The 补苍诲听 are partnering with 草莓传媒 during the 2020-2021 high school football season to honor a Player of the Week. Read about this week鈥檚 Player of the Week below.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Bryce Duke, Tuscarora High School
Bryce Duke rushed for more than 200 yards and scored two touchdowns in Tuscarora High School’s season-opening win as the Huskies played their first football game in 14 months.
Turned out he was shaking off the rust and just getting started.
Last Friday, Duke carried 21 times for 284 yards and five touchdowns and caught two passes 鈥� both touchdowns 鈥� as the Huskies beat Independence, 70-27. The seven touchdowns were a single-game record for the Leesburg, Virginia, school 鈥� and quite an accomplishment at a school that has racked up points and victories in recent years.
鈥淵ou see that he is 6-foot and 200 pounds and you think power back right away,鈥� Tuscarora coach Brandon Wheelbarger said. 鈥淏ut he has laser 4.5 speed and there鈥檚 deception: He wears people down and then he鈥檚 gone.鈥�
Duke, who played on the Tuscarora junior varsity as an eighth grader and has been on the varsity since his freshman year, is garnering attention from colleges.
He already holds scholarship offers from Duke, Rutgers and Cincinnati. Navy, Army and Air Force, as well schools in the Ivy League also have offered.
鈥淭he academies鈥� interest shows his personality and commitment, who he is as a person,鈥� Wheelbarger said. 鈥淎nd the Ivy鈥檚 interest show where he is as a student. He鈥檚 a high character kid.鈥�
Tuscarora has five regular season games scheduled, with an opening for a sixth, and is hoping for another playoff run.
Getting back on the field has been a treat, Wheelbarger said, as has playing in front of fans. Attendance is currently capped at 250 people.
鈥淛ust trying to get back to some sort of normalcy,鈥� Wheelbarger said. 鈥淭hese first couple days of practice were high stress. We had to go through mitigation and teaching the kids how to do everything and how to be safe. It鈥檚 been really fun since.鈥�
Josh Barr is the director of external relations for the Military Bowl Foundation.
