Hylton (Woodbridge, Va.) running back Ricky Slade had eight touchdowns in a 66-41 defeat of Patriot (Nokesville) on Friday.
For someone who’s only played four high school football games, Hylton (Woodbridge, Va.) running back Ricky Slade is already drawing a lot of attention.
Slade, a 5-10, 173-pound freshman, ran for five touchdowns, had two touchdown catches and ran back a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown to help lead the Bulldogs (3-1) to a 66-41 win at Patriot (Nokesville) on Friday. Though he hasn’t had an opportunity to play many full games, he has 16 touchdowns.
“He hasn’t had any official offers, but he’s been seen by Ohio State, Florida and UVA (Virginia),” said his father, Ricky Slade, Sr. “They know who he is. He’s on their radar, but they’re waiting to see how he plays this year.”
Slade’s coach, Tony Lilly, played at Florida and was a safety for two Super Bowl teams with the for the Denver Broncos. Though Slade didn’t join the team until summer practices, Lilly had an idea of what kind of player Slade could be.
MORE: ALL-USA home page
“I knew he was an exceptional athlete,” Lilly said. “I had seen some of his film from middle school and from league play. He did things that showed his talent.”
Slade has worked with personal trainer Kevin Johnson, who also trained 2013 ALL-USA defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand of Woodbridge, now a freshman at Alabama.
“He’s done some things with Ricky in preparation from an explosion standpoint and with lateral quickness,” Lilly said. “But then, there are some natural traits that Ricky has that nobody has to coach, such as his vision on the field. I am very excited about watching the growth of this player to see where he’s going to go.”
MORE: Last week’s ALL-USA Performances of the Week
Lilly says Slade reminds him of someone he played alongside with at Florida.
“He reminds me of Emmitt Smith,” Lilly said. “He’s a strong kid with tremendous balance. He runs low to the ground. When I watch him run, he understands when to accelerate. He understands he has to get to the second level fast.”
Slade leads the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Performances of the Week. The rest of the top performances:
Parker Carmichael, QB, Triway, Wooster, Ohio,
Senior completed 43 of 51 passes for 496 yards and eight touchdowns in a 56-20 defeat of Fairless (Navarre) on Friday.
Skyler Duley, RB, Joplin, Mo.
Senior had seven touchdowns, including an 88-yard return on the opening kickoff, a touchdown catch and five touchdown runs, including the final go-ahead score, in a 49-48 defeat of Waynesville on Friday.
VIDEO: Duley’s performance against Waynesville
Calvin Heinman, soccer, Mater Dei, Breese, Ill.
Senior striker had back-to-back hat tricks to lead his team to a 7-0 win at Greenville on Sept.23 and a 5-0 defeat of Freeburg on Thursday.
Jalen Hurts, QB, Channelview, Texas
Junior passed for 373 yards and four touchdowns and ran for 181 yards and five touchdowns in a 70-49 defeat of Memorial (Port Arthur) on Friday.
Soso Jamabo, RB, Plano West, Plano, Texas
Senior ran for seven touchdowns in a 62-30 win at Boyd (McKinney) on Friday. He has run for 20 touchdowns this season.
Kolby Jones, LB, Lake Stevens, Wash.
Senior had 20 tackles and an interception in a 41-21 defeat of Snohomish on Friday.
VIDEO: Kolby Jones highlights
Duke Kinamon, QB, McIntosh, Peachtree City, Ga.
Senior threw for 375 yards and seven touchdowns and ran for 147 yards and a touchdown in a 56-28 win at Morrow on Friday.
VIDEO: Duke Kinamon highlights from this season
Nathaniel Loging, RB, Wautoma, Wis.
Senior set a state record with 524 rushing yards on just 14 carries, including six touchdowns, in a 62-7 defeat of Wisconsin Dells on Friday.
VIDEO: Loging’s highlights against Wisconsin Dells
Amaris Tynismaa, cross country, Montgomery (Ala.) Catholic Prep
Eighth-grader won the Montgomery Academy Invitational on Saturday in 17 minutes and 28 seconds. She was three minutes and 10 seconds ahead of runner-up Tara Katz of Montgomery Academy.