Prep Football: Perfect Complement
They've been called Thunder and Lightning and rightfully so.
The rolling thunder known as Trey Vessel and the quick strike of Payton Price ha s been the dominant two-headed monster that has propelled the Eldorado offense to an 8-1 record, a share of the Black Diamond Conference championship and a first round date with Flora in the IHSA Class 2A Playoffs Saturday at Boz Adams Field.
But ask Eldorado head coach , Brandon Hampton , what best describes his two prolific running backs and he'll tell you they are the perfect complement.
"The thing I really appreciate about those two kids is how they complement each other well," he said. "They both make each other better and both of those kids could have more stats if they weren't splitting reps, but I also don't think they would have won as many games or championships just on their own. Collectively, they share in each other's success. They're good kids and deserve every athletic accolade they receive."
Price finished the season -far and beyond - any rusher, not just in the BDC, but in southern Illinois. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound senior tailback finished the year with 112 carries for a league high 1,594 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Vessel, who stands in at 5-9 and 225 pounds, had 128 carries for 948 yards and ranked fifth in the BDC in rushing.
What's missing from those numbers are the quarters lost and snaps taken away from the two seniors as they were rained out in the second half against Vienna-Goreville and Hamilton County and had running clock against Sesser-Valier-Waltonville-Woodlawn.
Hampton said despite that, where he really judges the two are in what they did against the "three better teams in the conference" of Johnston City, Fairfield and Chester.
Against Fairfield, Price went for 168 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown, while Vessel scored four TD's, rushing for 131 yards on 21 carries in a 34-8 win.
In Eldorado's 34-7 win over Johnston City, Vessel had 170 yards on 21 carries, while Price broke free for three scores, finishing with 14 carries and 127 yards and in last week's 50-28 win at Chester, Price had 181 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns, while Vessel scored two on 20 carries for 132 yards.
"They're just unselfish," Hampton said. "Most teams have a good back, that one stud, but we have two of them and really more, but in regards to rushing, teams can't just key on one guy. We have a physical offensive line and that's why we have had so much success."
That offensive line is where Vessel knows he wouldn't have the numbers he'd have without.
"I would have zero yards," Vessel said. "Without those guys up front, I don't think Payton and I would be sitting here having this conversation. There isn't much we could do without them."
When looking for something or someone to get behind - and not in the political sense - Vessel says his route up the middle is running behind Davin Lester.
Price took a more PC stance
"I like them all," Price said. The more in front of me the better off I am."
Which might lay claim to Price's success on the gridiron this season. When Price makes the first defender miss, it's usually like opening the gate at Chu r chill Downs and watching Secretariat run to the finish line.
But the senior admits his reaction time might be a little better than everyone elses.
"I see where people are at. I can usually beat someone around the corner. It's not anything I really think about, but I do put in a lot of working on my speed and agility."
Vessel's hard-nosed and hard running approach is what makes him the the perfect complement to Price, even he agrees.
"When Kale (Oglesby) hands me the ball up the middle, teams have to respect and watch for that, but when Payton breaks free on the outside, what are you going to do? It's hard to stop and it is what it is."
Hampton knows how important the two are to his style of ground-and-pound offense. If Price is the log running through the wood chipper, shredding a defense ; then Vessel is the wrecking ball swinging free from a tractor with little to no disregard for what gets in its way.
"Defense's have to make a choice, and when they see Vessel coming they make a business decision and get out of the way. I've seen guys on film just run away from him because they don't want to get hit. Payton just has this uncanny ability to hit the home run and give us a big boost when we need it. He's so explosive.
"There's no sense of entitlement from those two, even from the first day they arrived, because they were good in middle school. But, they have gotten better in high school and they continue to get better. One of the things that people don't talk about with Trey is how good his feet are. For a guy his size, they really are good. Payton, everyone knows how fast he is, but his ability to not get tackled by the first guy is something that goes unnoticed."
Both will be featured Saturday and maybe even with a new wrinkle, but in a season where Mother Nature has ruled portions of Friday nights, there is a good chance Eldorado's forecast on Saturday will call for more 'Thunder and Lightning.'
Michael Dann covers prep and college sports for the Harrisburg Daily Register and Eldorado Daily Journal. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.