Chaparral’s Hagan smooth in transition

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Nov. 26, 1999 | 9:41 a.m.

Back in the preseason, Chaparral senior Mario Hagan expressed some apprehension about moving from receiver to running back.

Although confident he could make the switch fairly smoothly, Hagan explained that he worried whether colleges would still be interested in him if he took up an unfamiliar position in his final year of high school.

After a season that saw him rush for an area-best 1,645 yards and 17 touchdowns on 161 carries, Hagan's fears have clearly been put to rest. In fact, several Division I schools are now recruiting him as a running back, along with others still pursuing him as a receiver.

"He's very intriguing to a lot of schools," Chaparral coach Ben Johnson said. "He's such a unique athlete that can play both spots."

Throughout the 1999 prep season, Hagan indeed established himself as one of Nevada's unique talents. Despite playing in a Cowboys offense lacking another big-play threat, the 6-3, 195-pounder ran around, over and through opposing defenses with regularity, earning the Sun's 1999 Offensive Player of the Year award in the process.

"In some games, the entire defense was flowing to Mario," Johnson said. "He'd see nine people in the box waiting for him, but he has good feet and good hips and makes people miss."

Combining the speed that made him an all-division receiver in 1998 with a hard-nosed, physical running style, Hagan presented a versatile threat for Cowboys foes.

When given running room, he could run away from the area's fastest defensive backs. And when faced with an approaching linebacker or safety, Hagan proved he wasn't afraid to lower his head and force contact, often dragging one or two defenders downfield.

"I think I have a little more vision of the field than most backs. I know where everybody's at," Hagan said. "As a receiver, I took some big hits last year. As a running back, you get to make the hit. You don't get blindsided all the time."

Though confident moving Hagan into the backfield was the right move this season, Johnson said his decision was backed up in his club's very first game -- a clash with Utah power Copper Hill.

"There were a number of times in that game that he could have gone out of bounds, but he lowered his shoulder to get extra yardage," Johnson said. "He showed a lot to me there."

Hagan also continued to be a receiving threat this fall, catching 23 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns. And he did much of his damage despite playing with a slightly separated shoulder -- a product of taking more hits than perhaps any player in the state.

But as any Chaparral coach, fan or player will attest, the Cowboys' disappointing 1999 campaign had its silver lining: the chance to see Hagan make highlight film runs with regularity.

As for his postseason dreams, Hagan will take those with him to college. And after a year that saw him make his positional switch look easy, there are plenty of those calling.

"I have the option now," Hagan said. "Some people want me as a running back and some as a receiver. It depends on what they need. I'm a double-position player now."