2022 HSSN football position-by-position breakdown: Scouting the running backs

By: Chris Harlan
Tuesday, August 16, 2022 | 9:49 PM

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Take a look at the WPIAL rushing leaders from last season and you’ll notice four state champions.

Along with earning a spot among the league’s top five rushers, Central Valley’s Landon Alexander, Mt. Lebanon’s Alex Tecza, Penn-Trafford’s Cade Yacamelli and Aliquippa’s Tiqwai Hayes also led their teams to PIAA titles a year ago. So, no, high school teams haven’t forgotten about the run game.

Alexander won the WPIAL rushing title with 2,397 yards, Tecza was second with 2,079, Yacamelli was fourth with 1,866 and Hayes was fifth with 1,746. Third was Steel Valley’s Nijhay Burt, who had his season cut short by injury in the WPIAL quarterfinals. Burt had 2,044 yards.

Among those five only Hayes returns, but he’ll have new competition for the rushing title.

TribLive HSSN will break down the top players at one position per day until Week Zero. Here’s a look at the top running backs for the 2022 season.

1. Quinton Martin

Belle Vernon

Junior, 6-3, 205 pounds

Martin, the state’s top-ranked recruit for 2024, averaged more than 11 yards per carry last season. He finished with 902 yards on 80 carries. Injury limited him to eight games. He split carries with running quarterback Devin Whitlock, an 1,100-yard rusher who graduated, leaving him a bigger workload. Martin showed his explosiveness in a 13-carry, 206-yard, two-TD performance against McKeesport. The Leopards used him as a running back, wide receiver, safety and kick returner. He scored 16 touchdowns last season including kick returns of 88 and 94 yards. His list of college offers includes Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Boston College, Cincinnati, Florida State, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Louisville, Ohio State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Texas, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.

Watch Quinton Martin highlights

2. Tiqwai Hayes

Aliquippa

Sophomore, 6-0, 193 pounds

Hayes was maybe the WPIAL’s biggest surprise of 2021. Aliquippa coaches didn’t project “Tikey” to be Aliquippa’s primary back as a freshman, but he got some early carries and ran away with the job. Hayes rushed for 1,746 yards on 245 carries and scored a team-high 23 touchdowns as Aliquippa won WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A titles. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry and 125 yards per game as a workhorse back for the Quips. That certainly was true in the state championship when he carried 32 times for 141 yards and scored three times. He has Pitt, Penn State, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Michigan among his D1 offers.

Watch Tiqwai Hayes highlights

3. Bobbie Boyd

McKeesport

Senior, 5-9, 165 pounds

Boyd emerged last fall as a force in McKeesport’s option offense. He topped 100 rushing yards in 10 of the team’s 12 games and finished the season with 1,545 yards on 171 carries. He scored 16 touchdowns, his longest on an 85-yard run. His best stat line came in a win over Thomas Jefferson when he rushed 22 times for 227 yards and three touchdowns. He holds college offers from Akron, Austin Peay, Duquesne, Long Island, Richmond, Robert Morris and St. Francis.

Watch Bobbie Boyd highlights

4. Braylan Lovelace

Leechburg

Senior, 6-2, 195 pounds

Lovelace committed this summer to Pitt over offers from Virginia Tech, Army, Toledo and others. The Panthers recruited him to play linebacker, but for now he remains one of the most productive running backs in the WPIAL. He carried the ball 171 times for 1,506 yards and scored 29 total touchdowns last season as the Blue Devils won their first playoff game in 32 years. He averaged 8.8 yards per carry and 125.5 yards per game. He scored seven times in a 17-carry, 184-yard effort against Imani Christian.

Watch Braylan Lovelace highlights

5. Jaquon Reynolds

Gateway

Junior, 5-7, 165 pounds

Reynolds has D1 offers from Akron, Bowling Green, Temple and UMass. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry as a sophomore, but that number is expected to rise significantly. He finished his sophomore season with 604 yards on 150 carries and scored eight touchdowns. Reynolds also caught 24 passes for 351 yards. He showed his potential in a 21-carry, 164-yard, two-touchdown game against Penn Hills in Week 2. The Gators expect to be stronger on the offensive line this season. If so, Reynolds should see more room to run.

Watch Jaquon Reynolds highlights

One to watch

Evan Wright

Mars

Junior, 5-10, 175

Wright was explosive when on the field last season, but injury limited his sophomore season to seven games. Still, he rushed for a team-high 621 yards and four touchdowns on 114 carries. His best effort was a 26-carry, 174-yard, two-touchdown game against New Castle. His longest TD run was a 66-yarder. New coach Eric Kasperowicz is counting on Wright to be a key part of the Planets’ spread offense.

Watch Evan Wright highlights

• • • • •

Position breakdowns

QB | RB | WR | TE | OL | DL | LB | CB | S | K

Top five coaching changes for 2022

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.

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