'06 OH RB DeLone Carter (2005 Ohio Mr. Football/Syracuse signee)

[wadc45]

Scout Profile
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Copley (OH)



Height: 5-foot-10
Weight: 190 pounds

2004 Offensive Stats: 324 carries, 2,556 yards, 28 TDs

Interested in Ohio State, Syracuse, and Wisconsin.

Free Bucknuts

Ohio RB Carter Receiving Offers

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>By Duane Long


Date: Jun 10, 2005

A player who hasn't been getting many recruiting headlines is running back DeLone Carter of Copley (Oh.) High School, but the 2,000-yard rusher is one of the very best backs in the state. He has received a handful of offers and is currently in the process of checking out some colleges.


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Running back DeLone Carter (5-10, 200) of Copley (Oh.) High School is one of the top running backs in the Buckeye State this year. Carter had a tremendous season in 2004 (2,556 yards, 28 touchdowns) and is starting to get heavy recruiting interest.

"He has been offered by Wisconsin and Syracuse and a few of the MAC schools," said Copley coach Dan Boarman.

Boarman said Carter has already been to Syracuse and is thinking of making a trip to Wisconsin.

"He went up to Syracuse last week with his parents," Boarman said. "He was really impressed with what he saw up there and they are doing a super job of recruiting him. He is talking about going up to Wisconsin and then stop by some of the MAC schools that have offered on the way back."

Carter also ran track for Copley, competing in the 100, 200, 110 m high hurdles and long jump. Boarman said that academics will not be a problem with Carter.

"Solid student," Boarman said of Carter. "Taking his ACT this week. I am not worried about it. His parents really stress the academics."

Recruiting is starting to heat up for Carter, so when will a decision come?

"I am not sure it will happen but I wouldn’t be surprised at him making his choice and verbaling before the season," Boarman said.

Carter himself told Bucknuts reporter Dave Biddle at the Ohio High School Football Guide photo shoot in late May that he does not know when he will make a decision.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “When that time comes, I’ll just know it I think.” Boarman said that Carter is the top player he has seen in his time of coaching.

"I have been doing this for about 30 years," Boarman said. "He is probably the best I have ever had.



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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.com$

6/17/05

Scout.com has posted 4 videos of Carter in action.

[akronbuck]

He had a great game in the playoffs against garfield(chris wells)

forgot how he finished in track but, in the paper during the season he seemed like he always won

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.com (free link)

6/21/05

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>By Chris Pool Midwest Recruiting Analyst
Date: Jun 20, 2005

Taking a closer look at the Midwest running back prospects, Ohio’s Chris Wells is not only the best in the region but the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder, from Akon (Garfield) is arguably the top ball-carrier in the entire nation. Wells has already decided that he’ll tote the rock in Columbus in the future by giving Ohio State his verbal commitment in February.
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Taking a closer look at the Midwest running back prospects, Ohio’s Chris Wells who’s not only the best in the region but the 6-foot-2, 230-pounder, from Akon (Garfield) is arguably the top ball-carrier in the entire nation. Wells has already decided that he’ll tote the rock in Columbus after high school by giving Ohio State his verbal commitment.

Notre Dame is the lucky recipient of verbal commitments from the #2 ranked Midwest tailback, James Aldridge and the Irish also have a pledge from the top fullback in the region, Luke Schmidt, of Jasper, Ind.,

The state of Illinois had the top running back in the region in 2004 and the Land of Lincoln has a couple of solid backs in ’05 as well. Deon Williams of Rockford (Guilford) and Mitchell Moore of Gurnee (Warren) is a couple of sensational difference makers. Here’s a look at the top Midwest running back prospects according to Scout.com

1. Chris Wells, 6-2, 230, 4.5, Akron (Ohio) Garfield
Committed to Ohio State…Is he the next Adrian Peterson?

2. James Aldridge, 6-1, 215, 4.4, Merrillville (Ind.)
Committed to Notre Dame…Aldridge can take over a game with his athleticism.

3. Luke Schmidt, 6-4, 230, 4.6, Jasper (Ind.)
Committed to Note Dame…Will likely move to fullback or tight end in South Bend.

4. Deon Williams, 6-2, 200, 4.5, Rockford (Ill.) Guilford
1,200 yards rushing and 100 tackles on defense. Super combo of power and speed.

5. Mitchell Moore, 6-0, 195, 4.5, Gurnee (Ill.) Warren
Physically what you want running backs to look like…1,700 yards rushing and 25 TD’s!

