Kyle Nutter won't run over big defensive linemen on a regular basis, and he doesn't possess blazing speed or ankle-breaking cutback ability.

What Nutter, a sophomore fullback at Genoa, has is “a mix of everything,” according to fourth-year Comets coach Mike Vicars.

“That's probably what makes him pretty good,” Vicars said. “He has good vision to find the seam. He doesn't have super-duper breakaway speed, but I wouldn't call him slow. He can get from zero to 60 right now. That's a very strong attribute of his.”

Another one of Nutter's intangibles is his ability to finish what he starts.

“He finishes the run,” Vicars said. “When you think the run is done, he gets you more yards. He always finishes the carry to get you another couple yards.”

Eastwood can vouch for that.

Last Friday night, the 5-foot-1

0, 165-pound Nutter ran the ball 41 times for 219 yards and three touchdowns to help the unbeaten Comets post a 32-20 Suburban Lakes League victory over the host Eagles. The win was crucial for sixth-ranked Genoa (6-0, 2-0), which moved one step closer to its fourth straight SLL title.

Nutter, who also starts at cornerback, went into the game with 558 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 63 carries.

“During practice last week we ran a lot of plays for the fullback,” Nutter said. “I was expecting a little more (carries), but nothing close to 40. It was just based on the weakness in the defense, and some of the runs are made for the fullback. I wasn't expecting a more significant amount than I had been getting.”

Vicars said he can't recall ever giving one of his Genoa running backs 40 carries in a game.

“My son, Derrick, would have been the one to have the most carries,” Vicars said, “but I don't remember anyone having 41. I knew we were giving Kyle the ball a lot. I told him in the locker room at halftime, 'you're going to have to man-up tonight.' Being a defensive back, he was also using a lot of energy on the edge, chasing receivers.

“To me, what he did was quite a feat. We were taking what the defense was giving us and we kept feeding him the ball. I can understand why he's still tired.”

Nutter said he took Vicars' halftime pep talk to heart. He had already helped the Comets take an 11-point lead into the half by rushing for more than 150 yards and two TDs on 24 carries.

“Coach Vicars thought the plays we were running were working, and he didn't care how many carries I got,” Nutter said. “I knew I was definitely going to be doing something similar in the second half. If it got the job got done, that's what we were going to do. I had to toughen up and keep running hard.”

The idea that he was put in that position must have seemed surreal for Nutter, who just a year ago was a 150-pound second-string halfback on Genoa's jayvee squad. In the offseason he ran sprints for the Comets' track team, placing seventh in the 100-meter dash at the league meet, and he gained 15 solid pounds in the weight room.

Nutter admitted he enjoyed watching Genoa's 210-pound first-team All-Ohio senior fullback, Greg Hillabrand, run roughshod over the opposition a year ago.

“He was hard to take down, like a big bowling ball,” Nutter said. “He was somebody to look up to, how tough he ran. He was an aggressive fullback. I don't have the size he did. I have to use a little more agility.”

Vicars said he and assistant coach T.J. Buckey agreed to move Nutter from halfback to fullback during summer workouts.

“He's kind of natural for the fullback in our offense,” Vicars said. “I liked what I saw from him early in the season. Going into our scrimmages, he really didn't disappoint. He's got good speed and he's very competitive. He's also an outstanding punt returner.”

Nutter gave props to his offensive line and fellow running backs, senior Seth Dufendock and junior Tyler Pickard, for opening holes for him during his big night against Eastwood.

“Tyler and Seth are never mad about not getting the ball,” Nutter said. “They want to do their job and they don't care what it is. The offensive line always plays hard and always does their job.”

The heavy workload of playing offense and defense eventually took its toll on Nutter. Leg cramps forced him to leave the field for good with about eight minutes left in the game.

“Our trainers told me I was exhausted and they wouldn't let me go back in the game,” said Nutter, who has 17 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery. “I felt all right through the third quarter, and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was kind of disappointed that I let the team down by not finishing the game.”

Another 41-carry effort might never happen again, but that's OK with Nutter. Playing a major role in the Comets' fourth straight win over Eastwood was satisfying enough.

“I went home and went straight to bed,” he said. “I definitely slept good.”

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