Braveheart: The Story of a Helix Highlander [Archive]

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Grid Iron

01-27-2005, 12:47 AM

http://fof2forever.com/braveheart.gif

The Highlanders: the nickname of my high school alma mater, which I attended from 1983 until 1987. I always thought the name was cool, derived from the word used to describe the natives of the Highlands of Scotland.

Located in La Mesa, California, a suburb of San Diego, Helix High School claims former NBA star Bill Walton as its most famous alum. More recently, however, the school is responsible for two players who were nominated for the Heisman trophy in 2004: Utah quarterback Alex Smith and USC running back Reggie Bush. Both players helped lead the “Fighting Scotties” to county football championships in 2000 and 2001.

Using my connection to Helix as inspiration, I am now embarking on my first TCY-FOF2K4 Dynasty. In this dynasty, I will follow the career of Kevin Pritchard, the current starting running back for the Helix Highlanders. Will he follow in the footsteps of Bill, Alex and Reggie? Or will he fall flat on his face? Only time will tell.

This dynasty is just for fun, so I don’t intend on telling a complicated story of intrigue. I’m saving that for another dynasty. So, sit back and relax and we’ll see how far Kevin can go. . .

Grid Iron

01-27-2005, 01:14 AM

<h2>Kevin's Background</h2>Several things will make Kevin’s journey to college, and possibly the pros, a challenging one. First, while Kevin is a star at Helix, he is not a “blue chip” prospect by any means, which could make for a very short dynasty. Nationally, he is ranked 574th overall and 49th among running backs. In California, he is ranked 70th overall and 3rd among running backs.

Second, Kevin isn’t the smartest kid in school, earning just a 2.56 GPA and scoring only an 861 SAT score. Hopefully, he will be able to keep his grades up so he doesn’t get placed on academic probation.

Third, Kevin is not exactly the prototypical running back. He stands only 5’ 9” tall and weighs just 178 pounds. I’m not sure if he’ll be up to the pounding of college and pro football.

Kevin does, however, have some things going for him. He has a good attitude and excellent breakaway speed. Further, he is rated a 60 out of 100, which should give him a shot to start in his first year of eligibility if he goes to a WAC or Mountain West school.

As far as what Kevin is looking for in a school, he wants to major in Algebra. Further, he values team prestige first, then academics. He does not idolize any particular team.

Through the first four games of his senior year, Kevin has accrued some nice stats:
<pre>GP Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD 4 111 570 5 16 170 2</pre>Up Next: Recruiting Season!

Grid Iron

01-27-2005, 09:21 AM

<h2>Recruiting Season</h2>Kevin has been waiting for the 2004 football season for as long as he could remember. All the years of hard work and training finally came down to this season. He knew scouts would be watching him every Friday night, and he loved it. He loved knowing the 2004 season was showtime. A time for him to show the world how good he could be at the next level.

Week 1

Kevin had a huge game this week, gaining 280 yards on 34 carries with two touchdowns in a 49-10 victory over conference rival Mount Miguel. Shortly after, he was called by the coach for North Carolina State. Kevin couldn’t be happier about the chance to play there.

Week 2

Kevin showed off his receiving skills this week, catching 5 passes for 95 yards in the Highlanders’ 21-14 victory over Valhalla. He also had 157 yards on 27 carries, but was kept out of the end zone. Unfortunately, Kevin hasn’t heard from any more schools and North Carolina State has yet to make him an offer. Rumor has it that NCS is pursuing a local running back star, Clyde Anthony, who is ranked number one in the state.

Week 3

Kevin had a decent game, running 33 times for 185 yards as the Highlanders beat Granite Hills 24-3. Kevin was very excited when he received an offer from Arkansas.

Week 4

Kevin was limited to just 107 yards on 19 carries, but scored three times (2 rush, 1 rec) in a 49-21 thrashing of Monte Vista in the championship semi-finals. After the game, Kevin received a scholarship offer from San Diego State and was called by the coach from Fresno State.

Week 5

Kevin saved his best game for last, rushing 25 times for 174 yards and scoring four touchdowns (3 rush, 1 rec), as the Highlanders clinched the county championship with a 35-28 victory over Oceanside. Not surprisingly, offers started rolling in. Fresno State, Louisiana Tech and Stanford all want Kevin to play for them next year.

Final Statistics

Here are Kevin’s final statistics for the 2004 season:
<pre>GP Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD 9 249 1473 12 34 399 4</pre>Up Next: Decision Time!

Poli

01-27-2005, 11:30 AM

Interesting. I went to Helix for a coaching seminar back in 2002 (I was coaching Coronado Pop Warner).

thealmighty

01-27-2005, 11:47 AM

Stanford wants a guy with an 861 test score? The end of civilization as we know it has arrived.

