1996 Sumrow, Steve Celeste Blue Devils Work Hard to Keep State Ranking By David Claybourn Herald Banner Sports Editor Celeste--A lofty state ranking might make some high school football teams overconfident, but not the Celeste Blue Devils. The 4 - 0 Blue Devils, ranked No. 3 in Class A, are keeping things in perspective as they prepare for Fridays homecoming game against Collinsville. Senior fullback-linebacker Joe Rubarts said the ranking shouldnt change the Blue Devils approach to this game or any game, for that matter. I think we should play as a team no matter what our ranking is, said the hard-hitting Rubarts, who plays bigger than his 5 8, 160-pound size. The ranking gives a hint of what the Blue Devils could do if they can take care of business, according to senior running back-linebacker Brett Compton. I think it means weve got a lot of potential, he said. We can either make something out of it or we wont. So far the Blue Devils have lived up to the high expectations of the state sportswriters, who ranked them fourth before the season started. The opened with a 34 - 26 victory over Anna, then whipped long-time rival Gunter 34 - 14 and Tom Bean 19 - 7 before opening District 9 - A play Friday with a 49 - 0 pasting of Savoy. Their start has please Celestes first-year Head Coach Steve Sumrow, who is a former all-state defensive back for the Blue Devils. I couldnt ask for any better start, Sumrow said. Everything just seems to be falling in place. The more we win the harder they work. Quarterback Demetrius Rector, a 5 - 11, 170-pound junior, is directing a Blue Devil I - formation offense that can strike defenses from several different directions. Rector has rushed for 272 yards and five touchdowns on twenty-two carries and has thrown for 264 yards and two more touchdowns. Tailback Marcus Enis, a 5 - 11, 180-pound junior, leads the team in rushing with 303 yards on fifty-one carries. Hes scored six touchdowns. Enis said the Blue Devils have much more togetherness this season. We play as a team this year, he said. Last year, it was like every man for himself. Celeste has three more running backs who also have big-play potential. Chad Speir, a 170-pound senior, has rambled for 158 yards on thirty-three carries, scoring two touchdowns on the ground and one through the air. Compton, who was injured early in the season, ran for sixty-six yards and a touchdown on nine carries last week in his fist action at running back. Rubarts, who leads the blocking from his fullback position, doesnt get his number called on often, but has come up with some tough yards. Hes racked up fifty-three yards on eleven carries and has caught a touchdown pass. We spread the ball around, said Sumrow. We usually have someone over one hundred yards (rushing) every night. Celestes passing game also has big-play potential. The Blue Devils top two receivers, Jamaica Rector and James Grigsby, are averaging 24.8 and 18 yards per reception. Rector, a 140-pound freshman has caught five passes for 124 yards. Grigsby has six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. Celeste has also been deadly on special teams as the Rector brothers, Demetrius and Jamaica, have also returned kickoffs for touchdowns. The Blue Devils defense, which surrendered twenty-six points in the season opener against Anna, has only given up three touchdowns in its last twelve quarters. Grigsby has been a leader on defense from his end position. The 225-pounder made fourteen tackles against Savoy and seventeen in the win over Tom Bean. Grigsby said the high expectations for the team are nothing new. Since the eighth grade everybody expects a whole lot out of this team, he remarked. I think theres more pressure on the coaches than on the players. Sumrow said the Celeste coaches have stepped up the transition in head coaches from Ron Sanderson to himself. Everyones doing his part, he emphasized. Sumrow has been assisted by Mike Lipsey, who also serves as athletic director, plus Gregg Robinson, Jeff Smith, and Joe Watson. The hard-working staff coached a regular two-hour practice on Wednesday afternoon, then lined the field with paint and lime before heading out to the homecoming bonfire on Wednesday night. Not only are the coaches working hard, but also the players Weve got a bunch of us staying in the weight room this year, said senior guard Justin Meeks. The Blue Devils know that it wont be easy to stay up there in the rankings. (Picture. Celestes first-year head football coach Steve Sumrow has the Blue Devils pointing toward a defense of their district title. The Blue Devils, at 4 - 0, are the only undefeated team left in the Greenville area and are No. 3 in the Class A rankings. Herald Banner Photo. David Claybourn). (Undated, 1996, The Greenville Herald Banner)
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 04:45:22 +0000