ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, October 24, 1996 TAG: 9610250106
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-16 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
THE PATRIOTS' powerful running backs prove that football players don't have to be big to be good.
Catch them if you can.
Patrick Henry's James Hickenbotham and Shaun Akers may form the fastest running back duo in Timesland history. Stop one and the other one gets loose. They feed off each other in piling up yards and touchdowns.
``They'll key on James one week and I'll get a lot of yards,'' said Akers, a senior. ``Then they'll key on me and he gets a lot of yards. I don't like it, but if it it helps the team, it helps me.''
Against Amherst County two weeks ago, Akers ran 14 times for 168 yards while Hickenbotham, a junior, collected just 24 yards on nine attempts in a 26-24 victory.
This past weekend, when the Patriots pasted Cave Spring 35-13 in their Roanoke Valley District opener, Hickenbotham rushed for 168 yards while Akers got 95 yards.
Both are threats whenever they touch the ball. They have fueled PH's 6-1 record as the Patriots pursue preseason district favorite Pulaski County.
``Having them gives us a big play [threat] every time we snap the ball,'' said PH coach Ed Scott. ``If we can give one of them a seam, get them to the linebackers into the secondary where they have room to use their speed, it's not likely they'll be caught.''
Scott, a veteran coach, has had two quick backs in other years. ``I don't know if they were this quick, but at Park View-Sterling, we had Allen Pinkett [the all-time leading rusher for Notre Dame] and Terrance Lardy [who didn't play in college].''
Akers' speed is a known commodity: He finished fifth last spring in the Group AAA 100-meter dash. It's rare that an athlete from this part of the state can stay with the runners from the eastern schools in the Group AAA sprints.
Hickenbotham played football last year, but was suspended for the last three games. This year he has a new attitude, plus better speed and strength.
``I worked hard in the off-season,'' said Hickenbotham. ``I'm surprised at how well the hard work has paid off. I could only bench press 225-230 pounds and now it's 260. I ran a 4.6 [seconds] 40 and now it's 4.4 or 4.3.''
Hickenbotham ran indoor track, but didn't participate in the outdoor season when the Patriots finished second in the state. He plans to be around this spring for track.
``[Olympic champion] Michael Johnson has me motivated to run the 200 [meters],'' Hickenbotham said.
Hickenbotham's father, David, played football at Bluefield State after starring at Clifton Forge in the early 1970s. Scott coached the elder Hickenbotham at Clifton Forge before moving on to Park View-Sterling.
When Scott first saw that a player named Hickenbotham was going out for the team, he figured he was coaching the son of a former player. ``How many Hickenbothams are there?'' he asked.
Hickenbotham learned his lesson from last year's suspension. ``Last year, I was uncontrollable. [Sitting] was probably the best thing to happen to me. To watch the team play, knowing how badly I wanted to play, was hard.''
Both backs are beaten up with injuries, but they keep coming back for more punishment. Akers, with a bad right elbow, ankle and turf toe, is the more seriously injured of the two.
Despite their small stature, neither is afraid to get the tough yards between the tackles. ``Because I'm so small [5-11, 175], they don't think I can run up the middle,'' Akers said.
Like Hickenbotham, Akers was inspired by his dad, Rod. ``He played sandlot ball,'' Akers said. ``I've been playing all my life. He got me started in rec ball. I've been a running back the whole time.''
Well, not the whole time. Akers actually started in a different position. ``When I was 3 or 4 years old, I was the mascot for a recreation team,'' he said. ``I'd just get dressed up in a little white football uniform and sit on the bench holding footballs. When I got old enough, I started playing.''
Both are looking to play in college.
''Shaun is a Division I prospect,'' said Scott. ``I've sent some films to Marshall and a couple of other schools. The same thing for James. The big things are the grades and their size.''
Don't tell that to PH opponents, against whom Hickenbotham and Akers have already come up big.
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN/Staff. 1. & 2. Patrick Henry running backsby CNBJames Hickenbotham (left) and Shaun Akers are quick, strong and have
worked through injuries this season. ``Having them gives us a big
play [threat] every time we snap the ball,'' says PH coach Ed Scott.
``If we can give one of them a seam, get them to the linebackers
into the secondary where they have room to use their speed, it's not
likely they'll be caught.'' color.