By Miguel A. Melendez Staff Writer
Andrew Elffers may not throw for 3,000 yards again for Maranatha High School this season.
Running back Omar Younger may have something to do with that.
But don’t get the wrong impression. Younger by no means has made it his intention to steal the spotlight away from one of the area’s rising quarterbacks in Elffers who threw for 3,328 yards and 37 touchdowns, making him the No. 3 passer in the nation among sophomores.
Maranatha this season switched to a West Coast offense that will implement a running game in hopes of giving the Minutemen another dimension to an offense that, for the most part, lacked a running game last year. Perhaps the biggest reason Maranatha was known last season as a pass-happy offense was because injuries desemated a talented backfield with injuries.
“With last year’s offense he was fighting to get in,” Maranatha coach Pete Karavedas said. “They had a senior running back in Chris Cornell who was really good. But Omar was fighting for time. This year he’s our number one (running back) and he’ll get a lot of touches.”
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Chris Cornell tore an ACL early in the season against Cerritos Valley Christian. Younger was a sophmore backup. He entered the game only to later have his helmet taken away from a team trainer after suffering a mild concussion. The game in part turned into the Andrew Elffers show as he completed 31 of 57 passes for 541 yards six touchdowns in a five-overtime 70-64 loss.
The perception was crated: Maranatha is a passing team.
This season figures to be different. Younger enters the season knowing he’s the starter in the backfield. In Friday’s 41-12 win over Big Bear, Younger rushed for 84 yards on 21 carries, though he easily could have amassed 100 yards if not for three plays negated by penalties.
“I wasn’t tripping,” said Younger about losing out on a chunk of yardage. “To me, it’s not a big deal. Let’s just win.”
If Younger, who rushed for 534 yards and four touchdowns on 71 carries last season, has a big year, there will be a big fan on the field applauding his efforts, and that’s Elffers.
“Omar’s a very hard runner,” he said. “I know that having a big running game helps our team. We’re a multi-dimensional team when we can run and pass just as good. When we can do both, the run sets up the pass and the run sets up the pass. It’s just such a huge threat.
“Me not being able to throw as much as I did last year is not a problem at all. Whatever it takes to win. I’m a team player and I want nothing but that.”
Younger impressed coaches during fall camp with his speed, ability to make reads and that he hides well behind blockers. A senior-heavy group of blockers come in handy. Offensive line coach Ben Winslow has helped dramatically improve the offensive line to become a unit that will be a key element in creating a productive running game.
“And that’s going to make Omar a lot better,” Karavedas said.
Guards Brian Lolik and Sterling Sanchez and left tackle Adam Harr will be key in Younger’s success. But for that to happen, Elffers needed to concede to the idea that a running game might mean his passing numbers will take a dip.
Elffers, of course, was on board.
“Drew wants to win,” Karavedas said. “He’s going to get his attention either way. He wants Omar to do well and he knows that if we can run the ball that opens so much of the passing game.”
Such was the cast in the season opener. Younger’s ground success opened the field, as Elffers finished with 231 yards passing and five touchdowns, three of which came in the air.
Younger by no means is going to steal anyone’s thunder. But what he does want to do is take any pressure off Elffers if that will help the team in the long run.
“Just so he doesn’t feel like he has all the pressure,” said Younger, who didn’t play tackle football until just two years ago.
Younger said he doesn’t think about the concussion, but it did teach him a valuable lesson.
“It helped me a lot with my vision,” said the 5-foot-8, 170-pounder. “It was an eye opener and made me make sure to keep looking for the lanes and gaps to develop and slip into the right gaps.”
Younger is poised to make a run for the headlines. And if he does, only one thing will matter, winning.
“And if so,” Elffers said, “that’s perfectly OK with me.”
miguel.melendez@sgvn.com
