By JOE SIMON

New Castle News

At some point last year, Wilmington High football coach Terry Verrelli noticed something about wide receiver Anthony Derrick.

A sophomore at the time, Derrick was in his first year playing football at Wilmington after coming over from Kennedy Catholic, so this was Verrelli’s initial opportunity to assess his skills. Since Derrick had been a receiver all his life, that’s where he played last year, making four catches for 63 yards. Yet as the season went along, Verrelli felt Derrick might be better served at running back due to his quickness and sharp footwork.

“I thought he had that ability,” Verrelli said. “He has the natural instincts for cutting and running. And he has good speed, but good speed won’t help you if you don’t have those instincts, and he does.

“We really didn’t know how well he’d do, but obviously, he’s been a pleasant surprise.”

Derrick showed off some of those talents against Reynolds on Friday when he ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries (a 43.0 yards-per-carry average). That performance earned him Athlete of the Week honors, an award sponsored by Washington Centre Physical Therapy and selected by the New Castle News sports staff.

Derrick, who has become one of the Greyhounds’ top offensive threats this year along with Sutton Whiting and Jake Devido, said transitioning from receiver to running back has been difficult. The formations and alignment are different and can be hard to comprehend, and it’s a much more physically demanding position. But now that he’s settled in, he’s enjoying the change.

“When you play running back, it feels more like you’re really playing football,” said Derrick, who added that Verrelli first told him of the move at the end of the 2009 season. “Last year, I started, just like in practice, lining up at running back and running the ball, so I was excited for it this year.”

The excitement is evident. Despite limited opportunities, the 5-foot-9, 150-pound Derrick is seventh in Lawrence County in rushing yards with 337. He’s also scored seven touchdowns on just 17 carries — nearly a touchdown every other rush. As a former receiver, he can catch, too, with two grabs for 30 yards.

Derrick was quick to credit Whiting, who led the area in rushing last year and is again this season, with much of his success. He said the attention given to Whiting along with the strong blocking up front creates gaping holes. Verrelli agrees with that assessment, but only to a point.

“I’m sure that keying in on Whiting helps open a hole, but there weren’t holes where he just ran straight and no one was near him. He had to make cuts and have the vision to see openings,” Verrelli said. “The blocking was good (on Friday) too, but even when it wasn’t perfect, he made some very nice moves and cuts, followed his blocks and exploded when he found a crease.

“To break one, you’ve got to do something on your own downfield, and that’s the part that’s great to see, that he has that quickness, those moves, the vision and instincts.”

Being a runner instead of a receiver is a new concept for Derrick. The junior has only been playing football for four years, and never once did he line up at running back (unless you include the playground). He’s gone from running free in the secondary to barreling through the trenches, where 250-pound linemen lurk.

Whiting helped ease that adjustment, Derrick said.

“All through camp, he was giving me pointers and teaching me the position — mostly the moves and to just accelerate through the hole,” Derrick explained. “During camp and in the offseason, when I would get through the hole, I wouldn’t know exactly what to do once I got to the safety. And as the season’s been progressing, it’s really come along. It’s starting to come natural.”

A main reason Derrick has been able to adjust to the more prominent offensive role is because of his play on defense. Derrick started at corner for the Greyhounds last year during their run to the state semifinal. He said that experience helped him understand the physical nature of high school football and how to deal with pressure situations.

“The playoffs were a huge experience,” he said. “I went to Kennedy Catholic as a freshman, so I wasn’t here for the state game or anything. I didn’t have any high school football under my belt. I remember in the playoffs last year, I was a wreck before the games. ... The first play is always the worst. And then once you’re into the game, you don’t even think about it.”

Derrick is giving opposing teams plenty to think about these days.

*****

THE ANTHONY DERRICK FILE ...

POSITION: Running back/defensive back

TEAM: Wilmington

GRADE: 11

KNOWN FOR: Derrick ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns last week against Reynolds. The amazing part is he did it on four carries, which gave him an unprecedented 43.0 yards-per-carry average. Derrick also is seventh in Lawrence County in rushing with 337 yards on 17 carries. He’s averaging nearly 20 yards per carry (19.8) on the season.

PARENTS: Brian and Angel Derrick

FAVORITE PRO PLAYER AND WHY: Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers: “Because it seems like he’s all over the field and he’s always in the right spots.”

FAVORITE TEAM AND WHY: Steelers: “I grew up in Pittsburgh and my family is from Pittsburgh.”

FUTURE PLANS: He is thinking of playing either football or basketball in college.