BYU 14

01-27-2005, 11:53 AM

Hopefully you stay home and become an Aztec, we would love to see you in the Mountain West :)

Grid Iron

01-27-2005, 07:12 PM

<h2>Decision Time</h2><IMG SRC="http://fof2forever.com/pritchard.gif" hspace=5 border=1 ALIGN=RIGHT>Kevin ultimately narrowed his options to five schools: Arkansas, Fresno State, Louisiana Tech, Stanford and San Diego State. He felt all of the schools were about equal when balancing prestige, academics and proximity to his home. Consequently, Kevin’s decision would be made based on potential playing time.

After looking closely at the rosters of each team, Kevin decided to attend Fresno State in 2005. Of the five schools that offered him a scholarship, only Fresno State gives him the chance to start next year. With three graduating running back seniors at Fresno, Kevin is guaranteed to be at least third string. Furthermore, the quality of the two other backs is not particularly high, so winning a starting job is a real possibility.

Kevin’s top choice, San Diego State, was eliminated by the fact that the school has three sophomore running backs and two freshman running backs.

Kevin’s new team, the Bulldogs, finished the season with a 6-5 overall record, with a 5-3 mark in the WAC. Can he help bring a WAC title to Fresno State next season? Stay tuned to find out. . .

Up Next: 2005 Season Preview!

Grid Iron

01-27-2005, 07:13 PM

Hopefully you stay home and become an Aztec, we would love to see you in the Mountain West :)

I was really hoping for that. In fact, I kind of cheated ;) and reloaded several times to see if he would commit there, but no dice. :( Unfortunately, SDSU's stable of running backs is just too deep.

Grid Iron

01-27-2005, 07:35 PM

<h2>2005 Season Preview</h2>Kevin adjusted well to life at Fresno State. Although he didn’t have a girlfriend, Kevin preferred it that way, taking his pick of girls at the regular fraternity parties he crashed.

On the field, Kevin’s primary competition would be senior Skip Fleming (41/55) and sophomore Alvin Schlegel (39/39). With 29/50 ratings, Kevin looked to be a long shot to win the starting job this year. He knew, however, that because the Bulldogs only had three tailbacks on the roster, he would get at least some playing time this season. With that in mind, Kevin focused on working hard in the hopes of winning the starting job in 2006.

Kevin’s plan changed after the team’s final practice before Fresno State’s opener at Auburn.

As Kevin was getting dressed, the Bulldogs’ offensive coordinator called him into the coach’s office. “You’re gonna start, Pritchard,” barked his cigar-chewing coach, who then abruptly stood up from his worn leather chair and walked out.

“I can’t believe it,” Kevin thought. “I’m gonna start!”

Here is Fresno State's schedule, which includes two extremely tough games to open the season:<pre>Week Opponent 2 at (25) Auburn 3 OREGON STATE 4 at (7) Miami of Florida 5 at Nevada 6 LOUISIANA TECH 7 at Tulsa 8 SOUTHERN METHODIST 10 TEXAS-EL PASO 11 HAWAII 12 at Rice 13 at Boise State</pre> Home Games in ALL CAPS

Up Next: 2005 Non-Conference Games

Grid Iron

01-27-2005, 07:50 PM

<h2>2005 Non-Conference Games</h2>Week 2: Fresno State (0-0) at Auburn (0-0) (-8)

Kevin began his college career gaining just 35 yards on 9 carries against a clearly superior Auburn team, which defeated Fresno State 59-3. To his credit, Kevin did lead his team in rushing yards and earned three stokes.

Week 3: Fresno State (0-1) (-1) vs. Oregon State (2-0)

Kevin ran 21 times for 75 yards in the Bulldogs’ 28-23 loss to Oregon State. While he did earn five stokes, he fumbled the ball four times. His longest run was a 46-yarder in the third quarter that set up a 24-yard field goal.

Week 4: Fresno State (0-2) at Miami (2-0) (-9)

Kevin had a great game despite the fact that his team lost 42-17. On the day, Pritchard had 135 yards on 19 carries, scored his first collegiate touchdown and led his team with eight stokes.

Non-Conference Games Review

Through his first three games, Kevin has performed quite well against outstanding competition. All three non-conference game were against teams that are now a collective 9-0. Further, Kevin has shown steady improvement each week. For the season he has rushed for 245 yards on 49 carries, which gives him a 5.0 yard-per-carry average. He will, however, need to work on holding on to the ball.

Up Next: 2005 Conference Games 1-4

Grid Iron

01-27-2005, 08:20 PM

<h2>2005 Conference Games 1-4</h2>Week 5: Fresno State (0-3, 0-0) (-7) at Nevada (0-2, 0-0)

Kevin impressed in his first conference game, accumulating 109 total yards (89 rush, 20 rec) with a touchdown and four stokes in the Bulldogs’ 16-13 nail-biter victory over Nevada.

