Derrick Thomas and Brandon Knight lead Northview and Dothan into city game

Running game and success haven’t been too synonymous this decade for Northview and Dothan.

In fact, struggles have been more common than star performances.

This year is different.

Both teams have a strong running back who has ignited some success, a rarity for both at the same time.

The new-found running success has largely come because of the talents of Derrick Thomas and Brandon Knight.

Thomas, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior, has led the Cougars, averaging 91.5 yards a game.

Knight, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound senior, has racked up 92.8 yards a game for the Tigers.

Both have ability to break tackles inside or pop outside and utilize speed to burn defenses.

“Both are similar type backs,” Dothan head coach Kelvis White said. “Both have the potential to take over a game.”

With two games left, including tonight’s city showdown at Rip Hewes Stadium, both still have chances to reach the 1,000-yard mark.
Neither team has had one this decade, though Dothan’s Keon Young came close, missing by two yards in 2004.

Knight has 742 yards and Thomas 732. Knight has amassed his total on 132 carries, compared to 162 for Thomas.

The two would have to average 134 or better in the next two games to reach the mark.

The two are also valuable assets in catching the ball. Thomas leads Northview with 23 catches for 367 yards. He also has caught all three Cougar touchdown passes. Knight is second for Dothan in number of receptions (15), though his yardage total is sixth (105).

In interviews at two different times on two different campuses, the two backs — friends off the field who went to several football camps together last summer — also have the same reaction to the type of season they are having.

“It’s all right,” Thomas said. “I think it could be better.”

Knight had a similar view of his season.

“I have done good, but I know I could do better,” Knight said.

Both had the same reason for why they feel they could be having better years.

“Sometimes I go down (too easy),” Thomas said. “I don’t feel I run as hard as I could. I don’t feel I give it 100 percent every time I touch the ball. I get too tired mentally. I have to get mentally tough.”

Teammates and coaches, though, are quick to point out the two are warriors.

“That is a bad man,” Northview quarterback B.J. Chitty said of his teammate Thomas. “He has stepped up a lot for us this year with some big carries. Without him, I don’t think we could do very much.”

Dothan quarterback Jay LeGrand feels the same about his teammate, Knight.

“He is a hard runner who he doesn’t like to lose just like me,” LeGrand said. “He is our best running back in a couple of years since Caleb Dyck (2006). He runs with a lot of heart.”

Both players had modest goals for the season.

“I wanted to improve from last year to this year,” Thomas said. “I wanted to do better than I did last year, and I wanted to see the end zone more. I wanted to
score every game.”

While he has improved on his numbers, he has moderate success on touchdowns, rushing for seven scores in addition to his three receiving scores. He also returned a fumble for a touchdown on defense.

Knight had more concrete goals.

“Rush for a 1,000 yards and have a winning season,” Knight said.

Both are still obtainable.

Northview head coach Wayne White said the Cougars like to utilize the many talents of Thomas.

“We use Derrick in a lot of different ways,” White said. “We spread him out and utilize him more in passing routes than as a true prototypical running back. He
has great hands and catches it well for us.”

Dothan’s coach Kelvis White said he has been proud of the production Knight has delivered for the Tigers.

“Brandon is a big, strong physical back,” said White. “He runs hard too. He is having a great year. We went into the season saying we will ride him. That has
been our goal and we will not change that.”

Both players have earned respect from opponents.

“He is pretty good,” Northview defensive end Tony Vickers said of Dothan’s Knight. “I have played with him before. He is a talented running back. He reads his
blocks real well.”

Northview’s White adds of Knight, “I don’t know how many yards he had last year, but it seems he has improved a lot. He runs harder, I think, than he did last
year, and has really carried the load for them. He has been a dependable back.

“He has good size and he will tough to break down. We will have to do a good job of tackling him on having any success of stopping him.”

The respect is mutual from Dothan’s perspective on Northview’s Thomas.

“He has big-play ability,” Dothan linebacker McKinley Greer said. “He will break it once in awhile, so we will have to keep him wrapped up the whole game. He is their No. 1 player.”

“He is a good running back, runs hard and is a good receiver out of the backfield,” Dothan’s Kelvis White said. “They do a lot of things with him.”