O-R Athlete of the Week: Josh O’Hare, Canon-McMillan
Name: Josh O’Hare
School: Canon-McMillan
Class: Senior
Sport: Football
O’Hare’s week: In what was as close to a must-win game as possible for Canon-McMillan, O’Hare was the guiding light on offense with 191 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries in a 20-14 victory over Hempfield.
“Running the football is everything,” said C-M coach Mike Evans. “It’s about getting up and taking the line of scrimmage. We have been able to run the ball since I’ve been here, but if your offensive line can do the best job in the world and if you don’t have a running back, it doesn’t matter.”
In the middle of the first quarter, O’Hare broke a 69-yard touchdown run to give the Big Macs a lead in a game they would never trail.
The big run helped the C-M running back to gain 135 yards in the the first half when the Big Macs scored all 20 of their points.
“It’s really important (to be able to run the football),” O’Hare said. “Most of our yards come from the running game and, hopefully, it will continue to get better as the season goes on.”
Back with a vengeance: O’Hare, who missed his sophomore and junior seasons with an illness, hasn’t skipped a beat since returning.
O’Hare has 47 carries for 490 yards and five touchdowns. He also has six receptions for 85 yards, averaging 10.8 yards every time the ball is in his hands.
“I just decided to work harder than I ever have,” O’Hare said of his comeback. “I missed it. During my junior year, I worked so hard to just try to be stronger than ever. It feels real good to be back with my brothers.”
It was a dedication that didn’t go unnoticed by Evans.
“I told him in December that he was going to have to get back into the weight room. And if we lifted 100 times, he was there about 99,” Evans said.
“We knew from years past that he had the potential to be a good tailback. He runs angry. Josh has a different look in his eye when the football is in his hands. When he gets the ball, you get every ounce out of him for every second of that run.”
Compiled by staff writer Luke Campbell.