Roosevelt: Falling into fullback

Updated: August 18, 2011 5:13PM

Hard to believe, but sometimes getting your tonsils removed gives you that extra step — the step needed to make the move from offensive line to fullback.

That is what happened to Johnnie Frazier III, a 5-9, 200-pound senior at Roosevelt. OK, well maybe the added step comes from the weight Frazier lost when he had surgery as a freshman to remove the infected tonsils.

The point is, whatever works.

Frazier dropped 20 pounds and Eric Yarbrough, the Panthers’ coach, decided to give him a whirl in the backfield because he wanted a big body back there.

“We just ended up giving him the ball,” Yarbrough said.

It has worked out well ever since.

Frazier rushed for 595 yards last year, basically turning into the go-to guy for the Panthers’ short-yardage offense.

He’s looking for more this year. His favorite play is a 31 quick trap, which is a quick handoff to the fullback up the middle.

He plays both ways, lining up at middle linebacker on defense, though he prefers running the ball.

Frazier was inspired to play football because of his dad, Johnny Jr,, a 1989 Roosevelt graduate who played linebacker. He didn’t go out for football until his freshman year. Most of his spare time was spent on the basketball court before that. He played point guard last year on the junior varsity team.

Frazier is excited about the season, knowing that some of the players have worked harder than ever to get better.

“I think we’re going to be excellent,” Frazier said. “We’ll be much more aggressive on offense.”

Yarbrough took Frazier, quarterback Deron Downton, linebackers Henry Smith and De’Andre Lampley to college camps at Indiana and Western Michigan.

It’s the first time Yarbrough has been able to get a solid core of players together for summer camps.

He also had 19 kids work out regularly. In previous years, he might get a handful that made it to workouts.

“That was solid for us,” he said. “I know it’s not Valpo or Michigan City numbers, but it’s good for us.”

The impetus for the extra work in the offseason came from the sophomore class (Smith and Lampley). They were undefeated as seventh- and eighth-graders. Yarbrough said they spread the word through Facebook and the message resonated.

“They’re used to winning,” he said.

Coach

Eric Yarbrough

Record

At School: (2-14 in third year)

Overall: (10-36 in sixth year)

Last season

Lost 56-8 to Morton in sectional opener

Key returnees

QB Deron Downton

RB Johnnie Frazier

LB Henry Smith

Key losses

QB/DB Demetrious Brown

OL/LB Dan McKenna

OL/DL James Schumacher

College prospects

OL/DL Andre Whittaker

Season outlook

The fortunes of Roosevelt’s offense could rise and fall with the arm and legs of Deron Downton, their 6-1, 140-pound senior quarterback. Downton actually put on 20 pounds since last year. He played quarterback, passing for 420 yards and wide receiving, catching seven passes for 215 yards. Downton split time with Demetrious Brown at quarterback before Eric Yarbrough moved Brown to wide receiver. Yarbrough only has between 20 and 25 kids, so almost everyone will play both ways. He was encouraged by the spirit of the players and their commitment to conditioning over the summer. Yarbrough hasn’t talked much about how this could be the last season for Roosevelt. It’s possible the school could close, the victim of consolidation and poor performance. That could be a rallying cry for the undermanned Panthers. Their best player on the line is Andre Whittaker, a 6-2, 245-pound tackle. Johnnie Frazier is going to play linebacker and fullback. He’ll anchor the defense. Yarbrough believes this team is going to be good by the end of the year. “If you watch us each week, you’ll see improvement,” he said.

Postseason

Class 4A Sectional 9 (East Chicago, Roosevelt, West Side, Griffith, Hammond, Clark, Morton, Highland)

Schedule

Aug. 19 at Michigan City

Aug. 26 at Lake Station

Sept. 2 at East Chicago

Sept. 9 Hammond

Sept. 17 Gavit

Sept. 23 Lew Wallace

Sept. 30 Gary Lighthouse

Oct. 7 at Boone Grove

Oct. 14 West Side

HISTORY LESSON

Season Record

2001 4-5, 3-0

2002 4-6, 3-1

2003 1-9, 1-3

2004 4-5, 3-0

2005 3-6, 2-1

2006 4-7, 3-0

2007 5-5, 3-0

2008 0-8, 0-2

2009 2-7, 1-2

2010 1-7, 0-2

Sectional titles: None

Roster

Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos.

Christopher Payton 5-11 160 12 RB/LB

Dashaun Ross 5-8 150 10 LB

Jaquan Ross 5-9 155 9 DB

Jordan McBride 6-3 215 12 OL/DL

Khalil Jackson 5-9 130 10 LB/FS

Nico Coles 5-9 175 10 WR/DB

Nigel Coles 5-11 180 11 RB/LB

Lawrence Diaz 6-2 230 11 OL/DL

Simon Gibbs 6-0 175 10 TE/LB

Randle Felix 5-7 235 9 RB/NG

Steve Hall 6-1 185 9 WR/DB

Sean Hall 6-0 220 10 OL/DL

Anthony Turner 5-10 185 12 RB/LB

Deron Downton 6-1 145 12 QB

Robert McLaurin 5-9 155 12 QB

Henry Smith 5-9 160 10 RB/LB

Dontai Green 5-0 175 10 TE/DE

Aron Collins 6-0 175 12 LB/DE

Johnnie Frazier 5-0 210 12 RB/LB

Bradley Cochran 5-10 145 10 RB/DB

De’Andre Lampley 5-10 145 10 RB/DB

Andre Whittaker 6-3 280 11 OL/DL

Reginald Wright 6-0 285 11 OL/DL

Sha’Cory Young 5-8 285 12 OL/DL

Darrioyonne Ziggler 6-1 155 11 WR

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