RISING SPIRITS

It was less than two weeks before Paraclete High’s 1998 season opener and his running backs were going through the motions. These Spirits were not only listless, they were spiritless.

Steve Hagerty, Paraclete’s coach, turned his back to the field in disgust.

Although he didn’t realize it at the time, he was facing the future. Not far away, a running back on the junior varsity team caught his eye with a powerful block.

Hagerty immediately invited Curtis Brown, a freshman two months removed from middle school, to varsity practice.

“We never really thought he’d be one of our main guys,” Hagerty said. “We were just trying to kick-start another player by creating some competition.”

Brown took the opportunity and ran with it. And hasn’t stopped.

Now a sophomore, Brown has rushed for 2,658 career yards, helped lead Paraclete to its second consecutive Southern Section championship and set the school single-game rushing record.

This season, he has rushed for 1,549 yards and 16 touchdowns and is threatening to become the first Paraclete player ever to surpass the 2,000-yard barrier.

“I’ve been taught that it’s not about personal goals,” Brown said. “It’s about the team. I’m just trying to win another championship.”

The Spirits (5-3, 2-0 in Alpha League play), attempting to become the first team from the region since 1986 to win three consecutive titles, can take a significant step on Friday night with a victory over Kilpatrick (6-2, 4-0).

The game, at 7:30 at Antelope Valley College, will decide the league championship and feature two of the region’s most prolific running backs.

Senior Jermaine Marshall of Kilpatrick (6-2, 3-0) leads the region with 2,339 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Brown, 15, may be one of the youngest varsity players in the region, but he doesn’t shy away from the spotlight.

“I’m really excited about this game,” he said. “A lot of people probably don’t think I’m as good as a lot of other running backs, like Marshall. This is my chance to prove myself.”

He doesn’t need to prove anything to his teammates.

“It’s scary to think he’s only a sophomore,” quarterback Rob Fockaert said. “He’s dominating right now. He just takes over games.”

Despite gaining 1,109 yards as a freshman, Brown began the season in the shadow of Fockaert, who had led the Spirits to consecutive section titles, and all-purpose back Michael Washington, the Division XII offensive co-player of the year last season.

But with inexperienced receivers, Fockaert’s passing numbers are down, and Washington has missed three games because of a concussion.

Brown has taken over.

He has rushed for more than 100 yards in six games, but the Oct. 1 game against Bakersfield Garces may have been his coming out.

He rushed for a school-record 372 yards in a nonleague loss, perhaps forever raising the level of expectation surrounding the 6-foot, 170-pound running back.

Last week, he ran for 341 yards in a 33-16 victory over L.A. Baptist. His teammates and coaches barely flinched.

“To be honest, it was kind of a quiet 300 yards,” Hagerty said.

Hagerty probably won’t need to look to the junior varsity field for running backs for at least another two years.

With his junior and senior seasons still ahead of him, Brown, who has not lost a fumble in his last 16 games, could one day challenge the state record of 7,257 career yards rushing, set by David Dotson of Valley View from 1989-91.

The regional record is held by George Keiaho of Buena, who gained 6,615 yards from 1990-93.

“As time has gone on, we’ve realized that Curtis is a pretty special kid,” Hagerty said. “Ever since we brought him up, there’s been no looking back.”