MAKING A CASE FOR LITTLE GUYS : Short Backs Are Putting Up Big Numbers From the Pac-10 to the NFL, and Now the Trend Is Running Strong at Area High Schools

Short running backs are racking up better mileage lately than Japanese economy cars. And football teams--from high schools to the pros--haven’t sacrificed performance along the way.

Backs who stand less than 5-foot-10 get teams where they want to go--the end zone--every bit as well as larger models. Their advantages include great acceleration, exceptional balance and the ability to make cuts quickly. For defenders, their swerving can be unnerving.

And versatile? They climb with the best four-wheelers: Look how short backs have zoomed up the list of rushing leaders. Five area Southern Section rushers who stand less than 5-10 are averaging more than 100 yards a game. The area City Section leader--North Hollywood’s 5-5 1/2 Leon Gable--averages 175 yards a game.

Several could reach greater heights. Short backs have steered their way onto Division I college teams and into the backfields of the National Football League. The Pacific-10 Conference rushing champions the past two years have been USC’s Ricky Ervins (5-8) and Washington State’s Steve Broussard (5-6 1/2).

Anyone doubt whether the Lions’ Barry Sanders, the Bengals’ James Brooks or the Saints’ Dalton Hilliard measure up? All stand less than 5-10, yet they combined for 3,971 rushing yards in 1989.

The total yardage from scrimmage gained by NFL backs who are less than 5-10 has increased steadily, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. In 1980, such backs accounted for 1.8% of NFL total yardage. In 1989, the figure had risen to 17.4%.

Which might explain why short running backs are getting long looks from major college recruiters. No matter what their other attributes, linemen and linebackers often must be taller than 6-0 to get a hard look from a big school. The same is usually true of a quarterback, unless he is adept at running the option, which for practical purposes makes him a running back anyway.

“A running back has an honest chance to be successful no matter how tall he is,” said Jack Himebauch, USC’s recruiting coordinator. “There comes a point where height is a secondary factor.”

Strength, speed, desire and running instincts are the primary considerations. Let’s not confuse short with small or slow.

“The total body strength of the short backs who excel is excellent,” said Canyon Coach Harry Welch, whose tailbacks are both 5-9. “Football is a game of leverage and a short back can have an advantage there.”

A big back usually is a more punishing runner who often requires more than one defender to bring him down. However, defensive players find tackling a short back a tall order as well.

“The short backs are harder to see and a lot quicker. You can’t get a good hit on them, so you try to just tackle them with good form rather than lay on the big hit,” said Shane O’Brien, a 6-3 Hart linebacker.

Most high school football players are taller than 5-9, so it is difficult for a defender to get lower than a short back without dropping his head and losing sight of the runner. A short back likes nothing more than seeing a tackler eager to unload.

“One play against Oxnard, the cornerback had a clear shot at me--he was obviously going to try to level me,” said Reuben Allen, Westlake’s 5-8 tailback. “His head went down, he couldn’t see me and I ducked him with one move.”

Defenders should be getting better at tackling short backs because they are getting lots of practice. Here are the most productive, in ascending order of height:

* Leon Gable (5-5 1/2, 142 pounds): A week after he ran 67 yards for a touchdown on the game’s final play to give North Hollywood a 31-26 victory over Palisades, Gable rushed for 327 yards and scored five touchdowns in less than three quarters of the Huskies’ 40-6 win over Van Nuys.

Gable, a senior, fell short of the school record of 352 yards set in 1987 by Chip Grant, who is 5-6.

“We put the biggest, strongest linemen at strong tackle and tight end, then run 75% of our plays right behind them,” said Fred Grimes, the North Hollywood coach. “Defenders can’t see backs like Leon and Chip until they are in the secondary. Many coaches and players complain to me about that. That’s the way we design the offense.”

Gable leads area City Section rushers with 699 yards in four games.

* Torie Lee (5-6 1/2, 165): The sophomore was named the starting tailback the day of Crespi’s opener against Kahuku in Hawaii. A few minutes into the game, Coach Tim Lins knew he had made the correct choice.

“We didn’t know what to expect, but early in the game there was an off-tackle play where Torie popped into the secondary and it was him and the cornerback face to face right in front of our bench,” Lins said. “Torie plowed the guy over and gained three yards on the tackle. That really showed us something.”

Except for 1 1/2 games he missed because of torn rib cartilage, Lee has done the bulk of the running for the Celts, accounting for 328 of Crespi’s 636 rushing yards.

* Cory Bowen (5-7, 170): Bowen, a Thousand Oaks junior in his second varsity season, has had three eye-popping performances. He gained a career-high 194 yards against Channel Islands, 133 yards against Canyon--the only 100-yard performance against the Cowboys this year--and 100 yards in the first quarter last week against Simi Valley.

Bowen, who finished the Simi Valley game with 158 yards, has 744 yards and a 7.9 average this season.

The shortest player in the Lancer huddle stands tall in the eyes of opponents.

“Bowen, he was tough. Once he was hit he kept his feet and wouldn’t go down,” said Scott Blade, a Canyon linebacker. “I never got a straight shot at him.”

Anyone who believes that a short runner is easy to tackle should try to bring down Bowen.

“They run him inside a lot, he gets some tough yardage,” Westlake Coach Jim Benkert said. “He doesn’t go down on the first hit.”

