Bishop Amat’s Marcus Wagner

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So how good was Bishop Amat’s Senior running back Marcus Wagner? Really good. According to the SGVT, he rushed for 208 yards (not the 197, like the PA announcer had said after the game) and two touchdowns. Which, I guess, is really surprising, considering Wagner wasn’t even in the SGVT’s pre-season Top 10 running backs list.

Bishop Amat Coach Mark Verti told me Wagner, younger brother of former Amat running back Mike Wagner (Iowa State), worked really hard in the off-season to try to live up to comparisons he is sure to get to his brother. He worked so hard that he lost 15 pounds. That allows him to have speed and elusiveness, Verti said.

The one thing Wagner has, however, that you can’t teach, is instincs. He has a feel for the game and running back-vision to see holes developing before they open.

The video above is by SGVT staff photographer Raul Roa. Look at it and you’ll to see what I am talking about. Wagner is #4. Check out the stiff arm for the first touchdown and then the moves he puts on what should have been his second touchdown.

- Jaime Cárdenas