Week 6: Fresno State (1-3, 1-0) (-7) vs. Louisiana Tech (1-3, 1-0)

After falling behind 17-0 the Bulldogs stormed back for a 24-17 victory, led by Kevin Pritchard who had 94 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Kevin led his team with nine stokes.

Week 7: Fresno State (2-3, 2-0) (-6) at Tulsa (1-4, 0-2)

Kevin was named the game MVP after rushing for 168 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries as Fresno State survived Tulsa 16-13. Kevin earned six stokes.

Week 8: Fresno State (3-3, 3-0) (-18) vs. Southern Methodist (0-5, 0-2)

Kevin had 62 yards on 11 carries and 42 yards on four catches as Fresno State annihilated Southern Methodist 49-10. He earned five stokes.

 Conference Games 1-4 Review

At 4-0 in conference play, Fresno State is tied atop the WAC with Boise State and Hawaii, setting up showdowns with both teams in Weeks 11 and 13. Can Kevin continue his success against improving competition? Only time will tell, but so far he is performing like a veteran. Here are Kevin’s stats through seven games:<pre>GP Rush Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD Stokes 7 125 658 5.26 5 15 118 7.86 0 40</pre>Up Next: 2005 Conference Games 5-8

Grid Iron

01-27-2005, 09:01 PM

<h2>2005 Conference Games 5-8</h2>Week 10: Fresno State (4-3, 4-0) (-10) vs. Texas-El Paso (1-6, 1-3)

Kevin had 117 yards (69 rush, 48 rec), three touchdowns (2 rush, 1 rec) and five stokes in the Bulldogs’ 48-10 victory over Texas-El Paso.

Boise State’s 28-21 loss to Hawaii left the Bulldogs and Rainbow Warriors tied atop the WAC.

Week 11: Fresno State (5-3, 5-0) vs. Hawaii (6-2, 5-0) (-6)

Fresno State pulled off a major upset, defeating Hawaii 31-17. Kevin was named Player of the Game after gaining 198 total yards (132 rush, 66 rec). His nine stokes led the team.

The victory gave the Bulldogs sole possession of first place in the WAC.

Week 12: Fresno State (6-3, 6-0) (-9) at Rice (4-5, 3-3)

Kevin had 81 yards on 19 carries, scored twice and earned nine stokes as Fresno State beat Rice 23-13.

The victory set up a showdown for the WAC championship next week against heavily favored Boise State (7-2, 6-1).

Week 13: Fresno State (7-3, 7-0) at Boise State (7-2, 6-1) (-11)

It took overtime, but the Fresno State Bulldogs prevailed, beating Boise State 36-29 to clinch the WAC title. Kevin was instrumental in the win, gaining 112 yards on 19 carries. He scored two touchdowns and earned eight stokes.

Conference Games 5-8 Review

Led by Kevin Pritchard, the Fresno State Bulldogs rolled to a WAC Championship with a perfect 8-0 conference record. In doing s, the Bulldogs earned a berth in the Continental Tire Bowl, where they will play Miami of Ohio (8-4, 6-2). The early point spread has Miami as 4-point favorites, but Fresno State has won the last two games in which they were the underdogs. Can they do it again? Stay tuned to find out.

Kevin finished the regular season with solid numbers, rushing for more than 1,000 yards and scoring more than 10 touchdowns. Here are his complete statistics through 11 games:<pre>GP Rush Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD Stokes 11 202 1052 5.2 11 33 261 7.9 1 71</pre>Up Next: 2005 Continental Tire Bowl

Grid Iron

01-27-2005, 09:19 PM

<h2>Road Kill!</h2><h3>Bulldogs crush Redhawks in Continental Tire Bowl</h3><table class="resources" border="2" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tr><td align="center"><img src="http://fof2forever.com/mia.gif"></td><td>Miami of Ohio (8-5)</td><td width=35 align="center">28</td></tr><tr><td align="center"><img src="http://fof2forever.com/fre.gif"></td><td>Fresno State (9-3)</td><td width=35 align="center">47</td></table>
December 30, 2005

Charlotte, NC (AP) – Fresno State freshman running back Kevin Pritchard rushed for 151 yards and scored five touchdowns (4 rush, 1 rec), leading the Bulldogs to a 47-28 rout of the Miami of Ohio RedHawks in the Continental Tire Bowl. “This is unbelievable,” said Pritchard, who was attending classes at Helix High School in La Mesa, California, just one year ago. “I guess I was just in the zone, seeing the holes and making my cutbacks.”

The victory capped an improbable season in which Fresno State went 9-0 after an 0-3 start. “This season really shows how much character these boys have,” said head coach Joey Long. “I’m just so proud of the whole team.”

Up Next: 2005 Season Review

nfg22

01-27-2005, 09:41 PM

Looks interesting I will be following along

Grid Iron

01-28-2005, 08:49 AM

Interesting. I went to Helix for a coaching seminar back in 2002 (I was coaching Coronado Pop Warner).

