Post Views: 108
By Rick Cassano
HAMILTON – There will be a new rushing leader for Badin High School’s football team this season after three straight years of Lemuel Grayson leading the way.
Chase Even is excited about the opportunity to be that guy.
The junior is set to be the feature back for the Rams in 2026 after showing flashes of greatness in a backup role behind Grayson last year.
“I’m ready. I’ve been waiting for it,” Even said. “It took a lot more training this summer to get fully ready for it. We’ll see if the hard work pays off.”
Grayson ended his career as the Rams’ all-time leader in rushing (3,194 yards) and scoring (54 touchdowns, 324 points) before taking his game to Allendale, Mich., to play NCAA Division II ball at Grand Valley State University.
Now it’s Even’s turn to scamper in the Badin spotlight, having rushed 83 times for 562 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore.
Even said he’s bigger, faster and stronger this year at 5-foot-11 and 194 pounds. Speed is still his strength, but the weight room and a focused diet have added some bulk and more of a power element to his running.
“Some guys can be really good at one thing and not very good at other things. I feel like Chase is good at all those things, and I think that is what makes him a little different,” Rams coach Nick Yordy said. “He’s got speed and can run with some power. He’s good at blocking. He’s smart. He takes care of himself in the weight room.
“From last year to this year, he’s just really put the work in. He’s poised to be a really good one here.”
Even said Grayson served as something of a role model for him last season.
“It was really just the mental side of being a running back,” Even said. “He reads holes very well, and just seeing him do it all year, I took a few things from it and I’m hoping to incorporate that into my game. I’ve got big shoes to fill, but I’m ready for it. I’m always up for a challenge, and learning from Lem last year is going to help a lot.”
Even admitted he never expected to play a significant varsity role last season, but he shot out of the gate with two fourth-quarter touchdown runs (36 and 48 yards) on his only two attempts in the season opener at Hamilton.
“No, I wasn’t expecting that,” Even said. “But when I got in, I took the opportunity and ran with it.”
He snuck up on teams in the first half of the year. Through the first six games, he had 57 carries for 429 yards and six touchdowns. But as he started to grow in stature, defenses paid more attention to him, and Even totaled 133 yards and four TDs on 26 carries in the last six contests.
“No doubt teams started to focus on him more,” Yordy said. “We’ve always prided ourselves on being able to take advantage of whatever teams give us, but it’s not going to be a big secret with him this year. I think he’s prepared for that, but he knows there’s going to be a lot of eyes on him as well.”
Yordy said he’s coached several teams at Badin that have had two very good running backs, even if one was in a supporting role.
This year, it’s Even and junior Chace Blanton, who collected 112 yards on 19 carries with the varsity last season. Senior Larkyn King brings versatility and big-play ability as well as a receiver and occasional ballcarrier, and senior Hudson Heid and junior Davis Martin are also capable runners in the quarterback position.
“We have the people that will make teams have to respect all of them,” Yordy said.
The BHS coach said the Rams don’t have that true-bruiser type of fullback and “we really haven’t since we’ve gone to the spread for the last eight years.”
Yordy stressed the importance of the offensive line in the ground attack. He noted that seniors Evan Price and Chance Retherford are returning starters up front, while junior Sawyer Arnold is also back with some experience.
Even said he played some quarterback in his younger days, though he conceded “it really wasn’t a good idea because I could barely throw the ball. I was more of a Wildcat quarterback than a throwing quarterback.”
Even said the offense is starting to click with the official start of practice set for Monday at Badin. He said his goal is to rush for 1,500 to 1,600 yards this year.
Yordy said he’s not sure if the 2026 Rams will be more of a running or a passing team.
“We have our system in place right now where we can adapt to what we have,” Yordy said. “We’ve just got to figure it out. It’s not early May. It’s almost August now. It’s time to start answering some of those questions.”
The Rams have been to the playoffs the last eight years and haven’t failed to win at least one postgame game every season during that stretch. Even said the expectation is more success this year.
“I’m hearing that a lot of people are doubting us, but I feel like in here we all believe we can be as good as last year and maybe even better,” Even said. “We have people stepping up in spots that they know they can step up in, and we believe in them.”
Badin will have its first regular scrimmage Aug. 7 with Fairborn and host Talawanda.
Related Topicsfeatured
