If Welch had one more year with him, he’d be DI

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I’m talking about St. Margaret’s running back Hunter Steffien. Actually, I’m talking about new St. Margeret’s Coach Harry Welch talking about the Tartan senior, pictured here (photo fromSteffien.com).

After the 56-14 victory over Marantha a couple weeks ago, in which Steffien ran for 174 yards and two touchdowns, I asked Welch about his running back, a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder (who also plays linebacker) with quick feet and great vision. He was very complimentary, of course:

‘If I would have had him for two years, I would have made a nice DI prospect out of him,’ Welch said.

Coach, you haven’t had him for two months and you’ve already made a college prospect out of him.

In Saturday’s 35-19 victory over Whittier Christian, Steffien rushed for 263 yards and three touchdowns-- tops in The OC for the week. He is averaging 218 yards a game this season and has rushed for 654 yards and eight touchdowns after three games, according the OC Register’s stats.

The Heralds (2-1), the No. 4 team in last week’s Southern Section Northest Division poll, actually had a 19-14 lead at halftime, but as the Whittier Daily News wrote, ‘the second half was all Steffien.’

The top-ranked Tartans improved to 3-0.

Steffien is a good prospect, especially for lower-division school’s that focus on academics (I’m looking at you Harvard, Yale, Columbia and University of San Diego). Which is great, because an Ivy League school is where he wants to go.

I wonder how many players told Welch that while he was at Canyon Country Canyon?

- Jaime Cardenas