Football: Senior from Los Osos finds his Fields of dreams

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When people talk about some of the top running backs here in the Southland, Arby Fields isn’t a name that’s mentioned very often. Players like Santa Clara’s Cierre Wood, Rancho Verde’s Daniel Jenkins and Compton Dominguez’s Marcus Darden typically dominate the conversation.

Things, however, could be on the verge of changing. All eyes were on Fields this past weekend at Los Osos, which participated in its first official practice. And from what I understand, the 5-foot-8, 185-pound senior improved quite a bit this summer and appears poised for a breakout season.

‘I’ve been working out on my own a lot the last couple of months because this is a big year for me, my last one in high school,’’ said Fields, a three-year starter. ‘I’m glad and I think all of my teammates are glad that football is back. Everyone is excited. Everyone is ready. Everyone is motivated.’’

I’m imagining Division I scouts are going to be particularly interested in just how motivated Fields is -- both on and off the field. He has no problems in the classroom and maintains a 3.5 grade-point average. Perhaps that’s why he’s been offered scholarships by colleges such as Duke and Northwestern.

Nevada, UNLV and Washington State are among the seven other schools with scholarships on the table for him. It should also be noted that powerhouse programs such as LSU, UCLA and USC have recently been in contact with Fields, who’s quickly developed into a legitimate prospect.

‘Recruiting is going well,’’ Fields said. ‘Things are happening so fast, faster than I ever thought. I remember seeing other Southern California guys talking to schools from all over the country and I wondered what it would be like. Now I know. I’m blessed to be in this situation and I’m not taking anything for granted.’’

-- Sean Ceglinsky