Texas high school football player sets new state rushing record
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The pressure of playing football for the gridiron-hungry fans in Texas is already a tall order. Imagine going up against a state record.
That's exactly what happened on Thursday night to McKinney High School running back Matt Gadek, who set the state single-game rushing record with 599 yards in a 63-50 victory against Plano East.
Gadek topped the previous state record of 587 yards rushing by Somerville's Daryl Ellis in 1998 with a 31-yard-run on the second-to-last play of the game, FOX4 News reported.
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“We knew he would be close if he had a big second half,” coach Jeff Smith told FOX 4.
Gadek said the record-breaking run came on the outside, crediting his offensive line for helping to make it happen.
“Pancake platoons...just pancaking everyone,” Gadek told FOX 4.
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The national record is 754 yards, by John Giannantonio of Netcong, N.J., in 1950, according to the National Federation of High Schools.
While he may have a new record, Gadek still doesn't have any Division 1 college football scholarship opportunities.
His coach hopes that record run turns his luck around.
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“Somebody needs to offer him something,” Smith said. “There have been people here, but he just keeps doing his thing.”