AMERICUS —
Totaling more than 4,000 combined rushing and receiving yards in a high school career is extremely impressive. Scoring 48 career touchdowns is even more impressive. For Schley County standout running back Tra Minter, these numbers represent a stunning high school career. Unfortunately for Schley County’s Region 4-A opponents, they will have two more years to deal with the star running back who has already posted impressive career statistics despite being only halfway through his high school stint.
This season, Minter earned Offensive Player of the Year honors after improving on his unheard-of freshman campaign. In his first season facing varsity competition, Minter broke the elusive 1,000 yard rushing ceiling with nearly 1,300 yards in one of the most competitive Class A regions in the state. In 2012, Minter eclipsed his previous best by rushing for 1628 yards on 254 carries and also scoring 17 rushing touchdowns. Minter was also a dangerous receiver, catching 16 passes for 228 yards and one touchdown. Minter provides a dangerous threat out of the backfield for the Wildcats whether he is carrying the ball or running a route, forcing opponents to account for the young skill player at all times.
When asked what specifically made Minter such a phenomenal player at such a young age, Schley County head football coach Josh Kemp said that many factors contribute to his success. “Anytime you have a kid like Tra there are many things that make him special,” he said. “Tra obviously has a lot of God-given ability, but he also has great parents that have instilled in him a humble attitude and a great work ethic. He is very humble and he is an extremely hard worker and tough. He just never backs down.”
Kemp, an offensive-minded coach is no stranger to impressive running backs. At Carver High School in Columbus, Kemp coached former number one running back recruit and former University of Georgia player Isaiah Crowell. As the coach of two elite backs, Kemp sees similarities between the two young super stars. “When Crowell was in the backfield at Carver it was the same mentality that Tra has,” Kemp said. “Tra has the ability to take it to the house every time he touches it.”
According to Kemp, Minter’s success on the field is also a product of his personality and preparation off of the field. “You cannot be that special if your offensive line doesn’t block for you, and Tra being such a good guy makes our offensive line and receivers want to block for him,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt that you can’t keep him from lifting weights,” added Kemp with a laugh.
After such a tremendous start to his high school career, Minter has gotten a lot of state and national attention, including an invitation to play with the best underclassmen in the nation at the All-American Offense-Defense Bowl at the Houston Texans Gillette Stadium in December. Minter showed his versatility in the all-star game by shining at safety, where Kemp said he could also be a Division I prospect. “He would be a DI caliber defensive back. He has already gotten a lot of attention from a lot of schools, but a kid’s junior year is the big year,” Kemp said.
“I expect the doors of Schley County High School to be revolving next year.”
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Offensive Player of the Year Tra Minter. Scott Phillips
Offensive Player of the Year
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