Player of the Week: Laurel senior RB Caden Arrington

LAUREL, Miss. (WDAM) - There’s a long list of Laurel running backs who were bruisers.

Caden Arrington is shaking it up a bit in the Golden Tornadoes’ backfield, but just as effective.

The senior rushed for 209 yards and four touchdowns to lead Laurel to a season-opening win over Meridian on Saturday.

Unlike his power-running predecessors, Arrington relies more on his shiftiness.

“He always had a really great burst but this year he’s got an extra gear that he didn’t have last year,” said Laurel head coach Ryan Earnest. “And it’s been impressive to see. Sticking his foot in the ground and making one cut and getting downhill.”

“I just try to use my speed,” said Arrington, who also runs track for the Tornadoes. “Once I find an open hole I just try to get there. I power back a couple tackles but I’m not the type to just keep on breaking tackles. Once I see a hole, I’m gonna go to it, make one guy miss and just turn the jets on.”

Luckily for Arrington, he’s probably going to see several big holes behind Laurel’s bullish offensive line.

“Every time I do something good I go talk to ‘em, say thank you,” Arrington said. “I tell them they make me look good. I don’t ever get too ahead of myself because I know I wouldn’t be nothing without them.”

“Caden’s great with the football in his hands but those guys do a great job of complementing his skillset and allowing him to get the football to the second level and use that great acceleration that he has,” Earnest said.

It’s a pretty good combo which has led to one win so far.

But Arrington has greater goals for the team and himself.

“Make sure I do all my school work first, try to finish top ten in my class, get my first ring,” Arrington said. “With the teammates that we got and the great coaching, I think we can do it. We just got to stay together and focus.”

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