Newton’s trio of running backs all saw the field in week one and all three made an impact in the Rams’ 39-24 win over rival Eastside at Sharp Stadium.
After falling to the Eagles a year ago in a thriller, Newton got its revenge in week one and it was on the back of the team’s stout run game.
Led by sophomore Kevin Hartsfield, senior Kaden Hambright and junior Darius White, the Rams rushed for 310 yards total in week one.
After falling short on the scoreboard and on the stat sheet in his first go around with the Eagles, Hartsfield was more than happy after having a big day in the win.
“It feels good,” Hartsfield said. “They beat me my freshman year. I was supposed to come out and do good in that game and I had -2 yards. I think I got [nearly] over 200 just now I don’t even know. It felt good to get that revenge.”
Hartsfield led the team in carries on Friday and rushed for 185 yards, which was good enough for 10.3 yards a carry.
Behind Hartsfield was White, who made his Newton debut on Friday after he transferred from Dekalb over the offseason.
White, who is nicknamed ‘Hercules,’ used his big frame and athleticism to tally 64 yards on 11 carries in the win.
After a solid debut that saw the team’s run attack get stronger in the second half, the junior spoke about his game and the team’s adjustments.
“It’s great, we had to make a few adjustments and as you can see we weren't too successful in the first half,” White said. “As we made some adjustments and knew what they were doing, we kind of stood up and sealed the game.”
The Rams led 13-0 at halftime and even though the Eagles pulled it close and even took a 14-13 lead at one point, the run game for Newton began to wear down Eastside in the second half.
This was evident in the case of Hambright, who came away with a pair of touchdowns in the final two quarters — including a late touchdown that sealed the deal for the Rams’ win.
“It always feels good to come out here and get revenge on a team that outplayed us last year,” Hambright said. “They simply outplayed us. But it feels good to come out here at full strength, back health and everything and come back and get the win over this team.”
Hambright only rushed four times in the game, but two of those went for scores as he finished with 64 yards on the ground.
The opposition for the Rams’ running game on Friday was a veteran-led defensive front for the Eagles that featured players with years of experience.
Despite that, Hambright shared how they just wanted to stick to their strengths and things they can control.
“Really just playing our game, we don't let anyone throw us off our game,” Hambright said. “We just play our game and execute.”
Newton has many playmakers on the offense outside of the backs, but Hartsfield noted that it's their job to be the group that keeps the offense going.
“We told each other to keep our heads up and be the motor for the team,” Hartsfield said. “”We got to put the team on our back. That is what coach told us, ‘You got to be the motor.’ If we aren’t running, the whole thing is not going to run.”
This same sentiment is shared by White, a player that has only played one official game for Newton.
“‘Set the tone,’ that is all we preach,” White said. “If we don't do that, we know the team won't be behind us. We are key on setting the tone and getting downhill because we know we are not physical running sideline to sideline.”
One aspect of Friday that all three backs spoke about is the impact of the offensive line that paved the way for the team’s 310 yards on the ground.
“It was really just the little things,” Hambright said. “Taking the right angles and blocks, finishing our blocks and executing on the play. I can't thank my guys up front enough, if it weren't for them I couldn't do it.”
With a trio of quality backs and other young players in the room that did not even see any touches last Friday, the Newton run game seems to be one that can do it all.
“We have a lot of diversity,” Hambright said. “We got guys that can catch the ball, we got guys that can finish through runs, we got guys that can outrun you, jump over you, anything. We have a whole bunch of diversity in this backfield and that’s one of the biggest things a football team can have.”
The next test for the Rams’ backs will be a battle with the Alcovy Tigers on Friday, Aug. 22 with the Newton Cup on the line.
