After the Brawley Union High School football team’s loss to Santa Fe Christian two weeks ago, head coach John Bishop decided to shake up his backfield.
He decided it was time to install backup quarterback Dylan Mohamed as running back and give the 16-year-old junior a shot at carrying some of the offensive load.
Dividends paid off in a hurry and on Friday, Mohamed scored two touchdowns on the ground, including the game-winner with 35 seconds left to play as Brawley beat Imperial Valley League rival Palo Verde Valley 28-22.
“Dylan, and the entire Mohamed family have always been hard workers who don’t say much,” Bishop said. “They bring it every single game. They’re all hard-nosed. That’s just what Dylan is.
“He’s an integral part of our game,” Bishop said. “If someone goes down he can play quarterback, he’s been the backup quarterback, but he’s our running back until further notice.”
Off the field Mohamed is hard-nosed in the classroom, as he carries a 4.3 grade-point average.
Mohamed’s ability to change a game and produce in the classroom have earned him this week’s “Difference Maker” honors.
Having seen time at quarterback Mohamed said he wasn’t nervous about being given the opportunity to play running back. And because the Brawley offense calls for the quarterback to run the ball often, he said he was “kind of used to it.”
“Yeah, it is a lot different, but it just feels a lot better,” he said. “I get to see the field more and it’s a lot easier.
“When you’re playing quarterback you get hit on every play,” he said. “But at running back, you get to go out and hit some people. It’s definitely a lot more fun.”
