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Ram Breaks Loose
Gaither's hard running has Starmount in contention to win Mountain-Valley title
Journal Photo by Lauren Carroll
Rashaun Gaither of Starmount has run for 938 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.
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Published: October 9, 2008
BOONVILLE - Rashaun Gaither has seen the hardest of hard times for Starmount football.
And judging by the way he played Friday night, he has no desire to revisit those days.
In a game that probably will have a major impact on the outcome of the Mountain-Valley 2-A race, Starmount rode Gaither to a 44-20 win over Wilkes Central to move to 2-0 in the conference.
The overall record of 4-3 won't draw comparisons to Starmount's state-championship team in 1998, but it's also a far cry from the struggles that the program has had in recent years.
And Gaither is running as if things will only get better at Starmount.
Gaither had his way with Wilkes Central's defense, rushing for 257 yards and five touchdowns on only 17 carries. It was the second game of the season in which Gaither surpassed 200 yards -- he also did it against Elkin -- and it was the first time in 13 seasons that a Ram scored five touchdowns in a game.
Gaither, who also plays safety, scored on a 9-yard run in the first half, then had second-half touchdown runs of 11, 47, 6 and 15 yards as the Rams pulled away.
Coach Scott Johnson of Starmount described Gaither as quiet and said that it's usually tough to gauge his emotions.
"It's hard to tell when he is really into it, but you could tell last week he let a little emotion out," Johnson said. "He was pretty excited. He always runs hard, but he had a little extra going on.
"His threat of getting outside on the jet or rocket we run is what opens up the offense. When people have to pay attention to him, it gives other guys opportunities to run, so him carrying out his fakes is very important."
Gaither said he was told of his rushing total after the game, and added that he was just glad his team won. Gaither said he is friends with Leo Guevara, Central's standout running back, and that the game was a battle between the MVC's two best running backs.
"Whoever is going to win conference, it was right there, and that was another big step," Gaither said. "I was expecting a closer game. We were saying in our mind we were going to win this game, we were going to win this game. And we came out to play, and everything was clicking
"We hit another gear and started pulling away in the third. The line, you know, they were working, and I was determined to do something."
Defensive coordinator Scott Carter said that Gaither is the first Starmount running back in years who has a chance to play that position in college. Gaither is being recruited by several schools, including Western Carolina, UNC Pembroke and Winston-Salem State, and the Starmount coaches said that WSSU has recruited Gaither harder and longer than the other programs.
"He could play somewhere if he would get a chance," Carter said. "He has got great vision, and he cuts and accelerates. He sees the hole, and he hits it. And he is looking past the guy that's closest to him. The guy who is on him, he has already made him miss, and he is looking at the next guy.
"He is probably a 4.6 (seconds) or a little better (over 40 yards). He can definitely run, but his vision and acceleration off of cuts are his greatest attributes."
Gaither has rushed for 938 yards and 13 touchdowns on 80 carries this season and has 10 catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He also has more than 300 yards in punt and kick returns and one touchdown on a return.
At strong safety, he has intercepted two passes, and he had one big stop last week when he tackled Guevara for a loss on a fourth down and short yardage.
Gaither attended Forbush as a freshman and transferred to Starmount in the summer of 2006. The Rams were in the I-formation then but have since switched back to the Wing-T.
Johnson said that Gaither, at 6-0, 185 pounds, would have had a lot more carries in an I-formation offense.
"If we were in the I now, he would get it 20 or 25 times a game, and now he is getting it 11 or 12," Johnson said. "Like the other night, in a big game, he will get it more."
Johnson said that Gaither has matured and that it's starting to show.
"He has had some growing experiences," Johnson said. "I have had to get on him pretty hard, and he has responded to it well. He has come back and tried to be a leader, and he has done everything we could ask of him for the last few weeks.
"I think there is a very good chance he will play somewhere in college. He is hoping to get an opportunity, and he sure should."
Starmount finished 1-10 in 2006 then ended up 6-6 last season after a first-round playoff loss. This season, the Rams need only to win out, starting with Friday's game against Surry Central, to win the conference title.
"We expected to be a conference champion so (last week's win) doesn't change much," Gaither said. "It just showed we are working toward that, and we will wait for Ashe County to come around (Oct. 24) and see what happens."
■ Mason Linker can be reached at 727-7324 or at mlinker@wsjournal.com.
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