Enloe’s Antavius Marrow shoulders Enloe through tough football season

Antavius Marrow tried his absolute best.

That’s just how the senior running back operates on Friday nights.

Clearly the cornerstone of the Enloe High School football team’s offense, Marrow remained true to his grit in a Week 11 battle of winless teams at Broughton.

When Enloe’s staring quarterback Keshawn Adams, who had used his legs to carry the Eagles until about 5 minutes before halftime, was sidelined by an ankle injury, more weight fell on Marrow in the 34-6 loss to the Capitals.

“It’s much better when you’ve got both of them,” Enloe coach David Green said. “Once it’s down to mostly Antavius, then it makes it that much tougher on him. He works hard, plays hard.”

Marrow carted four of the next six plays following the Adams injury. Enloe trailed Broughton 20-6 at halftime, and the Eagles’ lone touchdown was a 15-yard dash from Marrow in the second quarter.

After Enloe received to open the next half, Marrow carried the ball on every play of the first possession. He rushed for a tough 11 yards before the Eagles were forced to punt it back to the home team.

“Both coming in 0-9, both teams were looking to play hard and get the win,” Marrow said. “It’s kind of hard taking that loss. As a senior, it’s been a tough year this year, you know? Hopefully, they’ll be better next year and we’ll get through this.”

Marrow led the Eagles with 120 yards on 24 attempts that night. He rushed for a game-high 75 yards alone in the second quarter, the frame where Adams came out.

“That was tough,” Marrow said of the starting QB’s injury. “I knew it was going to be a load on my back, but, like I said, 110 (percent) every play.”

Marrow’s longest gain was a 24-yard burst in the second quarter.

His Eagles trailed, 27-6, going into the fourth. After Broughton ate up the clock on a 38-yard scoring drive down the stretch – capped off with a 19-yard rushing touchdown by Devone Jackson – the senior captain stayed put on the final possession.

The second string unloaded four plays before Broughton earned its first win of the season.

“They were well-prepared,” Green said of the Capitals. “They came out, played well and jumped on us. We didn’t come out and get after it the way they did.”

Enloe will wrap up its season against Wake Forest on Friday. The Cougars come into the final regular-season game undefeated on the year and have championship aspirations.

The Eagles, on the other hand, are just trying to close the chapter on what has been a rough season.

“For the young guys, it’s been a tough year,” said Marrow, who tries to model himself as a big brother to the underclassmen. “But it’s going to be OK. They’re going get through it. They have another year.”

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 9:27 PM with the headline "Enloe’s Antavius Marrow shoulders Enloe through tough football season."