Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/919607
8 12.31.2017 SCHOOL: Bentonville West CLASS: Senior HEIGHT: 6-2 WEIGHT: 220 POSITION: Linebacker THE SCOOP: Rutherford had not played organized football in any fashion before suiting up for the Wolverines this fall. … Decided to give the sport a try after he had been addressed by West coaches. … Was in the starting lineup for his first game when the regular season started and recorded 11 tackles (9 solo, 2 assists) and a tackle for loss in the Wolverines' season opener against Pryor, Okla. … Finished the regular season leading the team in tackles with 88 (55 solo, 33 assists), as well as 6 tackles for loss, 6 quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery. … Had double-digit tackles in 5 of 10 West's regular- season games, including a season- high 12 (7 solo, 5 assists) in West's victory over Springdale Har-Ber. … Has been contacted by Missouri Southern and Arkansas Tech about possibly playing college football. DID YOU KNOW?: Away from the gridiron and the basketball court, Rutherford prefers to spend his free time with friends playing video games. HE SAID IT: "That first practice was really tough, but my teammates on the team treated me real well and kept me going. There were a couple of practices where they tried me out, and I really didn't know how to tackle, so they worked with me on it. I just had to learn all those plays. "Putting on those pads and that helmet for the first time felt so heavy, but I got used to it after a while. I expected it to be hard and challenging because I didn't know about the sport. My expectations were to try my best and help my team out. The hardest part about it was having to deal with much bigger offensive linemen. In my first game, I didn't know how many tackles I was supposed to get to be good, so Kendall Young and I would have competitions each week to see who would get the most tackles." — Henry Apple • @NWAHenry