Tailback never stopped in quest for end zone

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Dec. 13, 2001 | 11:27 a.m.

It had been a most atypical Antione White afternoon as Las Vegas and McQueen re-took the field for overtime to decide the 2001 4A state title.

For week after week, the senior had provided a steady stream of spectacular highlights, so many of them culminating in touchdown celebrations.

After all, White was the state's leading rusher and came into the championship with a gaudy 50 touchdowns this season -- 47 on the ground.

While White had managed 149 yards on 38 carries against the Lancers' stiff defense, he had been kept out of the end zone for the first time in 14 games this year.

Stranger still, White had set up McQueen's lone touchdown with a rare fumble and had kept the ball out of his team's hands on another drive after muffing a punt.

Overtime signalled a fresh start for White and he promptly took advantage of it.

After a 7-yard burst on first down, he delivered one more for the highlight reel on second-and-goal, bouncing outside off a pair of would-be tacklers and into -- where else? -- the end zone.

The play provided a fitting capper for a remarkable offensive season, one that easily earned White the 2001 Sun State Offensive Player of the Year award.

"He had a great year, maybe the greatest year you'll see, especially with all those touchdowns," coach Kris Cinkovich said. "He was extremely durable, he held onto the ball all year and when the time came to make a play, he wanted the ball."

In 14 games, the second-year varsity starter racked up 2,949 rushing yards to go with 48 rushing touchdowns, both believed to be single-season state records. White carried the ball 379 times, averaging 7.8 yards per carry and 211 yards per game, the latter despite exiting early in several lopsided victories.

White was particularly lethal in the postseason. He opened with a five-touchdown barrage against Green Valley, matched that the following week versus Eldorado, scored four times to spearhead a come-from-behind win over Foothill in the Sunrise Region finale and stunned a stingy Durango defense with five scores in the state semifinals.

That assault included back-to-back 300-plus yard totals against the Falcons and Trailblazers, and culminated the following week with his 40-carry, 159-yard day against a McQueen defense famous for shutting down high-caliber running backs.

Through it all, the modest White remained focused on team goals, rarely discussing his own achievements, however impressive they might have seemed to others.

"I really wasn't paying attention to stats, just trying to do whatever it takes to help the team win," said White, who will likely attend a top junior college next year.

As they bid for a repeat championship next year, the Wildcats will be hard pressed to replace White's yardage and touchdowns. More importantly, their coach says, they'll miss his knack for rising to the occasion.

"Big men make big plays in big situations, and he sure did that for us all year," Cinkovich said.