This week we head to the University City to look at Morgantown High running back Joey Musick in our weekly wvmetronews.com feature of the week.
Musick is coming off one of his best games of the season–a 243 yard 4 touchdown performance against then-number three Brooke.
"We came out and played the way we’re supposed to play," said Musick after the 44-20 win over then-No. 3 Brooke. "All the credit goes to the [offensive] line tonight. They blocked the best they could all night long. That’s what got us all our yards."
Musick said before the season he had two goals–a team goal and a personal goal. He wants to win a state championship and he wanted to eclipse the one thousand yard rushing mark. Well, he’s halfway there. With last week’s performance Musick now has 12-hundred yards and 12 touchdowns.
Morgantown Head Coach John Bowers says that should be enough to place Musick among the best backs in the state.
"Joey played one of his better football games of the season against Brooke, which is saying a lot because he’s had some great games this year," said Bowers. "He’s really stood out all year. He should be in the mix for any Kennedy Award or player of the year awards that go out."
Musick has been the Mohigan’s best back this season, averaging 11 yards per carry. Last year he led the team in rushing and the year before that–as a sophomore–he led the team in touchdowns. Bowers says he’s seen Musick grow a good deal during that time.
"He’s more physical. I used to really get upset with him as a sophomore. He was built like Tarzan, but there were times he ran like Jane," said Bowers. "Now he’s realizing that he weighs 200 pounds, and he’s so much stronger. Now he’s delivering the blows. Joey is running so physical, he’s running faster than he’s ever run before. I think he’s finally putting it all together and it couldn’t happen to a better kid."
Musick comes from a football family. His father and uncle have coached at various levels in the Morgantown area for several decades and Musick has dedicated himself to becoming a better ballplayer. Bowers says the senior’s football knowledge is evident.
"The greatest thing he’s got is great vision and he’s got patience," said Bowers. "When he gets in the open field you don’t turn on the film and say, ‘wow he’s fast,’ you know he’s probably a high 4.6 kid in the 40 yard dash. He’s not tremendously big, he’s about 200 pounds, but what he does is he sets his blocks up well with his vision and he’s very patient to allow his blocks to happen and once they happen he hits the hole and full speed and that’s why he gets the big plays."
Last week Musick showed those attributes by busting two back-breaking touchdown runs of 59 and 67 yards against Brooke.
"The line just opened the hole, I had to read where to go and I just took off with it," Musick said of his long touchdown runs.
Musick scored both of those touchdowns out of a new formation Bowers and his staff calls the Tomahawk where Musick lines up at quarterback with a fullback on either side.
"We were drawing up some stuff at the coaches meeting and a couple of the coaches brought up the fact that with some different formations we could get some power stuff out of [the wildcat].
"We’ve incorported it into our system a little bit and the great thing about it is that we dont’ have to teach the kids any new schemes and it’s proven to be a good weapon for us," Bowers said.
It has worked tremendously for Musick who is trying to lead his team back to Wheeling Island and the state championship game, but with the playoffs and the MoHawk Bowl against cross-town rival University looming, Musick isn’t looking ahead.
"We’ve got John Marshall coming up, we’ve got to take one game at a time. You know we only have four home games this year so we’re trying to get some more in the playoffs," said Musick.
And if things do continue the way they are, Musick and the Mohigans may just be making that trip to Wheeling in December after all.