Ryans Bullock sets school career rushing mark

Oct 20, 2014 BY BRENT BAUM Daily News Staff Writer baumb@phillynews.com ARCHBISHIOP RYAN'S Samir Bullock made history on Saturday. The senior running back had 394 all-purpose yards and scored four touchdowns in a 51-6 rout of Cardinal O'Hara to become the Raiders' all-time leading rusher. Bullock, who has racked up 1,454 yards on 188 carries and scored 14 touchdowns this season, has 3,509 career rushing yards, breaking the previous mark of 3,289 set by Joe Zeglinski (2005). Bullock broke the record in only 2 years as he played his sophomore season at Father Judge before transferring to Ryan. "It's a great honor, my team welcomed me and the coaches led me through the way whether it was in football or school," Bullock said following the game at Northeast High. "I would not have done this without these guys behind me and I thank my mom for supporting me for every game. " It appears that Bullock makes a habit of shattering records and rushing for over 300 yards. A week ago, he set Ryan's single-game record of 373 rushing yards in a 42-7 victory over Carroll. The Raiders didn't take long to unleash Bullock on Saturday. He dashed for 39 yards on a sharp sweep for the first of three rushing scores to give Ryan a 7-0 lead with 6:48left in the first quarter. The 5-8, 175-pounder's inspiration to play football comes from his mother, father (who recently passed away) and cousin Corey "Philly" Brown, who is an Upper Darby native and plays for the NFL's Carolina Panthers. "My mom introduce me to football. I was always the little guy and played with the older guys so when I got discouraged she used to always tell me to play hard and it brought me here," said Bullock. "I couldn't give [the credit] to nobody but my mom and my family. " Bullock pays homage to his father each time he walks on the field by pointing to the sky and saying a few words. "I talk to him and look into the mirror, thinking back to what he would want me to do, which is [give] 100 percent on every play. I think to myself, 'Did I take a play off?' " said Bullock. O'Hara showed early promise as senior Max Ferguson (174 yards on 24 carries) rushed for 131 yards in a first quarter that included a 64-yard sprint to the Raiders' 21-yard line. The Lions, however, were unable to score. That wasn't Ryan's problem. Sophomore quarterback Matt Romano zipped an 8-yard dart to senior fullback Rob McDevitt for a touchdown, followed by an 83-yard touchdown run by Bullock that gave the Raiders a 21-0 lead with 3:49 left in the second quarter. On the ensuing possession, O'Hara senior quarterback Brandon Laughlin developed a rhythm. He hit Darell Jackson with a 42-yard strike, and connected with Ryan Shaughnessy on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left that cut the Raiders' lead to 21-6 at the half. On the opening kickoff of the second half, Bullock showcased his explosiveness again as he made a swift cut to the middle, then through the teeth of the Lions' special teams, en route to a thrilling 88-yard touchdown return. He followed that with a 49-yard rush up the middle for another score to give the Raiders a 35-6 lead with 7:38 left in the third quarter. A safety increased the lead to 37-6. "I believe you practice how you play, so I take practice very seriously," said Bullock. "Going over cutting drills, going through the holes slowly, reading your defenses and making quick moves. " Bullock's workhorse mentality was on full display, as he finished with 301 yards on 22 carries and three touchdowns before Raiders head coach Frank McArdle took him out of the game at the end of the third quarter. Ryan refused to let O'Hara score again, en route to 30 unanswered points in the second half. Bullock, who has offers from Delaware, Maine, Rhode Island and Robert Morris, wants to major in business management. "It's a slim chance of making it to the NFL and if I don't make it I would like to open up my own sporting goods store or restaurant," said Bullock. Ryan improved to 4-4, while O'Hara to 1-7. Bullock is now focusing on making the playoffs and a meeting with Bonner-Prendergast, a team that beat the Raiders, 21-20, earlier this season. "I never made the playoffs in my entire high school career," he said. "The coach gave us a pep talk, telling us this is for the playoffs. My motto is to make sure you were better than yesterday. Now we get our shot back at Bonner in the playoffs."