Vaughn Adjusts To Move

RECEIVER STEPS IN AT RUNNING BACK AFTER TYLER’S INJURY

By Alex Abrams

Posted: November 3, 2009 at 4:49 a.m.

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SPRINGDALE — Kaleb Vaughn assumed nothing would change and he’d spend another season as one of Springdale Har-Ber’s starting wide receivers.

But when running back Tre Tyler su◊ered a broken leg in the season opener, Har-Ber coach Chris Wood glanced at his roster and wondered, “Who’s next ?”

And when junior Gordon Welch - who had filled in nicely for Tyler - strained his right shoulder two weeks ago in a win overFort Smith Southside, Wood had no other option but to turn to Vaughn.

“We didn’t ever dream about needing somebody like that,” Har-Ber running backs coach Gary Wear said of Vaughn. “But he just stepped in and did an outstanding job for us last week.”

Vaughn showed with his performance in a 39-14 win against Fayetteville that he could handle the move from wide receiverto tailback, as long as he keeps running straight ahead as his coaches ask.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound senior helped make up for Welch’s absence and keep Har-Ber’s undefeated season intact by rushing 30 times for 159 yards. And he proved to be a more e◊ective runner as the game progressed, gaining 103 yards in the second half.

“I knew it would take some adjustment, but I’ll do whatever it takes. Just doing whatever coach (Wood) tells me to do,” Vaughn said. “I didn’t know how it would turn out, but I just got in the game and the o◊ensive line made a big hole and I just went through.”

His biggest test comes Friday night when Har-Ber (9-0, 6-0 7A-West Conference) looks to clinch a conference championship with a much-anticipated game at Bentonville (8-1, 5-1).

Vaughn admitted he doesn’t have a preference when it comes to what position he plays. He just wants to touch the football, and his experience as a quarterback at Central Junior High taught him how to take the hando◊and find holes at the line of scrimmage.

“Kaleb would be happy if the ball was in his hands every play,” Wear said.

Wood said Vaughn is still working on becoming a straight-ahead runner, but as a former wide receiver, there are times when the senior wants to make a cut instead of simply lowering his shoulder and hitting the hole.

“He just plays so hard and fast. I mean, he really does and he tries to play downhill,” Wood said. “Back in our scheme, (the runningbacks are) going to have to go downhill. We’re not sideto-side guys; we’re straight ahead, and Kaleb showed that (last week).”

Vaughn admitted he’s getting more comfortable with the position, though it’s still relatively new to him. After Tyler went down with the broken leg in the season opener, Har-Ber’s coaches started using Vaughn sparingly at tailback to take some of the load o◊Welch.

Still, Wood has made it a point in practice to repeat the same phrase to Vaughn, so he understands that he needs to run straight ahead and not in any other direction. Wood’s words to Vaughn: “North and south. North and south.”

“If the hole forms, you have to hit it just right. If you don’t hit it, then there’s nowhere to go,” Vaughn said. “At receiver, if you make a catch, there’s di◊erent things you can do with the ball. But when yourun the ball, there’s one way to go and that’s north and south.”

Wood said Vaughn will move back to wide receiver whenever Welch returns from his right shoulder strain. But the versatile senior will continue to get some work out of the backfield, not as if it matters to him.

“Kaleb, he just wants the ball in his hands,” Wood said. “So if he can get the ball quicker at (running back), he’s for it.”

Sports, Pages 7 on 11/03/2009

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