Del Sol tailback eyes breakout season

By Case Keefer (contact)

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009 | 11 p.m.

If the Del Sol High football team wins the coin toss Friday for its season opener at Valley, senior Dezrick Reed has no doubts about what the Dragons should do.

Take the football.

Reed, starting running back and linebacker, wants Del Sol’s offense to strike first.

“I want to get that first carry and feel what a touchdown would be like,” said Reed, a senior who is looking for his first varsity touchdown.

Reed will have plenty of chances to capture that feeling this season. The 5-foot-10, 210-pounder will open the season as the featured back for the Dragons, a team known for its rushing attack.

Del Sol threw the ball less than seven times per game last season and two running backs toppled the 1,000-yard mark. Now, it’s Reed’s turn.

“The two-back position at this school is held in high regards because we carry the ball so much,” Del Sol coach Preston Goroff said. “We’re expecting big things out of him.”

Reed never expected to have this opportunity. Ever since he was a freshman, Reed said he thought he would be playing exclusively on defense when he reached the varsity level.

Last year, he started every game at outside linebacker and had only 16 carries for 79 yards as a running back.

At the end of his junior season, Reed figured he’d be the leader of the defense as a senior and play sparingly on offense. Although Del Sol graduated four of its top five rushers, it still had Earnest Hall, who recorded 161 carries for 1,176 yards last season.

But Hall transferred to Palo Verde. Suddenly, Reed was the Dragons’ top option.

“It did kind of all fall in place a little bit,” Reed said. “I know my team is depending on me.”

Despite his role expanding offensively this season, Reed will also continue to start at linebacker.

“Defensively, he’s a beast,” Goroff said. “He’s a stud — very strong, very physical and fast off of the ball.”

The Dragons are counting on his production.

They also look toward Reed for leadership. He’s become a mentor for sophomore running back Chris Marshall, who will also receive a large number of carries this season.

Marshall regularly gets advice from Reed and tries to follow his example on the practice field. Marshall described Friday’s looming season opener as “intimidating,” but said confiding with Reed would help him calm his nerves.

“He’s my big brother in football,” Marshall said. “When I didn’t know the plays or the specialties or what to do, he pumps me up.”

Reed will need no one to pump him up Friday. This is what he has waited for. He’s ready to get the football in his hands.

“I have a lot of shoes to fill because we are a running team,” Reed said. “It’s exciting and it keeps me going.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or at [email protected].