Stringer head football coach Morris Cascio - like most in his profession - preaches “next man up.” Jorian Sampson, called “JoJo” by his coaches and teammates, became as such two weeks ago in the place of injured senior running back Cooper Rogers.
“Our running back suffered a high-ankle sprain two weeks ago,” said Cascio. “JoJo finished that game in his place and started the last game for us.”
Sampson tallied 212 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns last Friday night in Stringer’s 40-24 win over Region 4-1A foe Mount Olive.
"Coach Cascio told me that I'd probably hate him because he was going to give me most of the carries," joked Sampson. "I told him I was fine with it. They gave me the ball, and I did what I had to do. I guess running back just fits me."
Last season, Sampson, who wore the number 52, played on the defensive line as a sophomore. At the start of this season, wearing number 3, the now junior Red Devil started at middle linebacker on defense and served as a backing back on offense. Then came the move.
“He stepped into a starting role this past week and ran the ball hard,” said Cascio. “He also played a lot of middle linebacker in the game. We’re proud of him and what he was able to accomplish for the team.”
Sampson’s 212-yard night pushed him into Stringer’s leading rusher category. He has 327 yards on 44 carries - an average of 7.4 yards per carry, also a leading number.
His speed, ability to make the right cuts at the right time, and vision on the field made Sampson successful against Mount Olive on the road.
"He's just an athlete," Cascio said. "We hadn't given him many opportunities to run [prior to the switch]. Evidently, he's got good speed. We found that out this past Friday night that he can run.
"Friday night, he hit the holes on the line with a vengeance. He'd hit the hole at the line of scrimmage, make a jump cut one way or the other with his vision and ran away from guys."
What’s next for Sampson? Cascio said the junior’s performance last week might continue to earn him a permanent starting role.
“He’ll start against Resurrection Catholic as our running back,” Cascio said. “We expect him to do the same things he did against Mount Olive.”
Sampson is Sports601’s Powerade Player of the Week for the Jones, Jasper, Smith and Wayne County area (Week 6).
