PLAYER OF THE WEEK : White Works Part-Time for Full-Time Results

Russell White has a problem.

He may be the best running back in the Valley, yet has spent more time on the bench this season than a chief justice.

White is not a discipline problem. His bench time stems from the fact that he may be too good.

The Crespi High running back gained 174 yards and scored 3 touchdowns in the first half against Notre Dame on Friday. He played the first series of the second half and picked up another 36 yards and another touchdown. His final numbers: 210 yards and 4 touchdowns in 13 carries. Crespi defeated Notre Dame, 41-3.

His weekly benching is a show of mercy to opponents.

“That’s OK with me,” White said. “It gives my teammates an opportunity to play.”

But that doesn’t mean White would like to spend the rest of this season tossing water bottles to teammates in the second half. Just once, he’d like to play a whole game.

“That’s what I’m waiting for,” he said. “I just want to see how far my limits can be pushed. I want to find out what I can do if I play a whole game.”

His part-time statistics aren’t exactly terrible. After six games, each of which he was removed early in the second half, White has gained 983 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. He’s averaging 15.4 yards a carry.

White, a sophomore, needs another 211 yards to break the Crespi season record of 1,193 yards, set by Willie Curran in 1977.

White wants the record this Friday against Alemany.