Townsend gives McNamara glimmer of hope

There are few bright spots in a season where your team is supposed to contend for a conference title and instead ends up with a goose egg in the "win" column. By all accounts, Bishop McNamara's 0-10 campaign last year was a colossal disaster.

But if there is any silver lining in a winless season, it was emergence of junior Kevaugn Townsend. The Mustangs' top returning running back showed just enough last year to give coach Bryce Bevill a glimmer of hope.

"When you see film of us, you're immediately asking, 'Who's No. 44?'" said Bevill, who shouldered the blame for his team's 0-10 season. "He's just a step quicker and a little stronger than everyone else. He has the motor, the low pads, the physicality and the speed to take it the distance. We're excited about what he's capable of."

Townsend didn't have many opportunities to strut his stuff playing behind feature 'back Hannibal Robinson last year. But there is one run in particular that resonates with the McNamara faithful. It happened in the first game of the season against Mount St. Joseph, a lone bright spot in an otherwise lackluster performance.

Accounts vary, but the consensus is the play was somewhere between 45 and 70 yards. Regardless, the run was a defining moment in Townsend's young varsity career.

McNamara called for a screen deep inside their own territory, so Townsend flared out into the flat. After corralling the pass he was met by a Mount St. Joe's linebacker, whom he promptly stiff-armed. With one defender down, Townsend moved on to the next level, where he was knocked off-balance by a safety. But he somehow regained his footing and motored by another defensive back.

About 30 yards downfield, a cornerback jumped on his back, but Townsend shrugged him off, too. He ran out of gas somewhere near the goal line, but all anyone remembers is the three broken tackles and the breakaway speed.

"He breaks through three people and goes for 60 yards - amazing," said Townsend's backfield mate, Robinson. "You know how those physical guys have that, 'I don't care attitude where they will go right at you and knock you over?' Well, he has that."

A stout 5-foot-10, 205 pounder with short legs, dictionary-thick calves and a wide upper-body, Townsend looks and runs like a pickup truck. He pounds the ball between the tackles, wearing down defenses with repeated blows before busting through.

But don't mistake Townsend for a pure fullback. As the Mount St. Joe's run proved, Townsend's hands, footwork and elusiveness are more in line with a dynamic running back then a lead blocker.

"I'd like to say I'm like an Earl Campbell or Jerome Bettis," said Townsend, who also plays linebacker for McNamara. "A tough, physical guy who can surprise you with his speed."

McNamara's top defender, Iowa-commit Nico Law, wouldn't exactly compare Townsend to the former Oilers and Steelers greats. But he agreed with the basic concept.

"He's probably not the fastest guy, but he has a big heart and he's very explosive," said Law, who knows a thing or two about physical play. "As a ball-carrier he runs everyone over, and as a linebacker he hits everything in sight."

Bevill agreed, calling Townsend a "throwback north-and-south pounder," But even the giddy coach admits he doesn't have a whole lot to judge Townsend on. The rising senior hasn't carried a full varsity load yet, and last year he rushed for just 400 yards and two touchdowns.

But next year, with Robinson graduating, Townsend will get his shot as the feature runner. To prepare, Townsend said he must improve his lower-body strength and his pedestrian 4.6 40-yard dash time.

"It's going to take a lot of offseason work," Townsend said, "but I'll be ready."

No one at McNamara is overly concerned. They know what runs in Townsend's veins.

Kevaugn is the younger brother of Chris Townsend, the rugged Mustangs linebacker who earned All-Conference and All-Metro honors three years ago. Chris is currently playing at Prairie View A&M, a Division I-AA school in Texas.

"Chris is one of the best players I've ever coached, and Kevaugn is just like him," Bevill said. "I've been trying to talk to his mom about having another one, but she's not cooperating."

For his part, Kevaugn Townsend is channeling his older brother. During Chris' winter break, the two spent their time together training on the track and in the weight room. Afterwards, Chris drilled Kevaugn on his footwork, cutting and technique.

"I've always looked up to him," Kevaugn said. "He's always encouraging me and helping me. If I need anything, I know I can go to him."

When Kevaugn isn't training with Chris, he's competing on the wrestling mat. Football is still Townsend's No. 1 sport, but evidently wrestling helps him with his game.

"Sophomore year I was running too high and would go down easy," Townsend said. "But once I started wrestling, I learned how to get underneath a guy and how to get better leverage. I'm harder to bring down now."

If Townsend keeps up the hard work, he could garner the same accolades as his brother, according to Bevill. A Division-I or I-AA scholarship is not out of the question, especially if he lowers his 40 time and shines at offseason combines.

"With Kevaugn's personality and work ethic, he can achieve whatever he wants," Bevill said. "He's the kind of kid you want on your team. You have 11 guys like Kevaugn and you won't lose a game."

Unfortunately for Bevill, he will have to settle for just one Kevaugn Townsend. But that might be good enough for at least one or two wins, which would at least be an improvement over last season.

"Yeah, it would be nice to win a game next year," Townsend said, laughing off McNamara's 2010 struggles. "But we're going to get there. With the work we're putting in, people are going to look at us next year and say, 'Wow, I can't believe McNamara turned it around.'"

They won't believe their eyes when No. 44 runs the football either.