Power and speed: Owens leading the way for Central football team

The combination of speed and power has turned Braion Owens into the Central Tigers' all-purpose running back this season.

The senior leads the Tigers in rushing with 180 carries for 1,429 yards and 18 touchdowns, and his 209-yard performance in last week's state quarterfinal win over Affton has the Tigers one game away from the Class 4 state championship.

But Owens' rise to becoming Central's workhorse running back only began two years ago, when the opportunity presented itself for Owens to make the switch from center to running back.

"We could tell the first time he carried the ball that he had some natural running back ability," Central coach Nathan Norman said. "He's just a natural running back. He's got some things you can't coach, and fortunately for us, he was coachable on top of that. He's really developed into a really good high school running back."

While junior standout Al Young's 24 offensive touchdowns leads the team, much of Central's offensive success hinges on the production of Owens, who has yet to turn the ball over all season.

Central running back Braion Owens carries against Affton s Terrell Van during the fourth quarter of the Class 4 state quarterfinal Friday, Nov. 14, 2014 in Affton, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

"He's a very integral part of the Cape Central offense, and there's not anything that we can't run when he's in the game," Norman said. "Like I've always said, he's our all-around, all-purpose running back. He's a great blocker. He knows all the offense. He can catch the ball out of the backfield, can do the screens out of the backfield and he's an every-down back. He's a huge part of our offense."

As a junior, Owens played behind Southeast Missourian Player of the Year Mikey Jones, who wrapped up his final season with 2,076 rushing yards and 27 scores.

Owens' role was vastly different as coaches used him more for his speed and Jones for his power, but Owens believes his versatility has been a result of combining both facets into his own game.

"Mixing all of them in one is what has helped me more this year," Owens said. "Power, going up through the holes and using my speed on the outside, that's what's helped me a lot."

Even playing on the offensive line, Owens said he always possessed a unique quickness that other linemen couldn't match.

"When I played offensive line, I was always the fastest dude on the line because of how good my footwork was and how smart I was," Owens said. "Coming into high school, with lifting and working on the ladder, that got my speed up."

A hard worker both in the weight room and on the field, Owens credits Jones for teaching him how to utilize his strength.

"Never stop your motor. Never stop your legs. If there's an arm tackle, you've just got to keep your legs moving and keep fighting," Owens said. "That's always helped, getting those little extra yards on the stat sheet."

And the extra yards have been useful.

Owens' longest run of the season came in the semifinals of the district tournament against Sikeston. Per usual, Central dialed up a run play between the tackles for Owens, who broke loose and found space down the sideline for the 92-yard score.

"He's explosive," Young said. "He's got a quick juking ability. If he beats you with one cut and he's got an open hole, he's going to make it happen."

The Tigers have an arsenal of players to choose from in their rushing attack, including Young, who has racked up 806 rushing yards on 87 carries and scored 12 of his 24 offensive touchdowns on the ground this season. Known for his quickness and ability to make plays in open space, Young has been playing with Owens since the third grade.

"I like his juke moves. Last week after practice, I saw him juke somebody. I tried it yesterday in practice, and it worked," Young said. "... He'll surprise you with the stuff he does. I like his balance, his quickness and everything else."

Owens is averaging 7.9 yards per carry this year, while Young is averaging 9.3 yards per rush.

"Not all of the pressure is on me, so every time I touch the ball, I don't have to score because I know there are four or five other guys that can do the exact same thing every time they touch the ball," Owens said. "Being on a team full of athletes is just about being patient. Like coach says, 'Any one of us can explode at any time.'"

One of Owens' favorite running backs is former NFL star LaDainian Tomlinson, who spent the majority of his 11-year career with the San Diego Chargers. At 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, Owens has a similar build to the 5-foot-10, 215-pound Tomlinson.

Owens also wears No. 21, which Tomlinson donned throughout his pro career.

Central has relied heavily on Owens' defensive ability as well. As a starting linebacker, Owens has amassed 50 tackles this season and has forced two fumbles.

"Early in the year, I had to rotate those backs quite a bit, and he wasn't getting all those carries or getting all those yards. He wasn't going to be the career leading rusher for Cape Central, which he had a shot at doing, but he knew unselfishly that he had to play linebacker and running back for us to be successful," Norman said. "He had to work himself into shape, stay injury-free, stay healthy, stay fresh. We've been very, very fortunate that we've had a plethora of running backs that we could rotate, and he stayed fresh. It's paying off right now."

The spotlight on Owens was perhaps the brightest in last week's win over Affton. In frigid temperatures, an explosive third quarter saw Owens score two of his three touchdowns en route to a 34-14 playoff win.

"It's huge in the playoffs at the end of the year. There's nothing like it," Norman said. "You've got to have two to three good backs, and we've had that all year. I'm still confident in all my running backs. Whoever's got the hot hand that night, that's the one that's going to carry the rock, and he had that last week."

Owens credits his improvement throughout the season to running backs coach Britt Mirgaux.

"I've learned a lot, as far as how to cut, when to cut and where to cut," Owens said. "I owe a lot of that to my running backs' coach. He helped me on footwork a lot."

He also remains humble in recognizing his offensive line as a key component to his success.

"They never quit. Now those guys' motors never stop. First through fourth down, they're always yelling, 'Yeah, let's go,'" Owens said. "Dominance is the key thing they always focus on every week. It's just an honor to run behind them."

Norman has made it a point of emphasis all season to mold his players into becoming better people both on and off the field.

Owens might be an ideal embodiment of that philosophy.

"He's a nice kid on and off the field. He does what you ask him to do, and he plays hard," Norman said. "He's got grit on Friday night and wants to win, and he knows how to be respectful when the game's over and treat people the right way.

"He's really become a team player, a team-first guy. It's ironic that when that's happened, he's had his best year as well. That's really good to see."