The Spartans running back has rushed for over 1,000 yards this season
Watch Top Football Plays 2015, Episode 4, featuring Meech Hembry’s 253-yard and five-touchdown performance against Centreville as the top play. (Video by Nick Plum for Synthesis/Koubaroulis LLC / The Washington Post)
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October 22, 2015, 5:00 p.m. — Just seven games into his first season as an offensive starter, Broad Run junior running back Meech Hembry is proving he is one of the best big-play threats in the region.
After only being used on defense in the opening week this season, he was thrust into the offensive backfield for the first time in the Spartans second game. Since that point, Hembry has reached the end zone 15 times, seven of which were on plays longer than 50 yards. He has amassed 1,019 yards on the ground over that span.
His 225-yard and five-touchdown performance against Centreville on Sept. 18 really burst him onto the scene, as three of his scores in that contest alone were from outside 50 yards.
“I started on defense last year, I wanted to play more on offense but I didn’t get the opportunity because there was a senior over me, but that didn’t stop me from trying,” Hembry said.
Riding their new star, the Spartans out of Ashburn, Va. are 6-1 this season, ranked No. 16 in the current Washington Post All-Met poll. Under the leadership of Head coach Matt Griffis, they achieved a ranking as high as 10th before falling to rival Stone Bridge in the Battle of the Burn last Friday.
Hembry has missed some practice time this week as he is battling an ankle injury, but expects to be back in action this Friday as the Spartans host Oakton (3-4).
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound back continues to be a strong defensive player for his squad. Two of his 15 scores this season came on lengthy interception returns, as he was able to turn his defensive skills into offense.
Hembry had a four-game stretch this season in which he averaged 232 yards rushing and 3.5 touchdowns, almost an unheard-of stat line, especially for a first-year back.
“I have good vision,” Hembry said, “I can see things that other running backs can’t see, like the holes and cut-back lanes.”
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Although Hembry’s breakout season is drawing attention, the Spartans have other weapons on offensive as well. They are led by dual-threat junior quarterback Kyle Brickerd, who is also in his first year as a starter.
“We have a good, versatile quarterback,” Hembry said, “we have two big receivers in Chris Moore and Jaleel Robinson, we haven’t really been giving the ball to them but when we do, they do something with it.”
According to Brickerd, Hembry’s quickness and toughness will provide problems for any defense they face.
“Once the defense starts to focus on him a lot,” Brickerd said, “I can run the ball and use play action as an advantage in the passing game. It’s a win-win situation for us.”
Jayden Bunting is another valuable running back for the Spartans, but he has been sidelined with an injury this season. They do expect to have him back for the playoffs.
Already with over 1,000 yards, Hembry has set his sites on reaching the 2,000-mark and hopes to be recognized as one of the best players in the state.
“I want to try to catch up to Noah Reimers’ yards from last year because he was Gatorade Player of the Year, and I feel like it can do the same thing,” Hembry said.
Reimers rushed for over 3,000 yards last season as a senior with Tuscarora before being dubbed the best player in the state of Virginia. Lofty goals for any young back, but Hembry has the work ethic and mindset necessary to dream big.
“I’ve been working on my power and speed, but I’m not done lifting, I want to gain more weight before I get to the next level,” he said.
Hembry still has the remainder of this season and next year to develop his game for the collegiate level, but the future is on his mind.
So far he has received interest from N.C. State and ODU. Between the two, he favors the Wolfpack because of the higher level of competition and the location.
Florida and Alabama have been his dream schools since he was a kid, but says Florida is the top program in his heart.
“If Florida offered me right now I would commit on the spot,” Hembry said. “I like their colors, it’s a good place to live, and I like their offense because it’s the same offense we run at Broad Run.”
The Naval Academy is also high on Hembry’s early list, saying if it weren’t for football, he would want to be a Navy Seal.
Hembry believes he can be a major asset to any college roster. He expects his game as a running back to translate well to the next level because of his height and size, but knows he can do so much more.
“When they get me, they get and athlete because I can play both ways, offense and defense, and on special teams,” he said.
Hembry is coming off his first down game in the loss to Stone Bridge after four unbelievable performances. He managed just 58 yards and no touchdowns, as the Bulldogs’ defense stacked the line of scrimmage with more tacklers than blockers, making it difficult to get the running game going.
Using the loss as motivation, Hembry, Brickerd and the rest of the Spartans have elevated their passion and hope to return to their winning ways.
“The loss should mean something to us, it should humble us, it should make us better. We came back on Saturday and we lifted hard,” Hembry said.
Hembry believes the recipe for success this Friday against the Cougars is simple, just get him involved early and often.
“Keep feeding me the ball and let me do what I do,” he said.
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