‘Gator’ leads the way on Patuxent football’s state playoff run

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/highschools/gator-leads-the-way-on-patuxent-footballs-state-playoff-run/2015/11/23/272851ca-91fd-11e5-8aa0-5d0946560a97_story.html

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Patuxent is at its best when all of the Panthers play like “Gator.”

Senior running back Chris Long earned the nickname last year when he transferred into the Lusby school after a move from Oakleaf High in Jacksonville, Fla. Long’s last locale certainly fit the identity, but his new designation first came about when his teammates saw how quickly he could roll and recover on the ground in a defensive drill.

Last week in a 16-14 win over Gwynn Park that put Patuxent one win away from returning to the Maryland 2A state championship game for the second time in three years, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound senior eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing with an average of more than six yards per carry and tallied his fourth game with multiple touchdowns.

“Gator always plays with a little bit of an edge,” Coach Steve Crounse said following the emotional comeback in which Long scored two short fourth-quarter touchdowns.

“He’ll throw his body around a little bit. He’s always kind of bordering on temper tantrum, but the great players we’ve had here, they’ve always been that way. They’ve got that ‘it’ factor. Chris has that ‘it’ factor. He’s a tough kid.”

When Long isn’t running, he’s tackling and creating creases for others. When the Panthers shift to a power running game behind sophomore quarterback Reese Crounse, Long becomes the lead blocker.

At strong safety, Long is the team’s second leading tackler with 92 stops and 12 tackles for loss.

While Patuxent (10-2) has alternated quarterbacks for much of the season, Long has been a steadying presence in the backfield. Steve Crounse said junior Jaelen Gross will start Friday when Patuxent hosts Baltimore City school Dunbar, but he could make an in-game switch depending on the success of the offense.

For Long, the move to Lusby made an impression because of the bond between the community and the tight-knit football team.

“They’re really like a family,” Long said. “They play hard, they’re dedicated to what they want to do, and when they say they want to do something, they get it done. That’s what I like about this program.”