Fast to 1,000 yards

After 40 carries, Carter Brown wasn't tired. He was ready for more.

That was the workload for the North Border senior when the Eagles played Nelson County. Brown picked up 282 yards in the 38-20 setback.

When Brown heard after the game how many carries he had, "I was a little bit surprised,'' said Brown, a 9-man second team all-stater last season. "During the game, with the adrenaline going, you don't realize it. If the coaches had wanted to, they could have given me the ball more. It was a fun game.

"The next day I was a little sore and tired. But I was feeling good and ready to go on Monday.''

Brown has been getting a lot of carries and yards. A milestone for running backs is 1,000 yards rushing; Brown reached that mark in the first five games. He's had 230 or more yards rushing in four games, including the last three.

Only unbeaten and top-ranked Cavalier has held Brown to fewer than 100 rushing yards.

"Carter wants the ball on every play,'' North Border coach Tim Hartje said. "We lean on him pretty hard; at times, probably too hard.

"He likes pounding at people. That's where he gets a lot of his yards, between the guards. Carter is deceptively fast. With his size, it doesn't necessarily look like he can make big runs. But he can.''

Brown said the line of Cole Hipsher, Colton Willits and center Luke Newell has played well. And there's punch in the backfield with the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Brown and 5-10, 210-pound fullback Tucker Soli. Both are also wrestling standouts, Brown having been a state placer each of the past three seasons and Soli being a state qualifier last season.

"We have some size,'' Brown said. "We're mostly a pound-it-up-the-middle offense. But I think we wear down defenses and hopefully can break some big runs.

"I like contact. Sometimes I have to remember to use my moves and speed, too. But the physical aspect, that's definitely my favorite part of the game.''

Brown started on the offensive line as a 160-pound freshman, moved to starting fullback as a sophomore and has been the regular running back the last two seasons.

"We were playing 11-man (as a freshman) and we didn't have quite the depth, so they put me on the line,'' Brown said. "It was definitely an eye-opener playing there. I'd say I had a disadvantage size-wise up there. But my wrestling background helped.''

Colleges recruiting him include Mayville State, Minot State, Valley City State, Concordia College, University of Jamestown and Minnesota-Moorhead. Indications are that he'll play linebacker at the college level. He's averaging 6.4 tackles a game.

"And I'd like playing linebacker,'' Brown said. "You get to go out and hit people on every play. The physical part of the game-that's the part I like.''