Not a lot of people know it, but Northern Lehigh's coaching staff seriously considered running a spread offense last season.
That's right. The program known for its smash-mouth running game was going to open it up. The coaches weren't sure they had a running back that could take the pounding that a Northern Lehigh running back gets exposed to.
At 5-foot-9 and 155 pounds, starting tailback Trevor Yashur didn't seem like someone who fit the mold. But after two scrimmages head coach Joe Tout scrapped the spread and went back to his program's bread and butter, with Yashur as his feature back.
"We had a lot of faith in him," said Tout. "But we weren't sure he could carry that load because of his size. And, he's pretty critical to us defensively. We knew if we lost him at corner, we'd take a big step back.
"He answered those questions. He was durable. He didn't miss any time this year. That ended up being a good thing for us."
Yashur carried the ball 18 times per game, piling up 1,311 yards on 216 attempts in 12 games. He scored 11 rushing touchdowns, helping his team reach a third straight district title game.
For all those accomplishments, he earns this year's TIMES NEWS Football Player of the Year.
"It didn't really dawn on me that I was going to be the next back that they give the ball to 20 times a game," Yashur said. "With Cody [Remaley] leaving, and all his yardage, I knew I had to step it up. I knew I had to fill that spot this year. I knew I had to give it my all."
Northern Lehigh implemented its spread offense in scrimmages against Marian and L