A running back who scores five touchdowns in one game is quite a feat in football at any level.
But for that back to score five touchdowns on only 10 carries is staggering, especially when you consider he scored once on every two carries.
That’s what sophomore Da’Shawn Chairs did on Friday to lead Elkins to a 49-14 victory over Greenland in a nonconference game. Chairs averaged 23 yards per carry while accounting for 201 of Elkins’ 361 yards rushing. Chairs also caught 4 passes for 38 yards and his coach credited him for doing a good job of blocking in the backfield.
For his effort, Chairs is the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Player of the Week for Northwest Arkansas. Randon Ray of Booneville is the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Player of the Week for the River Valley.
Chairs’ eye-popping performance didn’t come against a losing program that struggles to put players on the field. Greenland finished 9-3 last season, including 6-1 in the 3A-1 Conference. Yet, Chairs had his way with the Greenland defenders.
“It’s not shocking to see him have a game like that,” first-year Elkins coach Zach Watson said. “He’s going to have more games like that in his career because of how hard Da’Shawn works. He is extremely focused and he takes coaching and soaks up all that knowledge he’s being taught. He’s a special athlete and a great kid.”
Both Chairs and Watson commended the Elks’ offensive line for creating running room against a Greenland defense that features J.J. Hollingsworth, who is committed to Arkansas.
“They were phenomenal,” Chairs said. “Without them, I wouldn’t have had the success I had.”
Offensive line play is also an area of strength at Booneville, where senior quarterback Randon Ray led the Bearcats to a 42-12 victory over Ozark. Ray rushed for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. He also completed a 25-yard pass to Rayce Blansett for a score.
Ray followed a 2-yard touchdown run with a 61-yard score to help Booneville to a 22-0 lead at halftime over the Hillbillies.
“We knew he would pop one eventually,” Booneville coach Doc Crowley said of Ray, who rushed for over 1,700 yards and 25 touchdowns last season. “We just kept waiting for it. He just got past everyone and did a good job finishing the run off.”