Richard has solid showing in opener
There is no question that Shaquille Richard is undersized but that hasn't stopped the Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra running back from making big plays, like he did all night in a 34-7 win over Sherman Oaks (Calif.) Notre Dame last weekend.
Richard, a 5-foot-9, 165-pound prospect, rushed for 141 yards and a 55-yard touchdown on 13 carries and was also used sparingly in Serra's passing attack. He's quick, elusive, hard-nosed and not afraid to mix it up with bigger defenders. It's just that his recruitment hasn't taken off yet.
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"He's got a Cal Poly offer and Arizona State and other guys like him but they haven't pulled the trigger yet," Serra coach Scott Altenberg said.
"He's just something else. The thing that people worry about him is his size but he's a physical guy. He runs between tackles really well. I think he's going to be OK.
"He's subtle. That's the word for it. He just gives you a little bit of a hitch and the guy is by you. In a lot of ways it's like Emmitt Smith where he'd just give you a little hiccup and do well."
The more exposure Richard gets the more his recruitment should take off.
Getting seen shouldn't be a problem since Serra features, five-star wide receiver George Farmer, four-star athlete Marqise Lee, four-star defensive end Jason Gibson, three-star prospects Woodson Greer and Conner Preston and others.
This isn't the first time Richard has looked good. The Serra running back was one of the team's top players at the NIKE 7on Tournament in Beaverton, Ore., this summer and he was one of the top running backs at the Los Angeles NIKE Camp in the spring.
With more performances like he had last Friday night, programs from up and down the West Coast might be getting involved with him. Serra returns to the field for its home opener at 7 p.m. Friday against Redondo Beach (Calif.) Redondo Union.