Righetti senior running back Javon Davis has moved to Idaho and then back to the Santa Maria Valley during his high school career.

He returned to the Valley after two years in Boise, Idaho. Thus, “No coaches from universities or colleges have talked to me about playing football because no one knows where I'm at.”

Davis thinks they will soon. “We'll have to start sending film out next week,” said Davis. “I want to play football in college, and with the stuff I have it should be pretty easy to get coaches to talk to me.”

Once they get that film, schools' coaches are going to get an eyeful of Davis running to a Santa Barbara County-leading 623 yards.

“I owe it all to my offensive line,” Davis said. “This line's the best I've ever played for. It's not one guy. I've run behind everybody, and they're getting better every week.”

OK, maybe he doesn't owe ALL his yardage to his offensive line. The line has done a lot of the work, though. The unit has opened holes and the 6-0, 205-pound Davis has burst through them.

“Our line has done a great job of blocking, and Javon gets to the hole quickly and hits it hard,” said Righetti coach Gary Wilson. Once Davis gets past the line, “He has good open-field moves and once he hits the edge, he's usually gone.”

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He's usually gone because Davis can do 200 meters in 22.8. That's what he ran in the first track and field meet of 2008 for Boise Meridian. His season was done after that meet.

“I had to get a job to help save money for the move back here,” he said. “I plan on running track this year.” If he does, Davis and football teammate Ehi Robinson should give Righetti a big 1-2 sprinting punch. Robinson is one of the best 200 runners in the area.

Davis helped Meridian win the Idaho State Class 5A football championship in 2007. He was a special teams player - Davis played on the kickoff team - and a back-up on offense.

With his size, speed and durability - he carried 32 times, for 179 yards against Santa Barbara, and WIlson said Davis wasn't much the worse for wear afterward - Davis seems a nice catch for a college offense.

“He has it all - the toughness, the speed, the durability, the work ethic,” said Wilson. “We haven't had one like him in awhile.”

Besides his speed and toughness, there's another bonus to Davis. Because of various factors, he doesn't take as much punishment as other backs who carry the ball as much as he does do.

“Because of the way our line's been blocking, and the way he runs, it makes for less hard contact on him,” Wilson said. That contact adds up during the course of a heavily-used back's season.

Davis said, “I”m thinking of going local (to college), but I want to play football after high school and get an education. I'll go where the offer is.”

Davis went to Righetti his freshman year. After two years at Meridian, “I wanted to finish here because I went my freshman year here.”

Davis said he lives with an uncle here. He said his father is in Boise and, “My mom is coming out here to visit.

“Moving around hasn't been the funnest thing, but it's helped make me what I am today. It's toughened me up.”

Comparing the brand of high school football people play around here to the kind they play at Meridian, Davis said, “There are a lot more natural-born athletes here.

“There, they've been playing football since they were two. They just have the technique down.”

Righetti has had to rely on Davis all the more because of its horrendous luck with injuries.

Justin Level was the top-rated quarterback in a Boise camp last summer. He went out with an injury his first series of the season, at Pioneer Valley. He underwent season-ending knee surgery last month.

Linebacker Cody Berry went out early in the Cabrillo game. He is back now. Cornerback Sam McDuff broke his collarbone last week and, “He's out four-to-five weeks,” said Wilson.

“You're always dealing with injuries in football, of course, but dings are one thing. We've had a major injury every week. I've never encountered anything like it,” said Righetti's fifth-year coach during a mid-week practice.

“But kids have stepped up for those injured players and done a tremendous job.” Davis is a back-up cornerback-safety, but Wilson said the injury to McDuff won't force Davis into more playing time on defense - at least, not yet.

“We really don't want Javon to have to play much on defense,” said Wilson. “We have kids who have stepped up and done a great job in the secondary. Austin Sedin covers a lot of ground back there.”

Oct. 5, 2008