By Gary Lloyd
For The Tribune
Terrelle West does not like to be tackled
.
The 5-foot-6, 150-pound sophomore running back said as much after rushing for 156 yards and three touchdowns on just 10 carries in Friday night’s 52-14 Clay-Chalkville (4-0, 3-0) victory over Class 6A, Region 7 opponent Pell City. West scored on runs of 14, 63 and two yards.
West, who also plays basketball at Clay-Chalkville, beat the Pell City (2-2, 2-1) defense by more than just speeding around the edge and down the sideline. He rushed between the tackles and bulled over defensive tackles and linebackers. The 40-yard dash is not important to him. He has never attempted it, though he estimates he would be clocked at about 4.4 or 4.5 seconds.
“He’s got a different deal about himself,” said Cougars head coach Jerry Hood.
What Hood means is that West does not get “the big head.”
Case in point: Clay-Chalkville sophomore football players stay on the field after home games to clean and bring equipment back to the athletics building. Most Cougars players were still milling around after the game, celebrating with family and friends. West was headed toward the athletics building, toting four or five chairs that line the Cougars’ sideline during games. He comes to play, gives it his all and goes home, Hood said.
“I feel like I’m a good runner,” West said. “I’m not just a third-down back.”
West was not the only Clay-Chalkville player to stand out Friday. Junior quarterback Hayden Moore completed 18-of-21 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns.
“The reads were there, guys were open, I read them right and they were easy passes,” Moore said.
Moore connected with junior wide receiver Brian Clark, junior running back Kenterrius Gray and senior receiver DeAndre Woods on touchdown passes of 30, 13 and 22 yards, respectively.
Woods finished with six receptions for 87 yards and the one touchdown. Clark had 51 receiving yards on two catches and Gray caught three passes for 63 yards. Junior running back Sidney Battle rushed 12 times for 73 yards.
Gray scored the Cougars’ first touchdown on a 6-yard run late in the first quarter. Sophomore kicker Patrick Millican kicked a 22-yard field goal for Clay-Chalkville.
Defensively for the Cougars, junior defensive back Tre Hrabowski had an interception and senior defensive back Jeremy Lawson recovered a third-quarter fumble.
Clay-Chalkville hosts Pinson Valley (2-2, 2-1 Class 5A, Region 6) on Friday at 7 p.m.
“We’re going to get prepared and just play football,” West said. “It’s just another opponent.”