Salem's Taylor, Timber Creek's Leary have state records in their sights

Salem's Jonathan Taylor is on the verge of the state single-season rushing record. (Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media).

Salem's Jonathan Taylor is on the verge of the state single-season rushing record. (Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media).

Salem High School senior running back Jonathan Taylor and Timber Creek junior quarterback Devin Leary are both appraoching single-season state records.

Taylor has 2,376 rushing yards, which is 134 yards shy of the South Jersey record of 2,510 yards set by Glassboro’s Corey Clement in 2011 and 229 away from the state record of 2,605 held by Hoboken’s Tyrell Dortch since 1990.

While both seem like big numbers, it would seem likely Taylor will at least achieve the South Jersey mark this Thursday in the final home game of his career against Woodstown and possibly the state record as well.

Taylor is averaging over 237 yards per game and is gaining steam in the playoffs. He ran for 238 yards on just 14 carries in a 50-8 opening-round win over Haddon Heights before blowing up for 368 yards on 27 carries in a 42-0 semifinal victory over Woodbury.

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If he doesn’t reach either record on Thursday, he should be able to set the marks next Saturday in the South Jersey Group 1 final against Paulsboro.

Rams coach Montrey Wright said Taylor’s yards have come in the context of winning games, which will be the case again this Thursday. The last two Woodstown-Salem games have been decided by a total of three points and the Wolverines bring a 6-4 mark into this year’s game against the 8-2 Rams.

Wright said he would like to see Taylor set a record in his final home game on Walnut Street Field.

“We’re a one-game-at-a-time operation, so we’re not looking past this game.” said Wright. “We’ve been running the ball successfully, so I’d love to see him make some history. The chance to play your last game on Walnut Street Field is special.

“JT has had some amazing games, but he’ll tell you he’s just playing to win. He’s happy to help the team first and he’s been a leader that way.”

In 2014, the Rams rallied for a 22-21 win at Salem with the Group 1 championship game in front of them. Wright said that experience should help the Rams keep their focus on the task at hand.

“A lot of these guys have faced this same situation before, so they know what they have to do,” said Wright.

Leary has 40 touchdown passes on the season – averaging four per game -  and needs four more to set the state single-season record. Like Taylor, Leary will have another chance if he doesn’t set this record this Thursday morning at 2-7 Winslow.

Somerville’s Ryan Carty threw 43 touchdown passes in 2001 and Pennsauken’s Manny Cortez matched the mark in 2011.

After facing 2-7 Winslow on Thanksgiving, Leary and the Chargers – ranked No. 4 in the state - will face No. 10 Lenape next Sunday for the South Jersey Group 4 championship game.

Last Friday, Leary rallied the Chargers from a 14-9 third-quarter deficit, throwing three of his four touchdowns in the second half of a 38-14 semifinal victory over Shawnee.

“We started taking what they were giving us, which is tough when you have a gunslinger at quarterback,” said Timber Creek coach Rob Hinson. “It’s tough to keep taking hitch, hitch, hitch. But he let our guys make plays and he was almost perfect in the second half.

“Shawnee, the aura around those guys once they get up on you, kids start to buckle and coaches start to question themselves because of the type of program they are but we stayed the course. Devin’s probably the best quarterback in the state of New Jersey and he showed that. I don’t make any bones about saying that. I’ll say that anywhere. I talk to my buddies in North Jersey and I tell them he’s the best around.”

Leary opened the season with five first-half touchdowns against Group 3 finalist Delsea. The touchdown record has seemed within reach ever since.

Bill Evans can be reached at bevans@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @BEvansSports. Find the NJ.com High School Football page on Facebook by following this link.

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