Nottingham High School senior running back Ben Fair is the real deal, and the Northstars know it.
HAMILTON -- Nottingham High School senior running back Ben Fair is the real deal, and the Northstars know it.
To put it simply, Fair, a former Athlete of the Week, is the best player on his team. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior cemented that fact with dominant play during Nottingham's last two games (which were victories thanks to Fair). Over a two-game span, Fair carried the rock 40 times for 290 yards (7.3 yards per carry) and five touchdowns - a stat line that some players would be happy to achieve over the course of an entire season, let alone two games.
"That's a great accomplishment for me and for my teammates and my offensive line," Fair told NJ Advance Media after rocking West Windsor-Plainsboro South for 154 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 34-14 victory on Sept. 19. "I'm pretty sure they feel pretty good about that. But I'm just happy the team got the win today."
Fair followed that performance up with 136 more yards and another score (a late touchdown that proved to be the difference in the game) during a narrow 20-14 victory over Allentown on Friday.
What a dominant stretch for a dominant player. But Fair never accepts all the credit for his success on the field.
"I have a very good O-line up front; I don't quit on them and they don't quit on me," Fair said last season. "They do all the heavy work for me. The receivers on the outside help as well."
But there's no denying Fair's innate ability to run the ball.
"I like to run a lot of different ways," Fair said about his running style, explaining that he adapts to the situation. "I like to do it all. I like to get in the end zone. I'm good at making one cut and accelerating."
He certainly is.
"My dream is to go to the NFL, and D-I football before that in college," said Fair. "I have to keep my grades up, but so far I'm on the right track this season."
Rich Cuccagna may be reached at rcuccagna@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RichCuccagna. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.