6. Lance Smith, 5-10, 190, 4.5, Warren (Ohio) Howland
Could move to defense in college but Smith has a knack for making the big play on offense.

7. Delone Carter, 5-10, 185, 4.4, Copley (Ohio)
Stock on the rise…super in the open field…great balance and vision

8. Jaious Singleton, 5-9, 195, 4.5, East St. Louis (Ill.) Senior
College recruiters comparing Singleton to former Illinois running back Rocky Harvey.

9. Anthony Bowman, 5-10, 160, 4.4, Detroit (MI) St. Martin De Porres
Super athlete that could play a few different positions in college…A threat every time he touches the ball.

10. Anthony Elzy, 5-10, 200, 4.5, Warren (Ohio) Kennedy
Lots of love from the ACC…Rushed for 30 TD’s as a junior.
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Carter is making a move up the ranks this summer, probably considered the #2 running back in Ohio at this point.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.com$

7/6/05

Syracuse, Kentucky, and Wisconsin are his top three. Carter has offers from Kentucky, Wisconsin, Syracuse, Akron, Bowling Green, Kent State, Miami (OH).

[wadc45]

Plaine Dealer

COMMITMENT

<H1 class=red>Copley's Carter opts for Orange

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Tuesday, August 09, 2005 Tim Rogers

Plain Dealer Reporter
Copley running back Delone Carter, who has an opportunity to become the school's all-time leading rusher and is regarded as one of the top running backs in Northeast Ohio, had made an oral commitment to attend Syracuse .

Carter, 5-9, 200 pounds, rushed for 2,556 yards and 28 touchdowns last year in helping the Indians compile a 10-3 record and reach the Division II regional finals.

Although he did not make it official until Monday, Carter said he was convinced Syracuse would be his choice when he made an unofficial visit in May.

"It was hard not to commit right then," Carter said. "The coaches were very honest, and they made me feel welcome. Plus, the school has a great tradition."

Carter, who played two seasons at Archbishop Hoban, said he narrowed his final choices to Syracuse, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

Carter, who said he would probably major in business, needs approximately 2,500 yards to surpass Lloyd Garden as Copley's all-time leading rusher. If he reaches that goal, he will have accomplished it in two seasons. Garden played four.

Copley coach Dan Boarman said he expects Carter to carry the ball between 20 and 25 times a game this year.

"Delone is comfortable with that," said Boarman. "That is a lot of carries, especially over the course of a season."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

trogers@plaind.com, 1-800-683-7348

[osugrad21]

Akron Beacon Journal

8/24

Posted on Wed, Aug. 24, 2005
CARTER MAKING NAME FOR HIMSELF

Copley senior tailback will hear it called often for Indians this season

By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sports writer


Football fans know his name now and even how to spell it.

Copley tailback Delone Carter changed gears as deftly as Lance Armstrong last season, going from relative obscurity to all-state seemingly overnight.

Carter was No. 2 on the Hoban depth chart in 2002 and 2003 behind one Tyrell Sutton, a back destined to be the state's all-time leading rusher.

Upon his transfer to Copley for his junior year in 2004, Carter stood on his own skills in rushing for 2,556 yards and scoring 29 touchdowns to help the Indians finish in a three-way tie for the Suburban League title and reach the Division II regional final.

``I showed everyone what I could do instead of sitting in the background,'' said the 5-foot-10, 200-pound Carter, a first-team all-state selection in Division II. ``I showed I am not just another running back; I am one of the good running backs.''

The attention he received also was instrumental in showing people how to spell his name. A typo in the Copley program -- it was ``Deleone'' -- had fans, opponents, the media and public-address announcers using that version of his first name in the early games in 2004.

Once interviews came following one outstanding performance after another, the truth came out.

``That didn't bother me,'' Carter said about the mistake. ``I was just happy to be playing football.''

Copley coach Dan Boarman was just as happy that Carter was playing football for him.

``What people have to remember is that he didn't have much experience when he came to us... he had so few carries,'' said Boarman, whose teams have made the state playoffs in six of the past seven years. ``What you notice about him on film from game one to game 13 was that he got better and better. His best football is ahead of him.''

Such improvement will come as a senior at Copley in 2005 and as a college player after that at Syracuse University, to which Carter orally committed on Aug. 8.

If there is improvement in Carter's performance this season, opponents don't want to hear it and don't want to live it.

