Amazing feet: Newcomer quick to success

PALMER -- Shawn Olivera has burst onto the Alaska prep football scene as fast as he busts through the opposition's defense.

The first-year Colony High School running back has scored five touchdowns in the first two weeks of the 2003 season. On Friday, Olivera ran for a game-high 228 yards on 14 carries and scored three times in Colony's 41-0 walloping of Soldotna.

Olivera's impact in the Knight backfield has been immediate. Not only is he new to the CHS varsity squad, but he is new to prep football. Olivera's high school football career is just about a month old.

The junior, who was a standout on the Knight wrestling team last season, did not take the field during his first two years of high school.

After wrestling season ended last spring, Olivera began to work out with the football squad and his presence was immediately felt. Colony head coach Randy Magner said that he noticed Olivera's speed right away.

Coming into the 2003 season, many thought Colony would utilize a comittee of running backs.

Colony did return David Craig, a starter at fullback a year ago, but Craig has had to sit out until his paperwork from summer school classes is processed.

Colony intended to factor in runners who have had success on the Knight junior varsity squad such as Randale Harvey, Kyle Coffman and Emil Nacnac.

The darkhorse was

Olivera.

"Nobody took advantage like he did," Magner said. "There is quite a competition. We have a lot of guys that like to run the ball."

"He has played real hard," Knight quarterback Rhett Magner said. "When he found out David Craig was ineligible, (Shawn) took all the burden on himself."

Though Olivera's breakthrough was not expected, the Knights are not surprised either.

"I didn't expect it," Olivera said. "I am just taking advantage of the

opportunity."

"We knew he was a great athlete and had the speed," Randy Magner said. "There is a difference in being a fast runner and a running back."

The Colony coach elaborated to add that it is Olivera's attributes as a player that make him successful.

The hard-nosed, yet shifty back has a burst through the line often unseen at the high school level.

Randy Magner listed acceleration as one of Olivera's greatest attributes.

"He has the speed, can see holes and run to daylight," Magner said.

"I read the hole and if it is not open, I cut out," Olivera said.

Olivera spent much of Friday's game bursting between the tackles and into the Soldotna secondary.

Behind the line of Dominick Bellotte, Steve Buza, Josiah Hubbard, Rob Ray and Curtis Shirley, Olivera averaged more than 16 yards per carry.

Often the Colony line just needed one solid block to spring the 5-foot, 7-inch, 155-pound runner.

On a simple trap or counter, with pulling guards Buza and Hubbard leading the way, Olivera would run virtually up the middle.

Superior conditioning and durability has been a great help to Olivera.

The junior followed a 45-yard run with a 28-yard scamper late in the third quarter.

Early in the fourth, after an 18-yard Olivera touchdown jaunt was called back, Olivera broke through behind Shirley, the Colony left tackle, and traveled 28 yards for the score.

Olivera's first carry of the game resulted in an 8-yard touchdown right over

center.

Two of Olivera's first three runs in the ballgame

resulted in touchdowns.

Olivera's third carry of the game was a 33-yard score.

Six of Olivera's 14 carries were for more than 10 yards. Nine of his 14 carries were for seven or more yards.