Millington vs Ovid-Elsie
Millington's Justin Stutler ready to make a name for himself against third-ranked Ovid-Elsie
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FLINT, Michigan — Chris Robinson, understandably, has gotten a lot of hype this season.
The Ovid-Elsie superstar running back led the Marauders to the Division 5 state football finals in 2008.
This season, he has rushed for a whopping 2,486 yards and 33 scores on 281 carries while leading Ovid-Elsie, ranked No. 3, to an 11-0 record.
It’s a safe bet that Justin Stutler hasn’t been on the same amount of radar screens as Robinson, but the Millington senior has been just as impressive.
Stutler has rushed for 1,903 yards and 22 touchdowns on 236 carries while leading the Cardinals to a 10-1 mark.
He will get his opportunity to show the state what he can do when Millington enters Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood at 7 p.m. Friday for a regional championship game.
“It really doesn’t bother me,” Stutler said of all the attention given to Robinson. “I just go out to play football.”
Stutler has been battling injuries and illness the last two weeks. He missed some action in last Friday’s district championship victory over Vassar because of a helmet shot to his back.
He also missed some school this week due to a cold.
Stutler indicated Wednesday morning that he is feeling much better and he will be 100 percent for Friday’s contest.
“I feel a whole lot better,” Stutler said. “I’ll be fine for Friday night.”
Millington’s program has been widely recognized in past years for its passing game, but this fall, the Cardinals have relied on a strong rushing attack to lead them to victory.
With Stutler leading the way, the Cardinals are averaging 362.6 yards on the ground per game.
While Stutler has been the feature back, Millington is far from being a one-man show. The Cardinals have five backs with 200 or more yards rushing, seven with three or more rushing touchdowns.
Junior Cameron Wilson is second on the team with 674 yards rushing and four scores on 83 carries.
“Cam Wilson is more of an outside guy and I find holes and run people over,” Stutler said. “We can do whatever we want and switch it up every play. It throws them off.”
Stutler became the Cardinals’ main offensive weapon because of his ability to run with power and speed.
The 5-foot-8 150-pound Stutler has the strength to run over people, but he also has the speed to break a long run.
He has been clocked around 4.6 in the 40-yard dash and last spring he took runner-up honors at the Tri-Valley Conference East Division track meet in the 200.
“He’s hard to bring down,” Millington coach Tim Furno said. “He’ll make you miss or break a tackle on the first hit. You think you got him and he’s gone.”
Stutler has been at his best in big games. He amassed 262 yards against Carrollton, ranked No. 8, in a district first-round game before rushing for 245 last week against Vassar.
He is averaging 8.1 yards per carry and has a team-high 136 points, including two 2-point conversion runs.
“He’s a runner,” Furno said. “He shows a lot of poise, leadership and heart.”
He has 15 tackles and one interception. Stutler is quick to point that he would not be as successful as he has been without the help of his offensive line.
“The reason why I have done so well is my linemen are blocking so well and making holes so I can run,” Stutler said. “It’s a team sport.”
Besides playing offense, Stutler also is a fixture on the Cardinals’ defense where he starts at cornerback.
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