Carter has decent speed (4.4 in the 40), but his strength is, well, his strength. He routinely broke tackles last season, with power and balance that brought him many of his yards after the initial contact.

``He scares me. He is so strong and doesn't slow down when he is hit,'' Revere coach Terry Cistone said. ``I saw him in track in the spring and couldn't believe the size of him. His legs are huge and he has such a strong upper body. You have to wrap him up to tackle him.''

Wadsworth coach Greg Dennison said his Grizzlies have a definite game plan on defense against Carter.

``We tell our team you can't hit him with one or two guys. We have to play team defense on him,'' Dennison said. ``He has power, yet he can make you miss and he has such great vision.''

Carter doesn't like to be typecast as a power back, so he has spent the offseason working on his quickness and elusiveness.

``I want to be a well-rounded back. I want to do everything well,'' Carter said. ``I do enjoy running over people, but I don't want to be known just for that.''

Carter, who picked Syracuse over Kentucky and Wisconsin, was thrilled about his individual performance last season, but was just as excited about being part of a team that went 10-3 and took Tallmadge to the wire in the regional final.

``That was great. Nobody expected us to go that far. We proved everybody wrong,'' he said. ``We meshed as a team.''

The 2005 Indians have a high number of graduation losses on defense. But with Carter expected to carry the ball early and often, the Indians will never be out of any game.

``I will run as many times as they want me to... I'll do whatever it takes to help us win,'' Carter said. ``Some people will underestimate us again. We will be pretty good.''

With Delone Carter -- not Deleone Carter -- as the focal point.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Copley 28, Lake 7



Carter, Indians off and running


Senior running back scores four times after punt return of 35 yards by Arnold gets things started

By David Lee Morgan Jr.

Beacon Journal sports writer

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Copley's Delone Carter walked off the field Friday night exhausted, but elated.

The senior running back put on a season-opening performance against visiting Lake that was truly impressive.

Carter rushed for a game-high 136 yards on 17 carries and scored four touchdowns as the Indians defeated the Blue Streaks 28-7 in front of more than 5,000 fans at Copley Stadium.

Carter scored twice in the second quarter as the Indians (1-0) led 14-0 at halftime. Carter scored on a 23-yard run on the Indians' first play of the third quarter, following a Lake fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half.

He later scored on a 14-yard run midway through the third quarter and ran just as strong in the second half as he did in the first two quarters.

``Our defense played a great game and it was just taking us time to figure things out on offense,'' Carter said.

Lake (0-1), meanwhile, played right with Copley for most of the first half. The defensive units for both teams weren't giving in at all, and Lake linebacker David Morckel came up with two interceptions in the first half.

Copley coach Dan Boarman said the game plan was to spread things out and throw the ball to help set up the run.

``We wanted to throw the ball, but Lake did a good job on us,'' Boarman said.

Lake coach Jeff Durbin said: ``We played well defensively but (Copley) made some big (offensive) plays in the first half. Offensively, we're young, and we played that way. We didn't play with any consistency and you can't sustain anything when you're making mistakes.''

For Copley, Chase Klingenstein, Nick Towns, Virgil Walker and the entire defensive unit played inspired ball. So it was apparent that a big play needed to be made on offense or special teams.

That's when Copley's David Arnold got things going.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior running back/defensive back had a 35-yard punt return midway through the second quarter. That led to a 40-yard touchdown by Carter for a 7-0 lead.

Copley used the punt return to gain momentum.

``I just felt like we had to get something going,'' said Arnold, who also registered 13 tackles and caught two passes for 49 yards.

``We had to have a big play because on defense, we weren't giving up any big plays.''

Once the Indians got on the board, the big plays continued. For instance, Copley senior quarterback Jim Borchik hit Arnold on a 40-yard pass. Two plays later, Carter scored the second of his four touchdowns on a 6-yard run with 2:30 left before halftime.

``Those are two very talented athletes,'' Boarman said about Carter and Arnold. ``We needed big plays and they came through for us. So did the defense.''

Lake scored late in the game on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Nick Higginbotham to Kallen Burkholder

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=100 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>Paul Tople/Akron Beacon Journal
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Delone Carter dives for his second touchdown, making it 14-0 at the half.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=100 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>Paul Tople/Akron Beacon Journal
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Delone Carter runs with the ball during first quarter action.
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width=100 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=middle></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>Paul Tople/Akron Beacon Journal
</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Delone Carter, wearing a #34 jersey because his #3 jersey was damaged, runs for his first touchdown. The extra point made it 7-0 during the second quarter of the Lake High School vs. Copley High School game Friday.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

No. 14 Copley 41, Central-Hower 12

Senior running back Delone Carter scored five touchdowns as the host Indians moved to 2-0.

