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Nixon-Alark takes after former York Suburban teammate


We're less than one week away from the release of annual YAIAA football preview tab. Once again, we'll bring you 64 pages of team-by-team previews, columns and whatever else you need to get you ready for opening night next Friday.

On the the cover of this year's tab (preview seen here), we feature three of league's fastest players. One of which is York Suburban's Jaime Nixon-Alark, who recently clocked a 40-time of 4.37 during a camp at Temple University.

But before Nixon-Alark took over the spotlight at Suburban, there was Nathaniel Cross.

I covered Cross during my first year on the high school beat here. He was a senior for the Trojans then, part of a 1-2 running back punch with Cody Waltimyer. But whereas Waltimyer was the workhorse of the duo, Cross was the do-it-all playmaker -- lining up as a receiver some plays, switching to running back on others. In addition to his 700 rushing yards, he also led Suburban in receiving yards with 291.

For Nixon-Alark, a freshman on that team, he saw Cross' role as a template for what he could become.

"As a freshman, (Nixon-Alark) came up to me," recalled Trojans head coach Brian Freed, then the team's offensive coordinator. "He said, 'I'm your next No. 27.' "

Indeed, when Nixon-Alark returned to York Suburban as a junior after moving to Baltimore for a year, he took over Cross' No. 27 jersey.

He also expanded on Cross' role -- Nixon-Alark led the Trojans in rushing yards, receiving yards and touchdowns last season. He averaged 11.7 yards per touch.

Freed hopes others coming through Suburban's system will also embrace the hybrid role -- which in Suburban's offense is called the "R" position. He sees the potential to develop a legacy similar to the one at Bermudian Springs, where the Eagles have been able to churn out prolific tailbacks year-after-year.

"Kind of like Bermudian has in their Wing-T, that 8- or 9-year-old kid wants to be their running back," Freed said. "I think that's a position that could develop for us."

What other schools seem to specialize in producing standout players at certain positions. Littlestown comes to mind with its strong quarterback legacy recently. West York has had similar success with signal callers. What other schools/positions can you think of?