Continuing our whip-around the six counties looking at the running back situations, we combine the counties of Polk and Manatee. On the surface–and statistically speaking–the amount of depth returning in the backfields in these two counties pales in comparison to the ones featured from Pinellas, but don’t breakout the pitchforks and brake your computer screens just yet–by NO MEANS do we mean to suggest these two counties won’t have some studs toting the rock this season. It simply remains to be seen who will take a stranglehold on the spots immediately behind the number ones in each county, that’s all.

We start with Polk County with Lakeland’s AJ Davis the clear-cut number one running back in the county heading into the spring. That goes well-beyond the number of offers he receives daily from P-5 schools who finished second behind Fort Meade’s Tyler King in regular season rushing yardage. Davis is a dynamic running back and is worth the attention after posting 1,150 yards and ten touchdowns for the Dreadnaughts during the regular season. Pushing him this season–and perhaps ready to introduce himself much in the way that Davis has the past few seasons, is sophomore Travell Jones from Lake Gibson, who rushed for 1,140 yards in the regular season and 1,218 if you add his playoff game versus Brandon adding thirteen touchdowns for the Braves.

Santa Fe Catholic’s Damario Vanover checks-in as the third-leading rusher statistically having rushed for 867 yards and fifteen touchdowns for the Crimson Hawks. Where the rest of the top ten fits in is anybody’s guess at this point with seven of the county’s top-ten running backs graduating. We mentioned Tyler King from Fort Meade, but plenty of other schools will be auditioning prospects for their starting positions as well.

Ridge Community will need to replace 1,000+-yard rusher Keandre Griner, while Lakeland Christian and Tenoroc will be replacing 1,100+ yard rushers Benjamin Sirmons and Jedarian Gaskins respectively. Auburndale will have to replace their pair of rushers Jessie Britt and Artavis Pierce while Kathleen’s Izayah Riettie and Jules St. Ge undoubtedly will be missed. Winter Haven will be looking for someone to vill the void that Te’kendrick Roberson has left as well.

Down in Manatee County, two schools will be returning their best two rushers. Saint Stephen’s Episcopal returns the versatile Fred Billy who rushed for 1,000+ yards and eighteen touchdown while the Falcons also get Demetrius Davis back–who rushed for 668 and nine touchdowns. The pair are just sophomores meaning they’ll have two more seasons to contribute to their squad. Braden River gets bruising runner Raymond Thomas Jr. back for his senior season as well as Deshaun Fenwick–who is just a sophomore at this time. Thomas was named to the Bradenton Herald-Tribune’s First-Team after posting 794 yards ad fifteen touchdowns for the Pirates. Fenwick added another nine touchdowns and 630 yards.

Notable absences due to graduation will be Southeast’s Kevin Johnson–who may be replaced by Tyler Stephenson, but with a new coach in-place the competition will likely be wide open. Bayshore will need a replacement for A’shawn Angell, Lakewood Ranch–although with plenty of competition at the spot–will still need someone to be the heartbeat like Justin Fischer was for them last season and Palmetto is looking for someone to step-in and be the man to replace Octavious James–who signed with Savannah State along with Florida’s Mr. Football from Nature Coast, Deshawn Smith.

Manatee needed to find a replacement for Larenz Allen, and boy–did they find a replacement. Josh Booker is just a sophomore currently, but led Sarasota County in rushing for Sarasota High School last season. He checks-in at 5-11/213 and is likely to turn twice as many heads this season than he did last. Although Booker’s a part of a much larger story coming out of the school with seven transfers leaving the program immediately following the announcement of a new head coach, that drama shouldn’t effect him as the ‘Canes need him to concentrate on the task at hand–mainly, hosting Countryside in the Spring, Armwood in the fall classic, and then an opening week tilt up in Alabama.