2002 was Reggie Bush's last year, I think.

What was their advice? "Get a running back with incredible skills and give him the ball every play. . ." ;)

Grid Iron

01-28-2005, 08:49 AM

Stanford wants a guy with an 861 test score? The end of civilization as we know it has arrived.

Civilization lives on. . . Thank you, Fresno State. :)

Grid Iron

01-28-2005, 08:50 AM

Looks interesting I will be following along

Thanks! Glad you like it!

Grid Iron

01-28-2005, 08:52 AM

<h2>2005 Season Review</h2>The 2005 season was a great year for Kevin Pritchard and Fresno State. Kevin’s inspired running game helped the Bulldogs (9-3, 8-0) to win 9 straight, clinch the WAC title, and beat Miami of Ohio in the Continental Tire Bowl. Here are the final WAC standings: <pre> Overall Conf. School W L T W L T Streak Fresno State 9 3 0 8 0 0 Won 9 Boise State 8 4 0 6 2 0 Lost 1 San Jose State 7 4 0 6 2 0 Won 3 Hawaii 7 4 0 6 2 0 Won 1 Louisiana Tech 4 7 0 4 4 0 Lost 1 Rice 4 7 0 3 5 0 Lost 2 Tulsa 4 7 0 3 5 0 Won 2 Texas-El Paso 2 9 0 2 6 0 Lost 2 Nevada 1 10 0 1 7 0 Lost 5 Southern Methodist 1 10 0 1 7 0 Lost 1 </pre>Kevin earned WAC Second-Team honors, as well as 82 stokes. He was named player of the game three times, and turned in a five-touchdown performance in his first bowl game. Here are Kevin’s complete 2005 statistics:<pre>GP Rush Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD Stokes 12 221 1203 5.4 15 36 276 7.6 2 82</pre>Unfortunately, Kevin performed poorly in school, posting just a 1.54 GPA. Consequently, he will be watching next season from the sidelines on academic probation.:( Perhaps this will serve as a lesson to him that his studies are ultimately more important than football.

Up Next: 2006 Season Review

Grid Iron

01-28-2005, 09:01 AM

<h2>2006 Season Review</h2>Since Kevin was on academic probation in 2006 due to his 1.54 GPA, I quick-simmed the season. Not surprisingly, Fresno State struggled without their star running back, finishing with a 5-6 overall record. The team’s 4-4 record in the WAC put them in a tie for fourth place.

Since he wasn’t playing, Kevin hit the books and brought his GPA up to a 2.04—good enough to play next season! Credit his “A” in Social Work II for saving the day.

As far as Kevin’s skills go, he improved to 59/76 and added 18 pounds, putting him at 190. Consequently, he should be a force in the WAC next season. Stay tuned. . .

Up Next: 2007 Preview

BYU 14

01-28-2005, 09:51 AM

Bummer on the grades, hopefully this won't cause him to leave school. :(

Grid Iron

01-28-2005, 07:11 PM

<h2>The Shortest Dynasty Ever!</h2>Well, the dynasty is over, but not for lack of dedication.

Poor, poor Kevin. He got a total of 300 rushing yards in the 2007 season before a torn knee ligament finished him for the year. After the injury, I quick-simmed to the start of 2008.

Two games into the 2008 season, he tore his wrist tendon and was out for the year.

In 2009, he was on academic probation.

In 2010, he went undrafted in the NFL.

Oh well, not a surprising finish. I just wish it would have turned out better given the time I spent on that darn banner!

Thanks for reading!

:)

illinifan999

01-28-2005, 07:14 PM

new one please :)

tucker342

01-29-2005, 03:04 AM

You've gotta try again with a new player.:)

thealmighty

01-29-2005, 11:13 AM

Sim until the next Helix Highlander comes along and give it a go.

Buccaneer

01-29-2005, 11:53 AM

Grid Iron: I know Helix well from my high school days at Orange Glen. I believe they were in a class one up from OG so we didn't compete with them directly in sports (iirc) but we certainly did in band in the competitions. It was always OG and Helix fighting for the supremacy of SD County in my Jr and Sr years, OG would win. I remember one such competition at the Autumn Band Festival in RB where we would line up on both sides of the street, forcing Helix to go by us to get their staging area. They would walk by in their brilliant uniforms of black and green with the tartans swaying...but looking intimidated knowing this it was us they had (and couldn't) beat. Thanks for reminding me of memories long ago.

Grid Iron

01-29-2005, 04:02 PM

Grid Iron

01-29-2005, 04:04 PM

Sim until the next Helix Highlander comes along and give it a go.

Great idea. I'll sim a few more seasons to see if any more Highlanders show up.

I'll keep my fingers crossed.