Oh, Brother

While watching his older brother dart up and down the football field as a pre-teen, Jessie Hawkins never envisioned himself doing the same.

He never dreamed of being a star running back like his half-brother Josh, who set a Ventura County season record with 2,454 yards rushing for Nordhoff High in 1994.

“I was just there to watch the games,” Jessie said.

But Jessie’s teachers and teammates never allow the Nordhoff senior to escape the shadow of his brother’s career.

Comparisons are inevitable when the Rangers watch the highlight tape from the 1994 season, when Josh Hawkins led Nordhoff to its only Southern Section final.

The team draws inspiration from the tape. Hawkins draws criticism and good-natured ribbing.

“Every time we watch it, I get [teased] for a half-hour from them: ‘How come you don’t do that Hawk?’ ” Hawkins said.

Fortunately for Hawkins, the Rangers don’t watch the tape every day. That allows him to go about his business as Nordhoff’s featured running back.

“I don’t think about it much,” he said of the comparisons to his brother. “I just do what I do. If I started thinking about that, I might get discouraged.”

With 1,043 yards, 12 touchdowns and a 7.4 yards-per-carry average in his first season as a starting running back, Hawkins is no slouch.

Still, he would need to average 236 yards in six games to eclipse his brother’s season mark. Nordhoff would need to reach the Division XI final for Hawkins to play six more games.

No one is expecting a record. But the comparisons continue.

“You have to carry the burden of that, but Jessie is his own man,” Coach Cliff Farrar said. “I think he loves his brother enough to realize his accomplishments and to handle [the comparisons].”

For Farrar, there is no comparison.

“I don’t compare the two because they are two different types of runners,” he said.

In high school, Josh was smaller than Jessie at 6 foot, 180 pounds, but much faster. He never seemed to change speed, even when he changed direction. He was as fluid as running water.

“Josh was a pure runner,” Farrar said. “Josh has speed that Jessie doesn’t have.”

At 6-3, 210 pounds, Jessie is a bulldozer and among the biggest running backs in the region. Strength is one area Jessie holds his own with his brother.

“Nobody brings Jessie down by themselves either,” Farrar said. “Both are powerful runners with a low center of gravity, good size, good hips.

“A lot of times you’ll see a big runner where guys try to hit their legs, but that’s where these guys are most powerful.”

With Hawkins leading the way, Nordhoff (6-2) has recovered from a demanding preseason schedule to dominate the Frontier League. A victory over Calabasas on Friday night will clinch at least a share of a second consecutive league title for the Rangers.

Early in the season, Hawkins was also playing strong safety and linebacker. But in the last three weeks, he has played sparingly on defense, mostly in goal-line situations.

More rest has translated into fresher legs for Hawkins, who has rushed for 547 yards and seven touchdowns in the last three games.

Seven weeks ago, Farrar thought Hawkins was destined to play defense in college. Now, he’s not so sure.

“The way he’s running now, it’s hard to tell,” Farrar said.

Harvard, Princeton and Georgetown have expressed interest in Hawkins, who scored 1,270 on the SAT and has a 4.2 grade-point average.

His intelligence has made him a success on the football field.

“He picks up on things pretty quickly,” Farrar said.

Running with the ball is a puzzle Jessie wants to figure out on his own, despite helpful hints from Josh.

“He tries to preach a little bit to me,” Jessie said. “I’m sure I should [listen to him], but I don’t like hearing it from him.”

He hears it enough from everyone else.