San Diego Player of the Week : Howard Is Chula Vista’s Answer

CHULA VISTA —  Questions about Marquis Howard and the running game in general had been swirling around Chula Vista High School since last season.

Could Howard, a tailback on the junior varsity last season, replace Sione Fehoko, who averaged 141.9 yards per game a year ago, the third highest in the San Diego Section?

And could Coach George Ohnesorgen find the right linemen to block and the right coaches to tutor both the backs and the linemen?

A lot of questions to be sure. They were all answered last Friday night.

Howard, a senior, rushed for 287 yards and 2 touchdowns in 21 carries as the Spartans, who had tied their first two games, defeated Patrick Henry, 24-6.

While Howard may or may not be able to replace Fehoko in the long run, he did take Fehoko’s spot in the Chula Vista record book. Howard eclipsed Fehoko’s single-game rushing record of 252 yards set last year, also against Patrick Henry. Howard’s total was the seventh best in section history.

Though he was happy about his accomplishment, Howard said he wanted to put it behind him.

“I’ve got to think about Granite Hills,” Howard said of the team Chula Vista plays Friday. “A lot of people made a big deal about it (the record) at school, but I’ve got to get it out of my mind or it could screw me up.”

For most of his junior season, Howard had a severely pulled thigh muscle and played only two games for the JV team. The only time he played on the varsity level was with the scout team (the team that acts as that week’s opponent during practice).

But Howard worked hard at the end of last school year and over the summer to be able to play. The school’s trainer gave him some special stretching exercises and put him on a strength program. He even took an extra class during the spring semester--a dance class--to improve his flexibility.

“I figured I’d do anything that would help,” Howard said.

The muscle healed and Howard was in top form for preseason practice.

Even though he was healthy, Howard had a tough time winning the tailback job. The coaches thought about using him to fill a gap at outside linebacker. But Ohnesorgen said Howard worked extra hard during practice and won the job near the end of summer practice.

The first two games were rough on Howard and the Spartans. Their ground game was going nowhere and Howard was “pretty beaten up,” as Ohnesorgen put it. The offensive line play was dismal.

But things took a turn for the better last week.

First, Bob Anderson came back to coach the running backs. Bob is the father of offensive coordinator Mark Anderson and had coached football and wrestling at Chula Vista from 1958-84. Bob was a part-time assistant at the University of Northern Iowa, but when the school hired a full-time coach to replace him, he came back to Chula Vista.

“We consider him to be the best running back coach in the county,” Ohnesorgen said. “He has a way of coaching that gives the kids a lot of confidence.”

Said Howard: “He worked with me on the all the little tiny nit-picky stuff that other coaches miss. It really made a difference. The whole team was more pumped up than usual all week.”

With the return of Anderson, Jay Mack--who had coached the backfield--could concentrate on the offensive line.

Mack moved Joe Heinz from guard to tackle, his natural position. Heinz had been playing guard because Andy Hebron, who usually plays there, had been away in New York. But Hebron was back on Friday.

He brought up sophomore Eric Lundquist from the JV team to fill the other guard spot. He switched junior Ryan Dunn from the defensive line to left tackle.

How did it work?

“The line played great,” Howard said. “The holes were so big I just had to run for daylight. It was nothing but a sprint.”

But Ohnesorgen credited more than just a new line and new coach for Howard’s performance. He said his tailback has a new attitude as well.

“After the first two games, he was a little hesitant,” Ohnesorgen said. “He didn’t have that much experience and he had taken some good shots in both games. We just wanted him to get maybe 100 yards to boost his confidence. We never expected 287.

“This has been a great boost for him. He figured out that he can play on this level, that he doesn’t have to be intimidated.”

Marquis Howard

Chula Vista High

Position: Tailback

Height, Weight, Class: 5-7, 185, Sr.

Last Week: Rushed 21 times for a school-record 287 yards and 2 touchdowns in Chula Vista’s 24-6 victory over Patrick Henry. It was the seventh highest single-game total in San Diego Section history.