ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Jeremy Penwell

School: Fredericktown

Sport: Football

Coach: Kent Gibbs

This season: Penwell, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound senior tailback, has rushed for 1,128 yards on 157 carries; an average of 7.2 yards per carry. He has scored nine touchdowns for 3-5 Fredericktown. Last year, Penwell ran for 1,100 yards. Penwell also is averaging 22 yards on kickoff returns.

Week report: In a 20-12 win over Dexter in the first week of Missouri Class 3A district play, Penwell gained 220 yards on 24 carries and scored a touchdown. Playing free safety on defense, he had three tackles, including one for a loss.

Coach's comments: "As far as Friday night is concerned, there's nobody I'd rather have as my running back," said Gibbs, who has coached 1,000-yard rushers including Penwell. "Very seldom does one guy tackle him. He keeps his feet moving and does a really nice job of running north and south. He'll fool you a little bit, because he plays faster than he is."