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Uphill battle
By
Kevin Gorman
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, July 2, 2006
The running of Center Street, the steepest hill in the City of Duquesne, during the heat of the day became a ritual for Elijah Fields last summer. The uphill run builds speed, stamina and strength. Most importantly, it tests character. Fields knew it was a necessary evil, but had no idea how necessary.
Whether he was on the football field or basketball court, Fields, the only child of single mother Lisa Butler, carried on his shoulders the hopes and dreams of Duquesne, a distressed school district oft-rumored to be closing its doors.
Through this, he led the Dukes to the WPIAL Class A finals in both sports and the PIAA final in football. He drew head coaches such as Penn State's Joe Paterno, Pitt's Dave Wannstedt, West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez and Ohio State's Jim Tressel to one of the WPIAL's smallest schools.
"It became a distraction for the athletes," said Montel Staples, Duquesne's athletic director and basketball coach. "When you're winning and playing for championships and one of the first questions asked is, 'What about your school?' What he did during the course of that really opened people's eyes. It made people think, you can't close that school. It kept us in the headlines in a positive way." The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Fields took out his frustrations on opponents. He was dominant in football, becoming the first Duquesne player to finish with 1,000 receiving yards. He scored 31 touchdowns, by every way possible: Run, catch, interception, fumble recovery, punt return, you name it.
Fields led Duquesne to the WPIAL title and PIAA final, where he accounted for all of the Dukes' points - scoring on receptions of 79 and 25 yards and a 59-yard run in the first half - in a 51-19 loss to Southern Columbia.
"The things that he could do on the football field, he was just so exciting," Duquesne football coach Pat Monroe said. "Every time he touched the ball - and every time the ball was in his area defensively - you had high expectations. And he rarely disappointed you."
Fields was just as exciting in basketball, where he averaged 18.9 points per game and was named WPIAL Class A Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. He scored 36 points in a spirited performance against eventual WPIAL Class AA champion Aliquippa in the regular-season finale, but saved his best for a WPIAL semifinal.
Fields showed his clutch play and flair for the dramatic against Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, when he scored 17 of his 26 points in the final 16 minutes. His greatest heroics came in the final 40 seconds, when Duquesne trailed by three. Fields made a 3-pointer, stole the inbounds pass and made the go-ahead lay-up to clinch a 59-57 victory.
"I love to compete," Fields said. "That brings out the best in me. I've always been that way. I think I've built myself into this. I've always had natural talent and speed, but there's a lot more to it. I want to try to be one of the best."
Fields proved it last month at the Big 33 Football Classic. The Pitt recruit finished with a team-high seven tackles and two interceptions, returning one 68 yards for a touchdown in Pennsylvania's 61-42 victory over Ohio.
"That was very important right there," Fields said. "I had to send a statement to people that isn't about the Single-A competition and to prove to the colleges that I'm ready for the next level. I think I should make an impact."
