Jude Dunavin, Amarillo High football, Sr.
On the field: Following a tough 48 hours last week and knowing his Amarillo High team had to win to get just to have a chance at getting into the playoffs, Dunavin took it upon himself to put together one of his best performances of the season in a 63-21 blowout win against the Sandies arch-rival Tascosa Rebels.
Dunavin was a mismatch for the Rebel defense in the backfield and in the secondary. Running the football, the senior took the ball 12 times and ran for 145 yards with two touchdowns. When he’d move in space, Dunavin caught six passes for 149 yards with another score, totaling 294 yards of offense by himself.
On top of those numbers, Dunavin also became the new rushing leader at AHS with 2,541 yards. For the season, Dunavin has rushed for a total of 1,327 yards on 141 carries with 14 touchdowns.
Head coach Chad Dunnam: “Jude is a special young man. He’s more than just a running back, he is also a great receiver for us when we need him to be. He has great speed and he’s shifty. He’s very strong and what I love is he is great in pass protection and never puts the ball on the ground. I think those are two things that go unnoticed about Jude. He’s the kind of kid that is full of energy, and cheerful and always excited when he shows up. I don’t think Jude ever has a bad day.”
Dunavin: “It was a big game for us. Not only was it Tascosa, but we had to win to have a chance to get into the playoffs. None of the seniors were ready to be done playing yet, and we were going to do whatever we could to leave it all on the field. I love this team. We all have great chemistry and it’s been a wild ride playing with my best friends. It also meant a lot to get that career rushing record, but I wouldn’t be able to do that without my offensive line and my teammates. They deserve the credit as much as I do.”
About Dunavin
Favorite band or musician: The Beatles
Favorite social media platform: Instagram
Favorite athlete: Jahmyr Gibbs
Bet you didn’t know: He loves Marvel movies.
Parents: Don and Lori Dunavin.