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Clearwater RB Adarius Lemons channels James Wilder Jr., rakes in college offers

 
Clearwater's Adarius Lemons is well on his way to surpassing 1,000 yards rushing this season, and colleges have taken notice. (DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times)
Clearwater's Adarius Lemons is well on his way to surpassing 1,000 yards rushing this season, and colleges have taken notice. (DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times)
Published Oct. 7, 2015

CLEARWATER — Six years ago, Adarius Lemons watched his cousin play for Countryside High School in a playoff game against powerhouse Plant.

Lemons became fixated on Panthers running back James Wilder Jr. The abiding memory was that of Wilder charging down a mud-splattered field while carrying would-be tacklers on his back.

"It was pouring rain the whole game," Lemons said. "I had a raincoat on and everything. But I couldn't stop watching him run. He was so tough and wasn't willing to go down."

From that point, Wilder became Lemons' idol. He even starting wearing No. 32, the same number Wilder wore for Plant and Florida State.

Now a junior at Clearwater, Lemons has made remarkable strides as a running back.

Last season was Lemons' breakout year with 932 yards and nine touchdowns. He has nearly surpassed those numbers at the halfway point this season with 715 yards and eight touchdowns.

What makes Lemons' totals even more impressive is that he has only played an entire game once this season because his team already had a huge lead or he was nursing an injury.

Last week, Lemons strained a ligament in his upper chest and sat out the second half of a 17-3 win over Northeast. He could be held of Friday's non-district game against Gibbs for precautionary reasons.

His star is still on the rise for the Tornadoes, who are 5-0 for the first time since 1999 and trying to make their first playoff appearance since 2004.

About the only thing Lemons lacked heading into this season was big-time college offers. Frustrated by the process, Lemons talked to Wilder when the two met for the first time during a 7-on-7 tournament earlier this year.

"(Wilder) just told me to keep working hard and my time will come," Lemons said.

Lemons now is one of the hottest recruits in the area with 11 offers, including from Division I-A schools such as Florida, Michigan and Ohio State.

"I think the biggest moment for me was getting an offer from Ohio State," Lemons said. "They're the No. 1 school in the nation. It's crazy because that offer came a few days after Michigan offered. And I had no idea those two schools didn't like other at all."

And Lemons is starting to earn comparisons to his hero.

Just as Wilder doled out punishment to opposing tacklers, Lemons looks to initiate contact. Just as Wilder rarely succumbed to the first hit, Lemons often leaves the first defender in a heap. At 6-foot-1 and a chiseled 190 pounds, Lemons is a deceptively powerful, breathtakingly fast runner. Indeed, few running backs can match his ability both to move a pile and outrun defensive backs, often on the same play.

"Adarius has the right combination of size, strength, speed and vision," first-year Clearwater coach Don Mesick said. "He is willing to run downhill. He explodes out of his stance towards the hole and if there's a seam, he'll find it. Once he gets through, he has the ability to run over or by defenders."

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Just as defenders pile up in his wake, letters from colleges come in at such a rapid pace that Lemons has already filled up two book bags.

"I don't even look at the letters anymore," he said. "I can just tell what it's going to be about and say by looking at the envelope."

With another year of high school left, Lemons has no rush to make a commitment. In fact, he said he would like to announce his decision on television while playing in a national all-star game.

"That's the dream," Lemons said. "I kind of see myself on the big stage, in the spotlight."

Much like his idol.

Contact Bob Putnam at bputnam@tampabay.com. Follow @BobbyHomeTeam.