Travis Small - A
BIG Part of Cheraw's Team
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Cheraw's half back Travis Smalls (8) carries the ball in the State Championship Game vs. Newberry, December 3, 2006
By Justin Driggers
CHERAW — Since bursting onto the scene two years ago as a
freshman, Cheraw running back Travis Small has gained a lot of yards, but
hasn’t gotten a lot of attention.
Even on his own team.
Small played as the backup to All-Pee Dee rusher Chris Massey his first year,
and he took a back seat last season to All-Pee Dee defensive end Cliff
Matthews.
On the field, his exploits were often overshadowed by those of fellow
All-Pee Dee running backs Malcolm Elder of Carvers Bay and Antwain Lyde of
Wilson.
But with more than 3,000 yards rushing already in the books and a shiny new
state championship ring on his finger, all that might be about to change for
Small, who has been named the Morning News Preseason Player of the Year.
“It’s a brand new season,” Small said. “You can’t stay focused on what you did
last year. My goal is to improve and rush for more yards every season and try
to help my team get back to state.
“That’s what I’ve been working on this summer — getting back into Cheraw
football mode.”
Small rushed for 2,236 yards and 30 touchdowns last season for the Class 2A
champion Braves and finished as the Pee Dee’s second-leading rusher behind
Elder. He had 123 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries in the title game.
All that came after the Braves lost 21 seniors from Small’s freshman team.
Cheraw had to replace its entire offensive line last season and the Braves
return only one starter from that group to begin this season.
“A good running back can make your offensive line look a little better until
they get their feet under them, and Travis is that type of back,” Cheraw coach
Johnny White said. “The guys don’t have to hold their blocks long because if we
just give Travis a crease, he can usually make something happen.”
With the run-oriented offense of Cheraw, Small has seen plenty of touches — 326
last season in 15 games. As a key component of the offense, Small worked this
summer to improve his game.
“I went to a couple of speed camps and have done a lot of drills and exercises
to help with my speed,” Small said. “One of the main things I did was really
hit the weight room hard and try to get stronger for the upcoming season.”
The improvement is already visible, White said.
“Looking at him in practice, you can tell that his speed and his cuts are a
little quicker than they were last year,” he said. “Travis wasn’t slow by any
stretch, but I think he has it in his mind to play college football one day and
he’s working to achieve that goal.”