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Author
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Topic: How good is Damien Harris
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 09-12-2014 07:58 AM
Here is what a rival high school coach has to say about Harris and his football talent. You can tell by his comments why so many teams are so hard after him. I just hope he stays home and plays for the Cats as he would really help to make us competitive team in the SEC.
Mark Scenters was the head coach at Garrard County both years. Now he’s the head coach at Madison Central and he saw a bigger, more mature and better Harris last week when his team lost 42-11 to Southern and Harris ran 17 times for 318 yards and four touchdowns.
“He was averaging about 250 yards per game when we played them in 2012 and we held him in check. But now he’s a full-grown man,” said Scenters. “Certainly he has grown. He has matured as a football player and person. You are talking about a kid that is amazingly strong and a physical specimen at 190 pounds as a sophomore, but now he’s a solid 210 pounds.
“We got kids in positions to tackle him and they just kind of bounced off him. The most impressive thing to me with his physical build is that not only is he a big shouldered kid, but his thighs are huge. He’s a pretty impressive specimen. Combine that with the explosion he has, he has a very unique package that he brings from a physical standpoint.”
That’s why schools from coast to coast offered scholarships to the 5-10, 210-pound Harris, a track standout who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds. This season he’s rushed for 635 yards and eight touchdowns on just 35 carries — about 18 yards per carry.
That’s why his offer list includes Alabama, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Fresno State, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Ohio, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Ohio State, Rutgers, South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Southern Cal, Wake Forest and Wisconsin.
Most recruiting analysts regard Ohio State, Alabama and Kentucky as his top choices. He made an official visit to Ohio State last weekend, but the night before UK coach Mark Stoops arrived at Madison Southern for the game with Madison Central in a helicopter and delivered the game ball to midfield before the game.
“It was a circus-like atmosphere for sure,” Scenters said. “Our kids were not caught up too much in that but it was a spectacle with Stoops there. It was a pretty unique atmosphere around the game itself and myself and my coaches were impressed. Coach Stoops walked on the field during warmups and spoke with me. That was kind of a neat thing. It was quite a production.
Harris provided plenty of highlights. He had a 30-yard touchdown run on Southern’s first drive, added a 72-yard run to set up a score and then romped for 67 yards to set up a third score. He ran for three second-half scores, including a 66-yard run, and Stoops stayed until the final play to watch.
“Harris relishes the role of being the guy, and I don’t mean that in a bad way,” Scenters said. “He enjoys being the guy. He is not one at this point to back away from putting the team on his shoulders and going. We ran him down twice because we have a couple of kids that can run, too.
“But there was one play where he took the ball to the left, stopped, let the pursuit pass and then burst across the field again. He’s just that special. The thing about that kid is that once he gets his shoulders squared up, he’s going to take it the distance on you.”
Scenters remembers watching former Boone County standout Shaun Alexander (Alabama) and Bryan Station star Eric Shelton (Florida State, Louisville) play high school and college football — Alexander went on to a long NFL career while injuries stopped Shelton’s pro career. He says Harris is a different type back from either one.
“He is not a big bruiser like Alexander was running in that Power-I between tackles to run over you and then leave you behind,” Scenters said. “Damien is more a slasher. But once he has slashed and his shoulders get squared, his speed is out of this world.”
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Posts: 186362 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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Bama Cat
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Member # 153
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posted 09-13-2014 12:00 AM
........and tonight he ran for 7 touchdowns!!!
Posts: 14203 | From: berea, ky, usa | Registered: Sep 1999
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rlt4uk
Player
Member # 3194
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posted 09-13-2014 02:03 AM
He is A Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson type of player. A player of this caliber only comes along once in A programs life.
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Bleeding Blue in south Alabama. Kentucky born, Kentucky bred,I'll be kentucky until i'm dead!
Posts: 9826 | From: enterprise, al 36330 | Registered: Sep 2010
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 09-13-2014 08:53 AM
If the Cats can sign him it could turn our whole program around. It would help recruiting big time as good players love to play with super stars and there is no doubt Damien Harris is a super-star.
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http://www.ukfightsong.com/
Posts: 186362 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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WildcatFanatic
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Member # 2932
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posted 09-14-2014 12:42 PM
Damien Harris would be a perfect fit for our team. Hope he decides to stay here and play.
Posts: 1531 | From: Lexington, Ky | Registered: Jan 2008
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Green-Bean
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Member # 13551
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posted 09-14-2014 11:04 PM
Is it just me or is High school players in the state of ky getting a lot better over the past few years. used to never hear about a football player from ky but now we have 5 star high school players . coming out of the state. maybe better high school coaches.
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I was Born A Wildcat!
That's All I'll Ever Be!
Posts: 2290 | From: Newport Ky. | Registered: Mar 2014
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boomdaddy
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Member # 2644
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posted 09-15-2014 12:24 PM
I think Harris is the best High School RB from the state of Kentucky since Shaun Alexander. Remember Alexander? He stated that he had interest in Kentucky, but Mumme never offered or even called him. He went to Bama and then the pros.
Posts: 8791 | From: paris, ky | Registered: Mar 2006
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boomdaddy
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Member # 2644
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posted 09-15-2014 12:26 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Green-Bean:
Is it just me or is High school players in the state of ky getting a lot better over the past few years. used to never hear about a football player from ky but now we have 5 star high school players . coming out of the state. maybe better high school coaches.
I think it goes in cycles for this state. We get a few lean years and then a few rich ones. From my observations, anyway.
Posts: 8791 | From: paris, ky | Registered: Mar 2006
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