Daniel Coles sported a slight limp during Saturday’s game against Massaponax, the product of a new knee brace that succeeded at protecting him from injury—but not from the good-natured ribbing of his Brooke Point teammates.
“They’re like, ‘You’re too big to be going out of bounds,’” said Coles, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound junior running back. “I was like ‘All right, next time I get the ball I’m going to break free, go straight down the field, burn everybody and score.’ ”
Coles, who had already found the end zone four times in the Black-Hawks’ 57-14 rout of the Panthers, did just that. He took a third-quarter handoff and outraced everyone from 43 yards out to punctuate his five-touchdown outing and earn Free Lance-Star player of the week honors.
“Then they stopped making fun of me,” Coles noted.
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The bulky tape wrap was about the only thing that restricted Coles’ movement on the field Saturday. Brooke Point head coach Dwight Hazelwood estimated that Coles gained about 65 of his 156 rushing yards after contact.
“He just refused to go down,” Hazelwood. “And that’s what it’s like at practice too. Those guys (his defensive teammates) don’t let him get away with anything.”
Ironically, the best thing to happen to Coles as it pertains to playing running back was probably not playing running back.
After three consecutive losses to open the season, Coles shifted under center and passed for 185 yards and three touchdowns to help engineer a victory over Eastern View.
Now, with sophomore Gabriel Dombeck at quarterback, Coles has moved back to his natural position. And the added perspective is paying off.
“When he went to QB and had to operate and understand what everyone was doing, he played the game like a video game,” Hazelwood said. “Sitting in a meeting and understanding everybody’s job, I think that’s really what did it.”
The question now is whether the Black-Hawks (3-4, 2-1 Commonwealth) can keep doing it. Fresh off its first loss of the season, Mountain View will pay Coles and Brooke Point a visit on Friday night.
Brooke Point currently sits in ninth place in the Region 5D rankings; the top eight teams make the playoffs. Victories against the Wildcats, Colonial Forge and North Stafford to close out the season would guarantee the Black-Hawks a berth.
“To be honest, I feel like every team is extremely beatable for us,” Coles said. “If we have a good week of practice, I feel like we can win out the district.”
HONORABLE MENTION
Yayah Conteh, North Stafford, RB: Three total TDs, interception, fumble recovery vs. Stafford in the Wolverines’ first win of the season.
Jaiden Fair, Mountain View WR: Six receptions, 94 yards vs. Colonial Forge.
Savion Hiter, Louisa RB: Four rushing TDs, 187 total yards vs. Western Albemarle.
D’Myo Hunter, Eastern View QB: Four TD passes, rushing TD vs. Spotsylvania.
Noah Martin, Fredericksburg Christian WR/DB: Two interception return TDs, one receiving TD vs. Christchurch.
Marvin Morris, Caroline WR: 152 receiving yards, three tota.l TDs vs. Courtland in Caroline’s first Battlefield District win since 2019
Jaevyen Peterson, Colonial Forge RB/DB: 39 rushing yards, game-winning forced fumble and return vs. Mountain View.
Melvin Spriggs, Saint Michael RB: 167 rushing yards, TD vs. North Cross.
Dwayne Wells, Orange RB: 101 rushing yards, two TDs vs. Fluvanna.
