Football 5A-4A Peak Performer of the Year: Anthony Davis, F-FC

Mitch Johnson remembers Anthony Davis leaving the football field once all season.

Johnson could tell you the game, the play and the reason.

Fountain-Fort Carson was playing Heritage, the last game of the regular season. The Trojans kicked a field goal, but their kicker was roughed on the kick, so F-FC took the penalty and the first down. Davis ran the ball on the next play and injured his leg bad enough to hobble off the field. He returned one play later.

Other than that, Davis rarely missed another snap on any side of the ball, said Johnson, Fountain-Fort Carson’s coach.

“The greatest skill that he has is by the way he plays the game and the way he competes,” Johnson said. “He brings out the best of the 10 other kids on the field.”

And Davis, The Gazette’s Peak Performer for football, wouldn’t have it any other way.

“i just looked at it as just doing my part, doing my best to commit to the team and helping the team to win,” Davis said.

As a running back, the F-FC senior ran for 1,677 yards on 185 rushes – an average of 9.07 yards per carry. Not bad for someone who was expected to share the workload with two other backs.

But those two suffered injuries and missed time, and Davis found himself carrying the load.

Johnson wasn’t sure how Davis would hold up.

“I was worried, naturally, about durability,” Johnson said. “The week in and week out pounding you get in 5A, ... and what you find out, the frequency of collisions is a lot higher.”

Davis took the collisions and pushed right on through. He averaged 152.5 yards a game and rushed for 19 TDs. He caught two more touchdown passes, helping the Trojans go 9-2 and reach the second round of the playoffs. As a defensive back he made 58 tackles, had three interceptions and one fumble recovery.

Despite all those gaudy numbers, not once did Davis approach his coaches about stats.

“He’d never say, ‘What did I have tonight?’” Johnson said. “He’s the ultimate team player.”

Davis is drawing interest from Northern Colorado and every team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Every one of those teams will love his motor.

“I pride myself on having heart,” Davis said. “When you do that you can accomplish things. You push yourself and you can do anything.”