Carter, who has orally committed to play for Syracuse next fall, totaled 216 yards on 17 carries. After senior Jason Borchik's 59-yard touchdown pass to junior David Arnold, Carter scored the Indians' next four TDs.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Copley 48, Orrville 21

Improved defense, senior back lift Copley


Carter rushes for 290 yards, scores six TDs as the unbeaten Indians overwhelm Red Riders

By Darnell Mayberry

Beacon Journal sports writer

<!-- begin body-content -->ORRVILLE - Orrville coach Bill McMillan best summed up his team's 48-21 home loss to Copley on Friday night.

``Let's face it, that's what you call the old-fashioned butt whoopin','' McMillian said. ``And that's what it was. They did everything that they had to do. We knew coming in that they were a good football team and they were even better than I thought.''

Every Copley player that played contributed something positive.
The only thing the Indians (3-0) did wrong Friday was allow the Red Riders (1-2) to score all three of their touchdowns in less that eight minutes.

``Give Orrville some credit,'' Copley coach Dan Boarman said. ``They scored pretty fast. I mean, you make one or two mistakes and bang, they're back in the ball game.''

But each time they drew closer, Copley running back Delone Carter gave the Indians more breathing room by breaking a big touchdown run.

Carter, a Syracuse recruit, finished the first half with a modest 78 rushing yards and a touchdown. He walked off the field with 290 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 22 carries, while adding 47 yards and a touchdown on two receptions.

``It just took us time to get it together,'' Carter said. ``We always start off kind of slow and then we come with a bang.''

The Indians' defense pitched a shutout for the first 24 minutes and entered the half ahead by 21 points.

Orrville's seven possessions of the first half resulted in a botched fake-punt attempt on fourth-and-long, two interceptions and four punts.
Copley held the Red Riders to minus-six yards rushing in the half, and kept Orrville quarterback Kyle Simmons in check, allowing him to throw for only 85 yards and two interceptions on 8-of-15 passing.

Copley's defensive line was the biggest reason for the first-half performance. Copley defensive end Joe Matesevac batted down passes at the line of scrimmage and recorded a sack. Defensive tackle Mike Nitz had a sack, too. And they all pressured Simmons out of the pocket, giving him no time to find open receivers. Junior defensive backs David Arnold and Nick Louis both intercepted passes.

``They get better every day,'' said Carter of Copley's defense. ``It's a young defense, but they play like a senior defense. Everybody out there is aggressive, and they know how to run to the ball.''

Said Matesevac: ``I'm happy with the whole team's effort. We all were flying to the ball. There was a bunch of gang tackles, everybody was jumping in.''

But in the second half, Simmons found his comfort zone, connecting with Damon Robinson and Isaiah Tyler on touchdown passes of 47 and 30 yards, respectively, and recorded another score on a 10-yard run.

Simmons rebounded to finish 16-for-29 for 249 yards, a finish Boarman said his team needs to prevent next week against Barberton.

``They did a nice job against the run,'' Boarman said. ``We need to work on the pass.

``It's basic positioning, those kind of things and I think we'll be OK.''
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

9/15/05

Copley at Barberton

What, when, where: Suburban League game, 7 p.m., Rudy Sharkey Stadium, 555 Barber Road, Barberton. Call 330-753-2255.

Records: Both teams are 3-0.

What to watch: A young Barberton squad makes its Suburban League debut against one of the preseason favorites. The Magics have beaten three teams that might not win more than five games among them, but Barberton's defense has been stellar so far, surrendering a little more than one touchdown a game. The Magics haven't faced a back as talented as Copley's Delone Carter, who already has scored 14 touchdowns and rushed for more than 600 yards, including a 290-yard performance last week against Orrville. The Indians, ranked 11th in The Plain Dealer Top 25, are far from one-dimensional, as quarterback Jason Borchik and wide receiver David Arnold form a combination that can't be dismissed. Barberton has been getting significant play from two skilled sophomores. Running back James Ferguson (6-2, 195) has rushed for about 360 yards, and swift wide receiver Jordan Bell has a touchdown catch in each game. Barberton starts three seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and a freshman - quarterback Michael Lee - on offense and five juniors and three sophomores on defense.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

9/16/05

Carter performs magic again in Copley victory


Running back scores 4 TDs on 305 yards rushing despite Barberton efforts to stop him

By Tom Gaffney

Beacon Journal sports writer

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It's really quite simple, these three expectations that Copley has for tailback Delone Carter.

