Sherman Pays Price for His Carries

For Shane Sherman, success can be painful. The more yards he gains at tailback for Edison High’s football team, the more often he gets the ball. The more often he gets the ball, the more his body hurts.

“I feel it during the game, believe me,” said Sherman, a senior. “When you carry the ball, you don’t feel anything, you don’t hear anything, you just see things.”

Thursday, Sherman had a season-high 37 carries, running for 207 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-10 victory over Ocean View.

Giving the ball to Sherman, The Times’ Athlete of the Week, has been a successful tactic for the Chargers (6-3 overall, 3-1 in the Sunset League), who are tied for first place in the league.

In his first season as the Chargers’ starting tailback, Sherman is the third-leading rusher in Orange County with 1,361 yards.

Edison won the four games in which Sherman rushed more than 30 times, a statistic that isn’t lost on Edison Coach Dave White.

“When he’s getting a groove going, we keep giving him the ball,” White said.

But as Sherman continues carrying the ball, he is torn between the fun and the pain. So much so that he is thinking twice about playing football in college.

“I haven’t made that decision yet,” Sherman said. “Ten years (playing football) is a long time for me.”

TOP PERFORMERS

Brian Lucas of Corona del Mar ran for a school single-game record of 234 yards in 26 carries in a 25-8 victory over University Thursday. Lucas broke the record of 227 yards set in 1966 by Tom Westgate.

Derrick Nicholson of Pacifica scored two touchdowns on defense as the Mariners defeated Rancho Alamitos, 41-14, Friday. Nicholson recovered a fumble and ran 90 yards for one touchdown. For the other, he returned an interception 83 yards.

Trent Julian of La Quinta rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown in 13 carries and caught six passes for 62 yards in a 37-3 victory over Los Amigos Thursday.

Dana Riddle of Rancho Alamitos carried the ball 52 times and gained 344 yards, Orange County’s third-best single-game rushing performance ever, in a 41-14 loss to Pacifica Friday. He increased his county-leading season rushing total to 1,938, breaking Rancho Alamitos’ season record of 1,926 set in 1987 by Sean Cheatham.

Eddie Salinas, a Saddleback cross-country runner, won the Sea View League championship by running three miles in 14 minutes 53 seconds Friday.

Shane Sherman

Edison High School

Position: Tailback

Height, Weight, Class: 5-11, 175, Senior.

Last Week: Sherman rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns in 37 carries in a victory over Ocean View.

Season: Sherman, Orange County’s third-leading rusher, has run for 1,361 yards and 16 touchdowns.