jamal (72 carries, 903 yards, 11 TDs) and Jamar (58-475, 4 TDs) Glover. The identical twins are among the Lancers’ speediest players with 40-yard dash times of 4.4 and 4.5 seconds, respectively.

“Those two guys can get through real quick,” Phillips said.

Besides their speed, the Glover brothers can use their small size to their advantage.

“Our height helps us because (opposing linemen) can’t really see us in the backfield,” Jamal said.

“It’s easy for them to get lost among those trees (linemen),” Phillips added.

“They’re small in stature — they’re both around 5-foot-4, 145 pounds — but they play like they’re 195,” he added. “They pack a pretty physical punch.”

In last week’s 53-14 Region III semifinal against Spotswood, Jamal Glover had touchdown runs of 93 and 35 yards.

“Jamal used his vision and he took two or three shots and he kept bouncing off tackles and finding blocks and he basically out-ran everybody to the end zone,” Phillips said of the 93-yard score.

By starting Jamal at tailback and Jamar at halfback, the Lancers are able to get both Glovers on the field at the same time, providing a dual threat.

“If they try to take Jamal away (on the inside) we have a couple of guys like Mario and Jamar, our halfbacks, who can get outside,” Phillips said. ”If they try to spread out and take away the outside, we can use our power attack and power game.”

Like the Lancers, who feature Kirby Anderson at quarterback and speedy wide receivers Anthony Rose and Chris McDaniel, the Blue Streaks are a threat to throw the ball, with senior tight end Shane Pouncey the No. 1 target for 6-4 junior quarterback Jake Johnson.

“They’re very similar to us in that they’re so run-oriented — they feed Holmes the ball 30 to 35 times per game — and then they have a tight end (Pouncey) who’s 6-4, 325 pounds,” Phillips said. ”He’s a monster. He’s a very good athlete. He’s good on his feet and he’s got good hands. He’s also a very good blocking tight end.”

Also like Amherst, Harrisonburg has developed into a program that feeds on its success.

“They lost six or seven starters on offense and defense (from last season), but they’re the kind of program that retools and reloads and their starters now are just as capable and powerful and athletic,” Phillips said. “It’s no wonder they’re back here playing for another Region III championship.”

“It’ll be a great game,” Sarver added.