Rustin to once again count on traditionally strong running game

WESTTOWN >> “I run 6 plays, split veer. It’s like novocaine. Just give it time, always works.”
So said Denzel Washington as coach Herman Boone in the movie Remember the Titans.
The West Chester Rustin High School playbook may not be that simple, but it’s not that far off. As Rustin head coach Mike St. Clair joked, a team does not have to spend a lot of time scouting the Golden Knights.
“We do what we do, so it’s not like you really have to scout us.” said St. Clair. “I just think if you do one thing right, as well as you can, that breeds success. So we hung our hat on running the ball. I think its easier to find running backs than the perfect passer, receivers who can catch the ball.
“Preseason’s been good. “We have very, very good senior leadership and some young kids coming up. We don’t have as many kids as we usually do because enrollment has gone down a little bit, but we’re looking forward for a good season.”

The Golden Knights are seeking to get back to the District 1 5A championship game, which they lost to Upper Dublin.
“We try to stay motivated every year,” said St. Clair. “We basically have goals in winning West Chester, winning the Ches-Mont and getting to the playoffs. We take pride in the fact that we’ve won three district championships and hopefully, we’ll be in line for a fourth.”
The offense will through the speedy feet of senior running back Dayshawn Jacobs, one of the top returning backs in the area. The Golden Knights had a illustrious list of running backs through their history and Jacobs is poised to add his name to that roster.

“So far, it’s been good. We’ve been working out, two-a-days, just tyring to grind,” Jacobs said when asked about the preseason. “I’m ready, since last year I’ve been gaining weight, grinding all offseason. I’m better than last year. I got bigger, stronger and faster.
“I expect the same thing as last year. Our gameplan doesn’t change. We’re going to grind teams out and we’re going to drive it down on them. We’re going for that District 1 championship.”
When asked about personal goals for the year, Jacobs mentioned that he talked to two pretty good sources for advice.
“I actually talked to my parents about this,” he said. “I’m trying to get over 1,000 yards and go for that District 1 championship. I know how it feels to get so far and come up just a little short.”
St. Clair talked about how fortunate the Golden Knights have been, having Jacobs shouldering the load in the backfield.
“We’ve been blessed to have a lot of good backs here through the years and he’s improved tremendously by living in the weight room. Pound-for-pound, he’s probably the strongest person on the team. He’s built to run now.”

Rustin will have a new triggerman under center as Kolbe Freney takes over the full-time duties.
“Kolbe Freney got some experience last year,” St. Clair said. “A big, tall kid, very athletic. Very well-equipped to take over.”
Freney has a strong arm, so while Rustin won’t get pass happy, they expect to move the the ball through the air when called on.
The offensive line lost a couple of key members, but do have a couple of seniors. The depth is not ideal, so keeping healthy will be vital. Carter Bucci and Jack Shoop, both All-Ches-Mont selections, are two of the returning seniors.
The defense will feature two of the better players in the Ches-Mont, defensive lineman CJ Fisher and linebacker Anthony Meadows.
“We’ve been getting a lot of work in improving our defense and our offense. Our offense is actually looking pretty good,” said Fisher. “Trying to coach the younger D-line guys around me, trying to get them to work hard and get them to their full potential.”

The Golden Knights return their entire starting secondary from last season.
Rustin has eschewed the opening week nonleague game and will have a nine-game schedule, something that doesn’t bother St. Clair.
“We have almost three full weeks of two-a-days to get ready, whereas when you play that 10-game schedule, you have one week of two-a-days then you’ll into your season. We needed the benefit of the extra 10-15 practices to get ready for the season.”
Rustin will jump right into the deep end of the pool when they begin play on Sept. 3 with a trip to Unionville, one of its main rivals for the Ches-Mont American Division crown.
“It’s anybody’s division,” said St. Clair. “It’s a grind. You play that schedule then you cross over with those teams and its a very, very competitive schedule”