Sophomore Aaron Harris plays big role in Cape Central football team's return to final four

The future of Cape Central football has arrived, and it comes in the form of sophomore Aaron Harris.

Perhaps you've seen him this season bursting through the line of scrimmage, several defenders draped at his feet as they grab onto whatever they can in an attempt to bring him down.

Senior wide receiver Al Young remembers getting a glimpse of that in practice a year ago when Harris, a freshman at the time, showed what this year's edition of the Tigers' running game was going to look like.

"I remember just watching him run people over. I'm like, 'Dang,'" Young said. "He was only a freshman. I was like, 'He's going to be something next year.'"

At 5-foot-11, 195 pounds, Harris has indeed been "something."

Cape Central's Aaron Harris carries before a tackle by Riverview Gardens' Davion Evers during the first quarter Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 at Cape Central High School. (Fred Lynch)

He became the Tigers' featured running back in the second half of their Week 2 win over St. Charles West, and since then, he hasn't looked back. Harris leads the team with 208 rushes for 1,525 yards and 11 touchdowns while also contributing 81 tackles -- a team-high 13 for loss -- on defense as an inside linebacker.

There's a physicality to Harris' running style that Central coach Nathan Norman best described as "an old-school type of running back."

"He's downhill. He's very physical, a big back," Norman said. "He reminds me of an LSU or an Alabama type of running back, so I think that's a good compliment. And he's just a sophomore. He's going to become a more well-rounded runner as time goes on, simply because his vision's going to get better. He's going to get faster."

Harris' bruising style has also added efficiency to the Tigers' offense. His longest run of the year was 75 yards, and he's averaging 7.3 yards per carry.

Tigers quarterback Kway'Chon Chisom compared Harris in two facets -- as a blocker and as a runner -- to an NCAA national champion and Super Bowl champion. Chisom believes he blocks like Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott and runs similar to New England Patriots RB LeGarrette Blount.

"He always falls forward," Chisom said. "We trust him a lot. He's got so many carries, and I think he's only fumbled once. It's good just knowing he's not going to have any negative plays or try to run back or make mistakes."

Central has developed a three-headed monster on offense between Young, Chisom and Harris, but Harris leads the way. He accounts for 35 percent of the Tigers' offensive touches, with Young (23 percent) and Chisom (19 percent) close behind.

Cape Central's Aaron Harris poses for a photo Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015 at Cape Central High School. (Glenn Landberg)

Considering his workload, it's easy to forget Harris is still only 15 years old. That's why Norman and his coaching staff weren't sold on handing him the reins at tailback until the second half of the team's Week 2 game at St. Charles West.

"The big fear in August was that he's a sophomore," Norman said. "We had to play him on defense. We didn't have any depth at linebacker. Even though we may have known he was our best running back, he was without a doubt one of our top two linebackers, and he had to play. But as time went on, we realized he was able to get more comfortable."

Harris racked up 94 of his 104 yards rushing in the second half of the Tigers' 33-12 win over the Warriors. More importantly, Norman left the game with an answer at tailback, resolving a question that arose from the graduation of last year's standout, Braion Owens.

Central will compete in its third straight Class 4 final four at 1 p.m. Saturday at Tiger Stadium. The Tigers will face five-time defending state champion Webb City, and the running back position has been a big reason why the Tigers have had so much success in recent years.

First there was Mikey Jones, who racked up 2,076 yards and 25 scores on 277 carries in guiding the Tigers to an appearance in the state semifinals in 2013. Then there was Owens, whose 233 rushes for 1,678 yards and 21 TDs proved to be vital in leading the program to its first state championship game last season. And now there's the first-year starter in Harris.

Cape Central's Aaron Harris dives past Farmington defensive players in the first quarter Friday, Oct. 2, 2015 in Cape Girardeau. (Glenn Landberg)

He spent his freshman season as a reserve behind Owens but took plenty from his time waiting in the wings.

"He always follows his guard, and he sees the big picture on the field," Harris said about Owens. "He always sees where everybody's at, and he knows when to make the right cut and when not to and when to just go downhill. That's what I'm still learning how to do, but he really helped me with that last year."

Harris has also found comfortability starting alongside his brother, Blake. They grew up playing together and now find themselves in a unique position as teammates on a varsity squad.

"We've always been competitive, and being on the same team is something we never saw coming until this year," Blake Harris said. "... When we were little, we always imagined what it would be like for us playing on the same team, how things would go. Offensively or defensively, we knew we would have a connection together. It just syncs when we're on the field."

Norman is also extremely complimentary of the way the two brothers go about their business off the field.

"You're not going to find better kids, either one of the Harris boys," Norman said. "I told their parents, 'Hey, I'm going to send my two little boys home with you because whatever you've done with these two kids is phenomenal.' They're great kids, and that's really the best compliment I can give them.

"They're far better kids than they are football players, and they're phenomenal football players as well."

Young also has been impressed with Harris' unselfishness on the field, recalling several times throughout the season when Harris instead opted for Chisom to handle the ball in goal-line situations.

"He thinks about the team first," Young said. "If things ain't going good, he'll help you get up. He always steps up.

"You won't ever see him with a frown on his face. He's always smiling. He always stays positive."

Chisom has likewise returned the favor on occasion.

"This Friday, [Harris] drove the whole field, and the quarterback sneak was called," Chisom said. "I just changed the play call and handed him the ball because he deserved it. He earned it."

This season's game experience has given Harris plenty of confidence with two full seasons looming ahead in his high school career. Norman understands he's asking a lot from someone so young but believes Harris has handled it well.

"He's a great running back, but he knows there's room for improvement. And with time, he's going to get better," Norman said.

Harris considers the Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson as an ideal running back and said he's been greatly influenced by fellow teammate Trevon McClard, a senior linebacker and fullback who's helped him grow on defense.

"He's been picking me up and teaching me basically all season," Harris said about McClard. "He encourages me and gives me tips on what I need to do. I can relate with him well. He's just a good leader. He works hard on every play, every snap."

The sophomore also has aspirations of his own, and there's no reason for him not to dream big.

"I want to lead the school in rushing yards. I want to be the best running back at Cape Central," Harris said. "I've got to work hard to do that. Those are big shoes to fill. You've got Mikey. You've got Braion."

Surrounded by some of the best athletes the school has ever seen and an offensive line that returns three starters from last year, he's already off to a fitting start.

"He'll kind of scare you when he runs because he's built up and big," Young said. "He doesn't think about juking you. He'll just run you over. He just does what he has to do."

Harris will get an opportunity to showcase himself against arguably the best program in the state when the Cardinals travel Saturday to Cape Girardeau, but none of that will determine his future. His ceiling appears boundless, and with time, he'll only get bigger, faster and stronger.

"He's the type of kid who likes the weight room, and he will do what you ask him to do as far as speed development," Norman said. "He's a kid that's coachable, and he truly wants to get better, so I worry about his opponents in a couple years because he's going to be a man."