ALEDO — Aledo junior running back Ryan McGuire has had a good year so far in the 2006 season, as the Bearcat running back has provided a good one-two punch out of the backfield in combination of quarterback Cole Loftin, as the Bearcats are averaging over 287 rushing yards in six games.
But, as he proved Friday night against Alvarado, McGuire can handle a big part of the rushing load, as he led the team in rushes with 15 carries on his way to a 147-yard, two-touchdown night. But it was the other things McGuire did with the ball Friday night that made the Alvarado game as special one, as he also caught a 51-yard reception for a touchdown and had a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown and Aledo head football coach Tim Buchanan feels the punt return may have demonstrated some of McGuire’s greatest strengths.
“[McGuire] has great vision, sees the hole extremely well and he is pretty tough,” Buchanan said.
“I just see all my blockers and the cutbacks, and if the cutbacks are not there, I just staying with my blocks,” McGuire said about plays when he turns ordinary plays into big plays.
So far, McGuire is averaging 7.66 yards a carry and has nine touchdowns on the year, but it is his frequency of turning regular plays into big plays that makes McGuire so scary for opposing defenses.
“He had a pretty good average last year and our offensive line was not as good as it is this year,” Buchanan said. “He is going to see the holes, it is just this year with the offensive line, the holes are bigger.
“If you don’t have kids like Ryan, you are not going to win. He is a kid who helps you win football games.
“I have seen a lot of really good offensive lines, but not have a running back like Ryan or Cole [Loftin] or Nico [Dollar],” Buchanan said. “Those [offensive lines] open up those big holes and [the running back] will run for five yards then people tackle them, where the guys we have this year, with Ryan, Cole or Nico — even Austin [Stockon], those guys, if you give them a big hole to run through, they are going to turn what is typically a 5- or 10-yard gain into a 10- to 20- to 30- even in some situations 60-, 70-, 80-yard runs. That is what is important about having a kid of Ryan’s caliber, because he can turn a 10-yard gain into a touchdown.”
“The more threats you have on offense, the more [opposing defenses] have to worry about,” McGuire said. “Our whole line is also one of the best in 4A.”
As the Bearcats head down the home stretch in District 8-4A play, Buchanan and McGuire have similar thoughts on what he needs to be conscious of while he is out on the football field.
“Probably the biggest thing is not to look too much for the cutback,” Buchanan said. “Because there were a couple of games where he cut back everything. And couple of times, the hole was outside, and if he had stayed outside, he might have scored. Instead he cut it back inside. He still picked up 10 to 15 yards, but if he had stayed outside, he probably would have gone 30, 40 yards or further for a touchdown. Friday night against Alvarado, there were several times where he stayed patient and kept working and got outside.”
McGuire feels that he has to be conscious of seeing the field better and hitting the holes better, but he does expect some help with that.
“It helps having a good offensive line,” McGuire said. “With the offensive line pushing everybody back, there is more field to see, it makes the holes bigger and it makes my job easier.”
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