Here’s a crazy stat for you.
According to South Aiken football’s X (formerly Twitter) page, senior running back Jevon Edwards came into Friday night’s game against Aiken needing 338 rushing yards to hit the 2,000-yard mark for the season, becoming just the fourth South Aiken player to do it in the school’s 44-year football playing history.
Well, South Aiken went on to defeat its crosstown rival 26-14 Friday night, and guess how many rushing yards Edwards had?
No, it’s not a trick question. Edwards stacked up exactly 338 ground game yards on just 29 carries (11.6 yards per carry, if you’re counting) to help his Thoroughbreds to the win. It was the sixth 200-plus effort for the 5-foot-10, 195-pound 3-star running back prospect this season.
Speaking of recruiting, Edwards has a nice list of suitors vying for his collegiate services, including Army, East Carolina, Liberty, Charlotte and Gardner-Webb with, perhaps, more to come.
We thought it would be fitting to catch up with Edwards and give him a chance to talk about his record, his college prospects and the rapidly approaching, bittersweet end to his high school football career.
GABRIEL STOVALL: Being able to be just one of a handful of players in South Aiken history to achieve a 2,000 yard rushing season is an amazing accomplishment. When you went into this last game, did you know how much you needed? Was it something you wanted to try and achieve?
JEVON EDWARDS: “It’s a blessing to be able to play this game alone. Two thousand yards is a huge accomplishment as a player, but none of this is possible without God. So before I continue, I’d like to thank God for keeping me healthy and reaching this milestone. All glory goes to him. With that being said, the guys knew how much I needed to get to 2,000. Before we hit it, they knew it was 338 yards to be exact. We all talked about it throughout the week up until the game, so we into the game with the mindset that it’s a mark we could get this week. I wanted to achieve 2,000 yards this season as a player, of course, but I also wanted to get it for my o-line. We are a unit, so my success is their success, and it feels great to do it with them.”
STOVALL: At what point in the game did you feel like you were going to have a major performance? And how did you react when you realized you’d accomplished it?
EDWARDS: “From the first play, I felt us getting a pretty good push up front, so I knew as long as I just ran hard, [Friday night] could be special. It was a good feeling when I accomplished it, but there’s still a lot of work to do. I know as a team we can be a lot better, but that starts with me. I had a good showing, but I can be better.”
STOVALL: You’ve got a few schools looking at you from a recruiting standpoint. What are you looking for in a place to play college football, and when do you feel like you’ll be ready to choose your school?
EDWARDS: “Well, I’m looking for a place that I can call home for the next four years and be comfortable. I don’t want to have to transfer out anywhere. So, wherever I go, that’s where I want to stay. As for when I’ll choose, I don’t have a time frame now, but it would ne nice to be committed within the next month.”
STOVALL: What got you started into football, and how has your time at South Aiken helped prepare you to excel as college football player wherever you choose to go?
EDWARDS: “I grew up watching football, and I just always thought that I could be out there playing football instead of just watching it. And at South Aiken I learned how to work hard, not only at practice but in the weight room and conditioning. I got coaches that want to see me be the best version of myself as possible.”
STOVALL: Next week you’ll play your last game in high school. What have you enjoyed most about your time in high school? What will you miss most?
EDWARDS: “I enjoyed growing in high school. I could feel myself getting better and more confident every year. It feels good when you go into the offseason with something you want to work on, then when the season comes you get results. I will miss the family we have here. I love this team, so leaving them will be hard.”