The Indians want him to carry the ball, carry the team and thoroughly entertain while doing so.

So far, they haven't asked him to drive the team bus.

Carter, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound senior, continued to assemble a season to remember Friday night in leading the Indians to a 35-12 triumph over host Barberton in a matchup of unbeaten Suburban League teams.

Carter, who has orally committed to Syracuse, rushed for a season-high 305 yards on 22 carries and scored four touchdowns while playing only three quarters. That gives him 947 yards and 19 touchdowns in four convincing Copley victories.

``What else do I need to say? He continues to amaze me,'' Copley coach Dan Boarman said.

``He smells the end zone. He wants to score.

``He has got it all. He can run over people and has unbelievable balance.''
Carter was the great equalizer on this night, because the Indians were sloppy at times and inconsistent at others. Then, when times were tough, Carter did something to right the wrong.

``He has great balance and strength,'' Barberton coach Jay Glaze said. ``I told our kids you will be seeing him play on Sundays. He is that good.

`He is as good a kid as I have seen in this area in a long time.''

The Carter touchdowns were eight, 83, 35 and 50 yards -- and only the first one was relatively routine.

On the 83-yarder, which came at 7:32 of the second quarter, he broke to the left sideline, juggled the ball near midfield and then broke right across the field, outrunning the Magics' secondary.

Later in the second quarter, he scored from 35 yards away when he broke three tackles inside the 10 and willed his way into the end zone.

The 50-yarder, at 1:40 of the third quarter, evoked stares of disbelief from many when he was hit hard at the 40 and seemed to be going down. But he used his right hand to stay up twice, spun completely around and was all alone for the final sprint.
``I have been coaching 31 years and I have never seen a run like that,'' Boarman said about the fourth touchdown.

The Magics, like every team, keyed on Carter all night, but he used all of his attributes to beat defender after defender.

``I try to hit them before they hit me,'' Carter said. ``The line did a great job. I just waited for something to open up.''

The game was a tuneup of sorts for Copley (4-0, 1-0), which has Suburban League heavyweights Tallmadge, Green and Wadsworth over the next three weekends.

``I am just taking them one at a time,'' said Boarman, whose team had a 502-261 edge in total yardage.

The game was a reality check for a young Barberton team (3-1, 0-2) that had routed three City Series opponents, but has eight sophomores and one freshman starting.

``We have to keep progressing. I told the guys to stay positive,'' Glaze said.

``We were playing an older team with a superstar running back. We have to keep doing our best.''

Barberton was led by freshman tailback Paul Hitchcock (114 yards rushing on 20 carries) and freshman quarterback Michael Lee (two short touchdown runs in the final seven minutes).

For Copley, senior quarterback Jason Borchik was 6-of-17 for 82 yards. Senior receiver Durrell Binford caught four passes for 55 yards.

Messages for Tom Gaffney can be left at 330-996-3825 or tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

A couple of pics of Carter in action............

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</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Copley's Delone Carter loses his grasp on the ball as Barberton's Teron Robinson watches Friday, September 16, 2005, at Barberton High School stadium. (Akron Beacon Journal / Ken Love)
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</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Copley's Delone Carter heads for a touchdown against Barberton Friday, September 16, 2005, at Barberton High School stadium. (Akron Beacon Journal / Ken Love)

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</TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>Copley's Delone Carter heads for a touchdown during first half action against Barberton, Friday, September 16, 2005, at Barberton High School stadium. (Akron Beacon Journal / Ken Love)
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

link

9/22/05

Square in the spotlight

Given a chance to be a No. 1 back, Delone Carter is proving he can play
Thursday, September 22, 2005 Tim Rogers
Plain Dealer Reporter
It is a Wednesday afternoon and Delone Carter is hanging out in the Copley football field house waiting for practice to begin.

He moves from locker to locker, talking to his teammates and participating in harmless horseplay.

The mood is jovial, fueled by Carter and his engaging personality. He is being one of the guys, just the way he likes it.

