No wonder the Indians are enjoying one of their most successful seasons.
Koogle is a big reason for Carlisle’s success this year.
Collins, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound sophomore, has rushed 155 times for 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games. He was injured and missed the Waynesville game.
The leading rusher in the Southwestern Buckeye League, he has 400 yards more than the second-place rusher.
In the 10 games this season, he has two 200-yard games and five 100-yard games.
Koogle said Collins is having “a big year” for the Indians.
In Carlisle’s easy victory over West Liberty Salem, Collins rushed 18 times for 211 yards and three scores. Carlisle raced to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back.
“They wanted that one,” said Koogle, a 2011 Carlisle High graduate who spent eight seasons as assistant coach at Preble Shawnee before being hired two years ago to lead the Indians. “It went the way we hoped it would.”
Collins’ journey to becoming one of the best backs in the area has taken a few detours. He grew up in Carlisle, then his family moved to North Carolina.
There he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in eighth grade playing football, then tore the same ACL the next year wrestling.
He doesn’t think about damaging his ACL again.
“I just run,” he said.
He has healed from those injuries and is enjoying playing football again in his hometown.
“It’s good to be back with my big offensive line,” he said.
When Collins scores a touchdown, he looks at the fans and thinks: “I did something for the community to make people proud of me.”
He plans to play college football, but that’s two seasons away. Right now he doesn’t want his sophomore season to end.
“I have a really good feeling about this season,” Collins said.
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The Journal-News will profile a local high school athlete on Sundays. If you have a suggestion, please forward the athlete’s name and high school to Rick McCrabb at rmccrabb1@gmail.com.
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