NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — 5’4″, 130 pounds. This is the frame Riverside starting running back Dedric Lastie trots on the field, but during the week six showdown at St. Martin’s, the junior shows the true measure of a bruising back, running for 351 rushing yards and four touchdowns, on only 18 carries. Rebels head coach Lee Roussel has known the stout ball carrier would be his bell-cow back since spring camp.
“We thought we were pretty good in the O-line and D-line, and to see him pop some runs, some tough runs in camp and spring, I think that’s when we kind of knew ‘hey, we got something here,’ and we lost one. A lot of people said ‘you lost a back. What you gonna do now?’ I kind of knew what we had, and he’s starting to get a chance to show it now,” Coach Lee said.
“I felt good coming in. We all felt good, We was ready. We had the chip on our shoulder. They was the number one. Everybody thought they was better. We just had to come and prove that we was the better team,” Lastie said.
Lastie’s performance steals the show away from the nation’s top running back Harlem Berry, and not only does Lastie display his next level skills, Coach Roussel also believes the Rebels have a ac college rusher in their backfield.
“The yards say so, and he brings some things on third down. He can catch the ball out the backfield. He’s not a big kid, but he understands protection so he’s good on third down so he might have a chance to be an every-down-back at the next level. He’s very, very smart. He understands the scheme. He’s not just out there playing backyard football,” Coach Lee added.
“I really had to do nothing. I just had to come out here and show them that I’m a good running back too,” the junior finished.
Dedric Lastie of Riverside. This week’s Best Chevrolet Best Player of the Week.
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