Pretzinger stepping up for Rim

Going into the season, Rim of the World coach Bob Gradillas thought that sophomore Dillon Pretzinger would be important in lessening the workload on junior running back Nick Toner, who ran for 961 yards and 15 touchdowns last year.

But with Toner missing most of the first three games due to nagging soreness in his right knee, Pretzinger has been forced to carry most of the load. Not that its been much of a problem.

The 6-foot-0, 166-pounder ran for 310 yards on 32 carries with three touchdowns in the Fighting Scots’ 48-23 victory over Bishop last Friday and already has 542 yards on the ground for the season. Not bad for a guy who Gradillas was somewhat unsure about.

“We knew that Dillon had the ability, but we never expected him to start the way he has,” Gradillas said. “It’s not something you expect out of a sophomore. It’s been quite a lift and gives us some options once Nick comes back.”

Because of the way Pretzinger has played, Rim has the option of getting Toner fresh for Mojave River League play. Gradillas indicated that Toner, while almost ready to play, might sit against Indio tonight and Granite Hills next week to allow further healing – a luxury he might not have without Pretzinger’s emergence.

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