Published: Friday, Nov. 20, 2009 / Updated: Wednesday, Dec. 09, 2009 11:38 PM

Double dose of horsepower for South Pointe

Stallions rushing duo happy to share offensive workload

When asked to come up with a nickname to describe themselves, they came up with The Cannon and The Bullet.

If you are on the other side of the line from South Pointe senior running backs Quinten Darby and Ce-Ce Jones, it's no secret why.

Darby is the cannon, a 5-foot-11, 205 pounder with speed. He can run over, around and through defenders, catch passes out of the backfield and often sets up the Stallions in good field position on kick returns.

Jones is the bullet, a 5-9, 200-pounder who provides the perfect change of pace when Darby is on the sideline. He's a speedster, and his specialties are quick hitters and runs around the ends that force defenders to hold up to see where he's going before adjusting.

Neither worries about which is in the game, and they feed off each other for momentum.

“It's like both of us are starters,'' Darby said. “We usually alternate each series and we communicate well. If I see the defense making adjustments, I tell Ce-Ce when I come off the field. Sometimes I'll see situations where he can look for a cutback and maybe get big yards or score.

“He does the same for me. We are one team, and we play for the same goals no matter who's carrying the ball. With me and Ce-Ce, it's like we have just one running back.''

The Stallions (9-3) won last year's Class AAAA Division II state championship game and are two wins away from going back and defending their title. At 7:30 p.m. today is a home game against James Island (4-8).

If the Stallions win, they play the winner of tonight's Hartsville at Northwestern game to see which team moves on and meets the winner of the upper bracket in Columbia on Dec. 5.

“It felt so good last year to go undefeated and win the championship,'' Jones said. “We lost a lot of good seniors, so we went into the offseason knowing what we had to do to get back. We're not there yet. We have to worry about James Island tonight, then get ready for the next team we play.

“We are taking no team lightly because the playoffs are like a new season. If we let up now, it's one-and-done. That's why we refuse to look ahead.''

Darby is an offensive triple threat. He has run for 840 yards on 113 carries, an average of 7.4 per carry, and 18 touchdowns. Darby has caught 11 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns. He has returned 11 kicks for 262 yards and a touchdown. He has four punt returns for 78 yards and a TD.

Jones has 94 carries for 556 yards (5.9 average) and seven TDs. He's caught six passes for 44 yards.

“Just think what the numbers would be if we used just one back all the time,'' South Pointe coach Bobby Carroll said. “But that doesn't matter to them. They are unselfish. They are team players. We are in our fourth varsity season, and we are building a program. To do that, we need kids like Quinten and Ce-Ce.''

Jones has been with the program since his freshman season. Darby transferred from Atlanta last year after beginning his high school career at Rock Hill High. It would have been easy for Jones to get down knowing Darby would be the successor to last year's starter, Devin Wherry. That's not Jones.

He does what's asked of him. He never lets up at practice, in the weight room or in a game. Jones accepts his role because it's best for the team.

“I see my role in a positive way,'' Jones said.

“I get my share of carries and know I'll be in there playing. It works out really good. With us rotating, it gives us a fresh pair of legs in the game at all times.

“There are no problems between us. I was one of the first players to find out Quinten had been named to the North-South All-Star Game. I was also one of the first to congratulate him. I think my mom is taking me and my brother to the game so we can support him.''

Even with the rotation in place, Carroll has been known to use as many as five or six backs in a game. And in quarterback Corey Rawls, he has another talented runner out of the backfield.

It's a system that has served the Stallions well and consists of more than 50 offensive plays. Carroll says he and his staff keep it simple because every offensive player has to learn the playbook.

A new play was added this year, one that Darby and Jones like to be called.

It's the swing pass, where the back goes to one side out of the backfield, catches a short pass and looks for open space. It works well most of the time.

“It's my favorite play,'' Jones said. “It gets us on the corner one-on-one with a linebacker. Most times, he's the only defender because the others are watching our receivers. If you make the catch and get past the linebacker, it's usually a race with only a defensive back between you and the end zone.''

Darby has scored a couple of times on the play and said he knows why the coaches decided to add it to their calls.

“They finally realized me and Ce-Ce can catch the ball,'' he said with wide, proud grin on his face. “I guess before that, they didn't think we could.''