MARIO WHITNEY

With all due respect to last year's all-state running backs Justin Robinson of Sikeston and New Madrid's Ricky Smith, the most electric, entertaining football player a year ago could have been Jackson's Mario Whitney.

Given that Whitney was a sophomore last year and that Smith and Robinson have graduated, Whitney is no doubt the most talked-about running back in this part of the state heading into the season.

Whitney went into last year with a lot to prove, but he showed that he could play at the varsity level when he scored a 10-yard touchdown on the first carry of his career. He ended up scoring a team-high 17 touchdowns and rushed for 809 yards despite not starting in the backfield and missing a game due to injury. He also averaged 36.5 yards per return last year on special teams.

But those aren't his most impressive numbers.

In track, Whitney took third in Class 4A in the 100-yard dash with a time of 10.6. He posted a hand-held time of 10.3 seconds earlier in the track season. The 6-foot junior runs 40 yards in 4.43-4.45 seconds. And he's just as agile as he is fast.

Whitney had two flaws in his game last year. First, once he got caught, he went down rather easily. And second, he was prone to injury.

But after bulking up this past year, he should improve in both those areas.

Last year, when he first entered Jackson's weight room, Whitney bench pressed 135 pounds and in midseason he weighed about 160 pounds, said Jackson coach Carl Gross.

Now, Whitney is benching about 250, squats 500 and weighs 175.

"We expect bigger things from him this year," said Gross. "And he's even faster than he was last year at this time. He's very impressive physically. I don't think you could pinch a centimeter of skin anywhere on his body."

What may give Whitney his biggest advantage are his bigger and faster teammates.

"We're going to go to him," said Gross. "I'd be stupid not to. But one of the things that will help him more than anything is we've got other go-to guys."

Last year, all-state wide receiver Tory Meyr was no doubt the player Jackson went to in key situations.

But this year, Gross said, the Indians will have a plethora of talented skills people.

"I've got four tight ends that I guarantee could start on any team this side of the state," Gross said. "And our fullbacks have looked really good this summer and have great hands. (Running back) Joe Walter has been looking real good and probably should have played more last year. If they put nine in the box to stop Mario ..."

The benefits are reciprocal.

Whitney will also make his teammates better as he will obviously draw a lot of attention.

"Mario had a great sophomore year but he's not going to surprise anybody this year," added Gross. "And everybody knows that if the line doesn't knock some people down in front of him, I might as well be the running back."

But Gross said Jackson's line is probably the biggest line in school history.

So along with a faster and stronger body and more threats at the skill positions, Whitney has a bigger line in front of him.

And he's got a year of experience, too.

"He's much more comfortable this year," Gross said. "He's really worked hard since he's been here. The big thing is being able to handle the pressure of being the go-to guy. Some do and some don't. I believe he'll thrive and I believe he'll have the confidence in the people in front of him."