Ganious, teammates draw looks
Texas state-ranked North Shore High School is churning out wins at a record pace. Winning its 57 consecutive regular season game, the Mustangs are primed for a playoff run and could be on a collision course with state power Southlake Carroll in the large Class 5A division.
North Shore prospects are getting some looks as well, but their statistics are not that gaudy.
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"Most of our kids on offense only play two quarters because our games are usually out of reach by them," offensive coordinator Brian Ford said. "It would be amazing what our running back would have in yardage if he played an entire game."
For instance, Chris Ganious (5-7, 160-pounds) had only seven carries last week. He scored on five of them from two, seven, 41, 77 and 32 yards out, and finished with 165 yards on the day.
"You have to look at his yard per carry average to get a real gauge about what he can do," Ford said. "He's our best weapon and he's so reliable. He doesn't fumble, he can catch, he has a great football IQ and he is cat-quick."
Gainous could benefit from the likes of West Virginia's Steve Slaton and Northern Iowa's Garrett Wolfe, who are bringing the small running back into the forefront.
"He's started since his junior year and has been so dependable," North Shore coach David Aymond said. "He is a game-breaker, who always makes big plays for us."
Gainous is a finalist for the Houston Touchdown Club offensive MVP, having rushed for 969 yards for an average of 11.67 yards-per-carry and 18 touchdowns. He leads Greater Houston in all classes in yards-per-carry and Class 5A in touchdowns.
Taking notice of his exploits have been UCLA, Army, Navy, The Citadel and Southeast Missouri State to date.
"I've been getting a lot of calls," the academic qualifier Ganious said. "I'd like to go see some campuses and get the process moving a little more but I'm being patient. I do like UCLA the most right now."
It's probably no coincidence that he is being recruited by one of the best small backs ever in college football, UCLA's Eric Bienemy.
The Mustangs also lead the area in defense, giving up 113.7 yards per game. Leading the defense is Marcus Jones, a returning all-state defensive lineman. Getting the most attention is linebacker Terence Hall (6-2, 215-pounds), who is North Shore sideline to sideline, rangy defender.
"We've had the most Division I kids in the country over the past 10 years," Aymond said. "He should be another one. He has the size, speed and smarts to be a good one."