SPORTS

TRIBLE: Go watch Jonathan Taylor before it's too late

Don't believe the hype. See for yourself.

Mark Trible
@Mtrible
  • Wisconsin recruit is close to South Jersey record for most rush yards in a season
  • On Saturday, he went for more than 200 yards for the sixth consecutive time
  • Salem has plenty of great backs in its lineage; Taylor might be the best
  • He plays at Woodstown at home on Thanksgiving and at Rowan against Paulsboro to close his career
Salem running back Jonathan Taylor (23) rushes against Woodbury in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 1 semifinals at Woodbury High School on Saturday, November 19.

I wanted to see him, the tailback they raved about.

I hoped to observe No. 23 with horns on his helmet at his best. I needed to witness Jonathan Taylor, with his state-best speed and supreme strength.

Some things you must view for yourself.

A fine perk to this vocation is free admittance to the events we cover.

Had I known what I know now of Taylor’s capabilities, I would have paid a pretty penny.

The 5-foot-11, 210 pounder's got two games left – Woodstown at home on Turkey Day (10:30 a.m.) and at Rowan against Paulsboro in the South Jersey Group 1 final on Dec. 3 (2:30 p.m.).

I suggest you pony up the cash as well.

It’s easy to disappoint word-of-mouth whispers and tall tales of greatness. Rarely does someone do what I saw on Saturday at Woodbury. In a sectional semifinal, no less.

Taylor exceeded any reasonable hope – and then some – in a brilliant display.

FOOTBALL: Taylor's career day puts Salem in title game

It didn’t start that way. He opened with a carry of two yards. Then, one. Two more. Five. No gain.

His sixth carry broke the seal and covered 62 yards. His next touch went for 85.

I guess it’s necessary for me to reveal both were touchdowns. But, if you’ve ever seen him run, the way he stretches the distance between defenders, you’d know.

It’s as if Taylor’s jaunts are inland as the cliff collapses. The defenders slowly fall behind – 10 yards, then 15, then 25 – and into the rubble.

A group of three alumni kept me company through this display. The former Rams, Winslow Township coach Kemp Carr (class of 1992), Millville boss Dennis Thomas (’97) and his Bolts’ defensive coordinator Lamont Robinson (’05).

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The trio marveled, taught South Jersey football history to this Virginia guy and quasi-coached down on the road team’s sideline.

“It’s special because so many great running backs came through there,” Carr said as names like Lydell Mitchell, Johnny and Keith Summiel, A.B. Brown and Thomas rolled off his tongue.

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Regrettably, I wasn’t quick enough to jot down the handful-or-so more the former quarterback mentioned.

But Brown – who is Carr’s first cousin – came into Saturday with Salem’s all-time mark for rush yards in a season with 2,012. Taylor left with it.

Carr worried not of familial risk in any talk of comparison.

“The numbers speak for themselves,” he quickly pointed out. “One thing I know is A.B. would be happy to pass the torch to a guy like this. With (Taylor), it’s always about the guys around him.”

Salem running back Jonathan Taylor (23) celebrates a touchdown against Woodbury in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 1 semifinals at Woodbury High School on Saturday, November 19.

Taylor knows he’s the bell cow and the Rams’ success likely depends on him. That doesn’t mean he’s self-consumed. His words echoed Carr’s judgement.

“It’s a good feeling knowing you’re about to put points on the board to help your team win the game,” the 17 year old divulged of those long, lonely runs to pay dirt. “But, as soon as you reach the end zone, it clicks in your mind that you’ve got to get on defense, get the ball back and do it again.”

The final line speaks to familiar inevitability, akin to Bo Jackson in Tecmo Bowl. It always seems a matter of time until the cheat code strikes again.

And believe me, it’s always quick for the young man who took first place in the Meet of Champions’ 100-meter dash at 10.61 seconds last spring.

“To be that big, that strong, that powerful, that’s your gift,” Carr said.

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Robinson said he had faith in Millville’s defense in a hypothetical matchup with Taylor.

But, he and Thomas both admitted they might hit church a few extra times in the week prior.

“You say and you think it always starts at the line,” Robinson, whose unit held Cherokee and Rancocas Valley stars John Lovett and Iverson Clement in check the past two weeks, said. “But then, you have to have guys get out on the edge.

“He’s a nightmare.”

Coaches asked how many yards he had. The announcer made sure to note when he’d gone “well over 300” late in the contest.

Maybe an official or two even made inquiries about his totals.

Everyone watched in awe as Jonathan Taylor ran for the 12th-highest total in a South Jersey game – 368. He’s now 135 from the region record for most in a season. He's surpassed the 200-yard mark in each of his last six games.

Three more times, he raced down the field. The last one ended the score at 42-0, a 45-yard exclamation point.

Taylor galloped and one day soon we’ll see him do it for the University of Wisconsin. Maybe after, we’ll see him in the pros.

Those of us who saw him – remember, time’s running out – can say they remember when.

When he rolled through the dusty field for that final six, Salem’s sideline sprinted every which way in ecstasy.

Except sophomore Savion Moore, who stood alone. He looked up at the heavens with arms outstretched, fists clenched and yelled.

“This is greatness!” Moore exclaimed as I glanced over.  “He’s a beast, right?”

Unreal, I replied. Unbelievable. Unstoppable. Somehow, undersold.

The best high school running back I’ve ever seen.

Mark Trible; (856) 486-2424; mtrible@gannettnj.com