MAIDEN, N.C — The Maiden Blue Devils varsity football program has had its fair share of talented running backs come through its system over the years with the likes of Tommy Henry and Preston Clarke in the early 2000s.
Henry rushed for 2,366 yards during the 2004 season, according to NCpreps.com, while Clarke rushed for over 1,400 yards during the 2000 season.
Flash forward to the 2010s, and the Blue Devils had athletes like the late great Will Jenkins, Xzavion Huff and Kentrell Williams on its roster.
Jenkins established himself as one of Maiden’s all-time stars during his 2011 campaign where he garnered 2,034 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.
In back-to-back seasons in 2014 and 2015, Huff amassed over 1,200 rushing yards. In 2016, Williams became another Blue Devil to cross the 1,000-yard mark with 1,031 yards and 10 TDs as a senior.
Then came along tailback Amarion Craig. During his 2019 season, he rushed for nearly 1,200 yards and earned 15 TDs while in the shortened 2020-21 spring season, he obtained roughly 600 yards in seven games played.
Following up his tenure was standout Ben Gibbs. Gibbs rushed for over 1,600 yards in fall 2021. He then rushed for 1,664 yards and 23 TDs in 2022.
Given the greats that have dawned the royal blue and white uniform at Maiden, it’s always a tough feat to duplicate. Nevertheless, instead of replicating talent, Blue Devils tailback Kendall Roberts attempted to carve his own path with his toughness during the 2023 season.
Roberts, who is a rising senior, came to Maiden last season as a transfer from Newton-Conover High School. As an underclassman with the Red Devils, he played sparingly.
Once he took the gridiron for the Blue Devils, he earned his place as the starting running back for the program.
Despite being the new guy on offense and coming from a rival school, Roberts adjusted quite nicely to his new team.
“The transition from Newton-Conover to Maiden did not take long,” he said. “I know what they were expecting out of their players and the culture of football at Maiden is great; it’s like no other. I felt comfortable with my new team right away.”
In his debut with the program on Aug. 18, 2023, Roberts amassed 91 rushing yards and two TDs on 15 carries in the 48-6 victory over Fred T. Foard.
On the opposite side of the ball at the outside linebacker position, he also obtained four tackles, two tackles for a loss and a sack. Additionally, he forced a fumble.
Although he prefers offense more, Roberts said that what he likes about playing both outside linebacker and running back is that these positions are very versatile on the field.
A sport he began playing because of inspiration from his mom growing up, Roberts also said that what he enjoys most about the game is the physicality and there is no other sport like it.
Given his build, he proved his physical nature last season as he rushed for 829 yards and eight TDs on 189 attempts. He rushed for over 100 yards in two outings.
Defensively, he garnered 37 tackles with nine of those being for a loss. He finished with a pair of sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles.
Impacting his smooth adjustment were some of his teammates which included quarterback Josh Stover, as well as the formidable coaching staff led by head coach Will Byrne.
“The players who took me under their wing when I got there was Raheim Misher, Josh Stover, Will Stover, Tae Maze, and Gerald Danner,” he said. “I’ve [also] learned that Coach Byrne and the Maiden football staff really care for their players and they will coach you very hard.”
Due to his level of play, Roberts was selected to his first Catawba Valley 2A All-Conference team which he said made him feel really good that his talents were recognized. He appreciates that it helped get his name out there and has been able to get him looks from colleges.
After having a stronghold in conference play the last handful of years, Roberts and the rest of the Blue Devils posted an 8-4 overall mark last season while also rounding out with a three-way tie for 2nd place in the CVAC standings with West Lincoln and Lincolnton at 5-2.
Despite this outcome in which Bunker Hill finished as conference leaders with a 7-0 record, Roberts said that his team is vying for the conference crown in 2024 and hopes to make a deep playoff run.
Last season, Maiden advanced to the second round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 2A West state playoffs after picking up a first-round victory over East Gaston, 31-21.
The Blue Devils then succumbed to Salisbury on the road, 40-0. Against the Hornets’ stout defense, Roberts could only muster 12 rushing yards on 11 carries. Defensively, he had a trio of tackles including a tackle for a loss.
With the new season nearing, Roberts said that he would like to complete his senior outing by rushing for over 1,000 yards and 10 TDs and he would like to improve in mostly all categories on defense. This will hopefully be the next step into ensuring Roberts has added to the longstanding legacy of featured running back adeptness in the program’s history.
Maiden kicks off its season traveling to Fred T. Foard High School on Aug. 23, at 7:30 p.m.
