By Corey J. Corbin

New Castle News

Carrying a football 41 times in a game is undoubtedly tough on a player’s body.

Jared Meyers will tell you that it is also tough on a football jersey.

Meyers, Ellwood City Lincoln High’s star senior running back/quarterback, literally had his jersey ripped off his body during one of his career-high 41 carries in the Wolverines’ wild 41-40 loss to Beaver in Midwestern Athletic Conference play at Ewing Park’s Helling Stadium on Friday.

“I got my jersey torn off at one point,” said Meyers, who typically dons No. 5 for the Wolverines. “I was No. 9 on Friday night for a little bit. They said my jersey should be stitched up by the time this Friday night rolls around.

“I was definitely sore, because of all that running. My legs were sore, but I liked it. With my jersey being ripped, my back was exposed, so it’s pretty cut up right now. It’s pretty sore.”

Meyers rushed for 255 yards and three scores, while passing for another 76 yards and another touchdown against the Bobcats.

The performance earned him Lawrence County Athlete of the Week honors, an award sponsored by Washington Centre Physical Therapy and selected by the New Castle News sports staff.

“What he did Friday night was unique and special, but it’s what we’ve come to expect from him,” Ellwood City Lincoln coach Don Phillips said. “I don’t go into a game saying he has to have this many carries or that many carries. It’s determined by how the game is flowing and how he’s running. He and I had a conversation over the summer where I told him he may carry it five times a game or he may carry the ball 35 to 40 times. It doesn’t matter. I need him to do whatever he can for this team to be successful.

“Jared is a very dedicated kid and puts his team first. Those are things that are very important to me as a coach. I see a young man that sacrifices for the best of the team. As a coach, I want him to give his all, which he always does.”

Meyers was quick to credit his offensive line of tackles Kyle Plotzer and Anthony Tanner, guards Tyler Neyman and Tyler Maine and center Bradley Grinnen.

“I couldn’t have done it without my line,” Meyers said. “They were out there blocking hard. We were running a lot of counter traps. There were a lot of pulling guards and tackles, so they were running around a lot, too.”

The performance pushed Meyers over the 1,000-yard plateau for the season and he’ll enter Friday’s nonconference meeting with Quaker Valley with 1,200 yards on the ground.

“He’s a special runner,” Phillips said. “He runs the ball inside and outside. He’s a very strong kid and the things he can do on a football field are quite unique. He can run with power, but he’s very quick. He gets the ball up the field and knows how to run.”

Because of those attributes and more, Phillips and the Wolverines coaching staff have asked Meyers to play quarterback in their wildcat package more frequently this season.

“He’s only playing on one side of the ball,” Phillips said. “We’re doing that to keep him strong and fresh. He can play on defense and can play a lot of positions.

“Jared throws the ball very well and he has the strongest arm of all our quarterbacks. Jared has the ability to shove the ball quite a distance down the field and that’s something we want to take advantage of especially with kids like Seth Mley and Keaton Docchio. They give us nice speed down the field.”

Learning two separate offensive positions hasn’t been too mentally taxing, Meyers said.

“Quarterback isn’t an easy position to play at all, but being a quarterback in the wildcat isn’t like being a normal quarterback,” he said. “It’s just running the football. That’s my favorite thing to do — getting the ball and running with it. You don’t really have to worry about doing that other stuff. Gather up your lead blockers and go.

“Friday was the first time I played quarterback for the whole game. It was an experience.”

Since Ellwood (2-5 in the MAC, 3-5 overall) is eliminated from the WPIAL playff picture, with less than a week left in his high school career, Meyers reflected on his days playing football.

“It’s sad to think it’s almost over,” he said. “I can’t believe how fast it’s gone by. I didn’t see it coming this quick. I started playing with flag football and have been playing ever since. I think I was seven or eight. We talk all the time about midget football — it seems like it was yesterday.”

THE JARED MEYERS FILE

POSITION: RUNNING BACK/QUARTERBACK

TEAM: Ellwood City

GRADE: 12

PARENTS: Rebecca and Sean Meyers

KNOWN FOR: Carried the ball a career-high 41 times for 255 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Also passed for 76 yards and another score.

FAVORITE PRO PLAYER AND WHY: Adrian Peterson. “He’s a monster.”

FAVORITE PRO TEAM AND WHY: Pittsburgh Steelers. “They’re the hometown team. I can’t go against them.”

FUTURE PLANS: “Hopefully, I’ll attend a four-year college down in Florida somewhere and play football.”