Tevion Cappe has a modest goal this season.
Asked where his sights were set for the 2010 high school football season, the confident Watertown High School senior running back said matter-of-factly, "to gain 2,000 yards."
That may seem like so much boastful conjecture for some. But for Cappe, a powerfully built 195-pounder with sprinter's speed, it may be more than realistic.
Last season, Cappe was just learning how to play the position when he gained 1,183 yards and scored 12 touchdowns in one of the toughest Class A leagues in the state, Section 3's Class A National conference.
This year, a more mature, stronger Cappe figures to torment opposing defenses even more as he strives to get the Cyclones back in the Section 3 playoffs and help them vie for a conference title.
"Tevion fought for every yard last year," said WHS coach Vince Williams, a former standout Cyclone running back himself. "And more often than not, he would try to run somebody over instead of getting a couple of extra yards."
That took its toll on Cappe, who carried the brunt of the WHS offense once quarterback Tyler Augliano and his backup, Sean Scordo, both went down with early-season injuries.
Not that Cappe minded. He finished the season strong, going for 219 yards on 40 carries against Camden and then finishing his junior season with a 292-yard, four-touchdown effort versus Mexico as the Cyclones fought back to finish 4-4 after a winless campaign in 2009.
"Other teams put a lot of people in the box trying to stop me," Cappe said. "A lot of times I just tried to overpower them, I guess."
Williams said Cappe is the type of runner who can overpower people, but he'd like him to set up defenders a little more then use his speed to burst past them.
Cappe admits that better vision "will help me run straight to the hole and see the hole coming before it's there."
Williams has also asked his senior runner to use the cut-back lanes more often, and to "rely on his line" to make some holes for him instead of trying to do it all by himself.
"I'm finally learning to follow my blockers better and trust them," Cappe said.
Cappe said he's learned how to avoid would-be tacklers better, and that he now knows he can't just overpower defenders, especially in this league.
Asked how many carries he'd like this year, Cappe said, "I never really worry about that. They'll come if I produce."
Williams said with Augliano back at the controls, WHS should be better balanced. "Tevion will still be our No. 1 option, but it's nice to know that we won't have to just hand the ball off to him."
Williams also has a couple of capable backups, so he might even give Cappe a little more rest this season.
Don't look for that to happen too often, however. Williams also said Cappe, who did not play defense at all last year, will see considerable action at strong safety for WHS.
"I like being on the field and contributing, not sitting on the sidelines," Cappe said. "Now I get a chance not only to run with the ball but to tackle runners."
Williams would also like to involve Cappe in the passing game a bit more. "The more times we can his hands on the ball, the better."
Cappe is all for that. "Screens, little flares. Those are almost like runs," he said, "so you can use the same skills as a handoff."
Cappe said plenty of work in the weight room this summer has helped him prepare for the beating he will probably take.
He's also a sprinter and high jumper on the track team, which helps with his agility. He's been clocked at 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
"Tevion has everything you'd want in a back," Williams said. "One defender rarely brings him down, and arm tackles are no good against him. Now it's a matter of him staying healthy and working as hard as he can to get even better."
Shedding would-be tacklers seems like a simple task for Cappe after growing up in the rugged Bedford-Stuyvesant playgrounds of Brooklyn. The transition to Northern New York has been quite a journey for Cappe, who played football while growing up, gave it up for awhile, then picked the sport up again when he moved to Watertown as a freshmen.
"I didn't realize how much I missed it," he said.
Cappe has a chance to play at the college level, according to Williams. Cappe said he's always wanted to play for Rutgers, not too far away from his native Brooklyn.
As for this year, besides the 2,000 yards, Cappe desperately wants to lead the WHS program back to the top.
"I think we've got the talent and the determination to be very good," he said.
Cappe's performance will go a long way toward determining the Cyclones' fate.
