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By SouthernPigskin.com
Staff Writer J.T. Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com Staff Writer J.T. Bennett talks about the heart of a high school running back and his football team.
The Grayson Rams handed the South Gwinnett Comets their first loss on Friday night. The Rams defeated the Comets 27-16 behind Ean Pemberton who dished another impressive performance at running back, rushing for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
The great thing about Pemberton is that he is an all around back. He runs great between the tackles and on the outside, he catches the ball well, and he even blocks well. Pemberton is the workhorse for a team that is ranked in the top five in some national polls. But according to Grayson head coach Mickey Conn, those things aren’t his best attributes.
“I think his heart is his advantage. The kid has got unbelievable heart and great feet. He just isn’t tall. The kid can play as good as anybody and he is a division one prospect. He is the best back I know in the state," Conn stated.
If you haven’t caught on yet…Ean Pemberton is short. He is listed at 5’5’’ but may be a little shorter. His size obviously doesn’t hurt him because he rushed for at least a thousand yards each of the last two seasons and looks to be on track for three in a row. Those are pretty impressive numbers considering he has accomplished all of this in Georgia 5A high school football and has played against teams like Parkview, Brookwood, Warner Robins, and Camden County.
“I think it is an advantage, they can’t see me behind the big lineman and once they do hit me I know how to bounce off of hits and keep moving my feet. It is really an advantage that you can’t see me. You can’t hit what you can’t see. That is my motto.” Said Pemberton.
At 5’5’’ most people would think Pemberton is an outside runner, but he is at his best running between the tackles. Pemberton said it best, “...they can’t see me”. But he also has impressive speed and has been clocked at 4.41 forty yard dash.
Pemberton is on a team that features a BYU commit at Safety in Kori Gaines, a Georgia Tech commit at defensive tackle in Shawn Green, a defensive end in Joseph Champaign who has 5 offers including ones from Stanford and BYU, and a linebacker in Terry Williams who has six offers.
Needless to say the team is riddled with division one talent and who is everyone talking about? Ean Pemberton. Joseph Champaign had some good things to say about his teammate.
“Ean is fun to watch. His motor never stops and keeps going. He runs through tackles and has the heart of a lion. He is really dedicated to the program and works his tail off in the weight room and he shows that on the football field,” he said.
The Rams look to go far with great defensive play and a great running game featuring Ean “Little Man” Pemberton. I wouldn’t take that nickname lightly though. I saw this “Little Man” brush off two linebackers on his way for a score.
The common theme around the Grayson players is taking it one week at a time. “You have to go 1-0 each week,” said Kori Gaines. After beating the defending state champions in Camden County to open the season and improving to 4-0 on the season Friday night, this team is showing a lot of maturity by not being over confident.
The Rams have a tough test next week when they travel to Parkview. But with Ean Pemberton carrying the load they should come out with a W.
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PHOTO: AJC
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