“Delone doesn’t seek the limelight,” said Jim Borchik, Copley assistant principal and the father of quarterback Jason Borchik. “But, the limelight has a way of finding him. I have been around this senior class a lot, both in and out of school, and I can tell you that all Delone wants to be is one of the guys. But, you can see that he is one of the most well respected members of the school population. The kids look up to him; they defer to him.”

On this day, everything is right with Copley football in general and Delone Carter in particular.

And why not? The team is undefeated, having drubbed four straight opponents, and Carter has performed beyond everyone’s expectations except his.

“Everyone knew about Delone coming into the season,” said Copley coach Dan Boarman, whose team hosts Tallmadge (4-0) on Friday in one of the biggest games of the season. “And that’s what is so impressive about what he has accomplished.

People are keying on him every game, and he’s still averaging 12 yards a carry.”

In a season of outstanding running backs in Northeast Ohio — Akron Garfield’s Chris Wells, St. Edward’s Frank Edmonds, Glenville’s Bruce Frieson, Tallmadge’s Jamel Miller, Benedictine’s Jahmal Brown, Nordonia’s Jordan Mabin, Solon’s Brandon Shimits and Amherst’s Alex Knipp — Carter has begun the season with a vengeance, as if he had to validate the scholarship offer he accepted from Syracuse two months ago.

To watch Carter run is to watch a bulldozer raze a building. He is a tornado in spikes, whirling his way through the line of scrimmage and into the secondary, tossing would-be tacklers and stiff-arming their silly dreams aside. He makes guys miss. The ones he cannot make miss, he frequently runs over, dragging the overmatched safeties and undersized cornerbacks who seemingly have resigned themselves to the fact that they are only along for the ride.

He is 5-10 and 200 pounds of speed, strength, vision and balance, with a strong dose of desire to kick everything up a notch.

“I’m not sure what motivates Delone,” Boarman said. “I know that he understands that if he is going to be the man, then he better conduct himself like a man and that’s what he does. I think he has this burning desire to be the best he can be, on his terms. I don’t know that I’ve ever been around a kid who is so tough and violent on the field and so mature and so gentle off it. He is a joy to be around.”

The easygoing Carter does not like to talk about what motivates him. He shrugs his shoulders and smiles indifferently. After several intrusive questions he finally offers an opinion.

“Everywhere I have been, and at every level I have played, I have had to prove myself over and over,” he says quietly and without malice. “When I was in Pee Wee, they wanted me to play tight end and I wanted to run the ball. At [Archbishop] Hoban I had to wait my turn when I felt I was good enough to play right away. When I got here, it was like starting all over.

“Then, I had to prove myself to the college recruiters. They said I was too small, too slow, too this and too that. When West Virginia came in, the first question they asked me was if I could backpedal. I knew where they were going. I wasn’t interested in backpedaling.”

He is through having to prove himself now. Carter has amassed 947 yards in four games. He has rushed for 18 touchdowns and he’s caught one TD pass.

Carter’s career began at Hoban. He played behind Tyrell Sutton, all the while believing he was good enough to play alongside him, not behind him. Carter played two seasons at Hoban before transferring to Copley two summers ago.

Sutton, now at Northwestern University, went on to become Ohio’s all-time leading rusher while earning Mr. Football honors as a senior. Carter has dreams of succeeding his friend as Mr. Football.

The two speak frequently.

“I stayed one year too long at Hoban out of my respect for Tyrell,” Carter said. “I wanted to be loyal, and he wanted me to stay. But, I am glad to be at Copley. I like it here. I like the kids, the teachers, the coaches.”

Robert White is Carter’s stepfather and he has been a big influence since coming into Delone’s life about 10 years ago. He is quick to come to his stepson’s aid.

“You have to understand that Delone has been slighted at practically every turn,” said White, the man Carter later turned to a short time after his grandfather passed away unexpectedly about eight years ago.

“But, he never said anything to anyone about it, except for his mother and me.We just told him that he had to have faith and that someday his time would come. And we told him that when his time came, he would shine.”

It is not difficult to notice that Carter is popular with his teammates and classmates, and it’s easy to understand why.

“With all the success he has had and all the talent he has, he could be the cockiest guy around,” Jason Borchik said. “But, he’s not. He’s still a humble guy. He works as hard as anyone on the team, and all he cares about is winning.”

Carter credits his mother, April Carter-White, and stepfather for much of his success. He still sees his natural father, who lives in Maple Heights, but he is closer to White, a former Marine.