* Reuben Allen (5-8, 168): A runner with remarkable acceleration, Allen benefits from Westlake’s passing offense--the best in the area. His most effective runs rely on misdirection: They often appear to be pass plays when the ball is snapped.

“Allen is a scatback, shifty and elusive,” Benkert said. “He’s difficult to see on the inside traps and draws.”

By the time defenders spot Allen, his acceleration has propelled him into the secondary.

“My shortness helps because I don’t have to get lower than I really am when I run,” Allen said. “I’m able to use as much speed as possible.”

Allen has rushed for 759 yards and averages 7.6 yards a carry.

* Eliel Swinton (5-8 1/2, 170): Since Derek Sparks transferred after Montclair Prep’s opener, Swinton has rushed for more than 200 yards three times and has totaled 815 for the season. Swinton, a sophomore, is the younger brother of former Montclair Prep standouts Rich and Jamal. Rich is a tailback at Washington State.

“Eliel should be the best of the three,” said George Giannini, Montclair Prep’s coach. “For a sophomore, he has great downfield instincts.”

That much was apparent in his first start when he rushed for 246 yards in a win over Simi Valley. Last week, Swinton gained 234 yards against Western Christian.

* Erik Thomas (5-9, 182): Thomas could be two feet tall or 10 feet tall. It doesn’t matter. When he hits top speed nobody can catch him anyway.

No wonder Quartz Hill Coach John Albee instructs quarterback Jake Haro to pitch to Thomas on the option.

“If he gets it out to Erik and he gets around the corner, there is nobody on the field who can catch him,” Albee said.

Thomas, a junior who leads the Golden League with 580 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, also is the league champion in the 100- and 200-meter sprints.

* Damon Riggins (5-9, 185): About the only move Riggins couldn’t make was his attempted transfer from Calabasas to Agoura before the season. He returned to Calabasas with a splash, rushing for 208 yards in a victory over St. Genevieve.

In five games, Riggins has rushed for 742 yards. Calabasas suits up only 16 players, so Riggins must play defensive back and return kicks as well as carry the load offensively.

* David McDivitt (5-9, 183): The Canyon senior has been sidelined since the third game because of a deep thigh bruise, but he might play this week. Don’t be surprised if he finishes with more than 1,000 rushing yards despite missing four games.

McDivitt rushed for 203 yards in Canyon’s season-opening win over Honolulu St. Louis and added 117 the following week against Hart, the week of his injury.

Excellent balance and a solid knowledge of the fundamentals characterize his style.

McDivitt’s primary replacement at tailback, 5-9 Mark Santos, has rushed for 236 yards. Several other short runners have languished in the not-so-long shadows of teammates who are less than 5-10.

Lee and Allen aren’t even the shortest players in their respective backfields. Crespi’s fullback, Clint Cummings, is 5-6; Westlake’s fullback, Arash Mobayen, is 5-7. Bowen’s backfield mate at Thousand Oaks, senior Greg Buchanan, recently strung together back-to-back 100-yard games.

At 5-8, Buchanan towers over Bowen by a full inch.

In addition to the eight listed, backs who are less than 5-10 lead several other teams in rushing. They include Maurice Stepter (5-9) of Reseda, George Keiaho (5-8) of Buena, Lloyd Mix (5-9) of Santa Clara, Anthony Ortega (5-9) of Palmdale, Brandon Garnsey (5-7) of Nordhoff, Chad Everett (5-4) of Village Christian and David Doyle (5-9) of Saugus.

The tallest of Royal’s three ballcarriers is 5-8 Robbie Smith. When Newbury Park’s 5-8 tailback Walter Thomas was injured last month, the Panthers didn’t give an inch: Thomas was replaced by 5-8 Dave Roberts.

Rio Mesa’s Sal Balsano (5-9) and Gordy Abellera (5-8) have combined for 947 rushing yards while San Marcos defeated the Spartans two weeks ago behind 100-yard rushing performances by Ed Gallegos (5-5) and Huy Trinh (5-6).

One concern coaches have with short backs is that they are smaller targets for passes. Debunking that idea is Dustin Magdaleno, a 5-8 Santa Paula running back: He is Ventura County’s all-time leading receiver with 124 catches.

Big backs certainly have some advantages. They might have more stamina; they are generally better pass blockers.

“A defense can create a mismatch in a passing situation by rushing a big linebacker and forcing the little back to block him,” said Bob Richards, Thousand Oaks coach.

Richards, like most coaches, demands strength from his short backs. Bowen and Buchanan can pump iron with almost any lineman on the team. That is typical, coaches say. Knowing that his height is beyond his control, a short player often is motivated to work hard in areas that can be improved.

“In our society, there are short-people jokes. I don’t know of any 6-foot tall jokes,” Welch said. “It’s something they face every day of their lives. These young men overcome obstacles. I admire the shorter player more.”

As freshmen, both Bowen and Allen worried that they would never be tall enough for the varsity. They discovered otherwise.

“Lifting weights a lot to build body strength was something I did,” Bowen said. “I’ve learned that it’s an advantage being the size I am.”

Said Allen: “I always knew I wasn’t going to be a giant. I figured I’d better stay in the gym and work out.

“I’m happy the way I am.”