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John Cornish breaking through a takle

Liam Bradford, Sport's Editor

The Lakeland Hawks have gotten off to a 4-3 start so far this season, finding a good majority of their success through the run game. A large part of the success that the Hawks have found on the ground through the first seven games of the season is due to their superstar running back, John Cornish. 

Cornish has been handed the ball 96 times so far, rushing for 555 yards and averaging a ridiculous 5.7 yards per carry. Every time the Hawks have been in a challenging situation and needed a big play, they have looked to Cornish.

Aside from already having three 100 yard games, Cornish has provided a great deal of the Hawk’s offensive scores this year, having already run into the endzone ten times. 

Regardless of the dominance that Cornish has provided out of the Lakeland backfield, their offensive line has significantly impacted his success. Cornish himself said, “I have been getting a lot of recognition lately, and don’t get me wrong, I worked very hard all summer and worked to get to this point, but I wouldn’t be even close to where I am without the help of my O-line. They deserve credit for the job they’ve done protecting us this year.”

The Lakeland offensive line has primarily featured Preston Jeffs, Chase Burcham, Jack Borg, Bo Wilding, Taylor Winkelkotter, and Christian Stimson. 

Cornish was asked how he felt about his season to this point, and even he admitted that he didn’t know how good this season would be and that he’s been pleasantly surprised with the offense’s results.

He said, “My dad definitely has always pushed me to do well, and that motivates me a lot because my ultimate goal is to go D1. Many people have pushed me to do better, but nobody deserves the credit more than my teammates and my family.”

He also admitted that he is more confident than ever that the team is going to state and can compete with the best of the 4A schools. 

After their week five victory, Cornish was voted Idaho player of the week and has not lost momentum ever since his three-touchdown game against West Valley. He has earned the nickname freshly baked corndog, and rightfully so. 

Cornish has shown out all season and will continue to find success out of the Lakeland backfield. Lakeland plays next on Oct. 8 against the Moscow Bears at home.