“I was brought up right,” Carter said. “They stayed on me pretty good about grades and doing the right thing and stuff like that.”

Said White: “We are very aware of what Delone is capable of doing and what he is not capable of doing in the classroom. We know he is not a straight-A student, but that he is a solid B-C student. And, we know he tries very hard. He studies. He gives it all he has. But, I have told him that after the first progress report comes out, if it’s not satisfactory, he can sit home on Friday nights and stare at me.”

Carter approaches academics seriously.

“He has not taken the easy route,” said Bren Wion, an English teacher. “He knows there will be challenges ahead of him in college, and he is preparing himself. He could have taken an easier class this semester, but he chose to take a British Literature course because he knows he will face that in college. He works hard at it. He participates. He has a plan. We have talked about the future and what if there was no football tomorrrow.”

Ah, but there is football tomorrow, and that's what Carter lives for. He loves everything about the game — the contact, the teamwork, the smells and the sounds.

He loves running onto with his teammates, running under Friday night’s lights and over and around opponents.

He is just being one of the guys. A special guy, but one of the guys just the same.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: trogers@plaind.com, 800-683-7348

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

LINK

9/24/05

Devils swarm to win


Tallmadge holds Copley star to 38 yards. Miller has 180

By Tom Gaffney

Beacon Journal sports writer

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Tallmadge made a collective statement as a team, and Jamel Miller made an individual one as a tailback.

The Blue Devils (5-0, 2-0), behind the running of Miller and a quick and punishing defense that was a 48-minute force, defeated host Copley 25-13 Friday night in a matchup of Suburban League unbeatens.

Miller rushed for 180 yards on 27 carries to outshine the Indians' Delone Carter, who was held to 38 yards on 21 carries.

``It's big. We're playing an all-state running back on a team that is undefeated and on their field,'' Tallmadge coach Joe Vassalotti said. ``This is a big step for us.''

Tallmadge, which is ranked No. 2 in the Division II state poll and in the Beacon Journal poll, trailed 7-6 at the half but put together three long second-half drives that ended in touchdowns. Copley (4-1, 1-1) made it semi-respectable with a touchdown on the final play but was on the wrong end of the total yardage 300-99.

``They handled us up front offensively and defensively,'' Copley coach Dan Boarman said. ``You can't give them the ball that long. It's a good football team with a lot of weapons.

``We had no rhythm but give credit to them. Good teams take away your rhythm.''

Miller, who has made an oral commitment to Miami (Ohio) University, won his duel with the more-celebrated Carter, but he did not consider it a personal accomplishment.

``All the hype was about Carter, but I didn't let it get to me,'' Miller said.

``He is a great back. It was pretty satisfying to have a game like this, but it was a team effort.''

The team effort was apparent on offense, but perhaps more so on defense. Carter came in averaging 237 yards per game rushing and had scored 19 touchdowns in four games.

Carter did manage to score two touchdowns but found Tallmadge walls on every run, as the likes of Sandy Kline, Yianni Karvounides, Justin Yelling, Allen Price and Kyle Harrison kept him company.

``I am speechless. We all know how good he is,'' said Karvounides, a senior two-way lineman. ``But we knew we could stop him as a team. We had to have 11 players flying to the ball.''

The Tallmadge goal was to hold Carter to less than 100 yards and did it with 62 yards to spare.

``It's a big feat. We knew our defense had to swarm,'' said Yelling, a senior linebacker. ``Our No. 1 goal all week was to `tackle, tackle, tackle.' We did that.''

Copley must move past the disappointment quickly because it faces another Suburban League contender, Green, next week.

``We have to grow. This is about overcoming adversity. It's nice and easy being 4-0,'' Boarman said. ``We have to become a better football team... better than we were tonight.''

Copley scored first when Carter swept left end, broke a tackle and beat the defense to the pylon on 12-yard run at 2:37 of the first quarter.

Tallmadge got back to 7-6 on a 4-yard run by Miller at 9:14 of the second quarter. The drive was a short one because the Blue Devils' Tyler Cammel recovered a fumble by Carter at the 7.

In the second half, Tallmadge was relentless on offense with three long touchdown drives. They went 62 yards in five plays, 77 yards in 11 plays and 49 yards on eight plays.

Miller scored on a 34-yard run for the first touchdown and caught a 10-yard pass from Price for the last one. Hill got the middle one, scoring on a 1-yard run.
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