Football: Richardson and Smith are ready to step out of the shadows

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Melvin Richardson and Dwight Smith might be unfamiliar names to many, most likely because both took a backseat to standout senior running backs such as Darrell Scott, Milton Knox and Ryan Bass a season ago. But with the upperclassmen off to college, the junior tandem appears poised to step to the forefront.

Programs don’t get much more high-profile than that of Long Beach Poly, where Richardson ran roughshod last season, finishing with more than 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns. The efforts of the 5-foot-10, 195-pound back did not go unnoticed by college scouts. According to these quotes, he’s been contacted by LSU, Oregon and Stanford.

Smith, on the other hand, went about things quietly at Monrovia. The 5-foot-9, 200-plus pounder, with 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash, transferred to Colony recently and will have every opportunity to become the featured back for the Titans. Oregon State, Northern Arizona and Utah are a few of the schools reportedly interested.

-- Sean Ceglinsky