NORTH ANDOVER — Jack Murphy is well aware of the two North Andover backs who came before him.
He knows about the 7,578 combined yards and the 120 combined touchdowns that two-time Eagle-Tribune Player of the Year Andrew Foote and 2009 Eagle-Tribune All-Star Zac Iovanella accumulated during their prolific careers.
But Murphy is also far from afraid to be the next in line.
"There have been some great running backs at North Andover," said the senior. "But I am confident. Hopefully I can follow in their footsteps and lead this team."
After seeing situational duty a season ago, Murphy now enters his first season as the starting running back for the Scarlet Knights, who open play on Friday at Andover.
"He will be toting the mail for us this season," said North Andover coach John Rafferty. "We have one running back, and it's Jack. He's a smart kid with the right intangibles. He is very quick with good footwork and very good field vision. I'd be shocked if he doesn't have a very good season."
Murphy began dreaming of the opportunity while watching his brother, receiver Dan Murphy, team with two-time All-Scholastic Foote.
"Foote was the best running back I have ever seen," he said. "Watching him when I was in middle school was awesome."
As a sophomore, Murphy earned the job of starting linebacker, and served as a backup to then-junior Iovanella while seeing spot duty as a blocking fullback and receiver.
Murphy opened last season again as the backup to Iovanella. But after a 92-yard outing against North Reading, which Murphy followed with a 152-yard outburst against Newburyport, he found himself with the ball in his hands more and more.
"I started as the backup," he said. "But by the end I was sharing the carries with Zac in a lot of two-back sets. It definitely gave me a lot of confidence going into my senior season. I remember my first touchdown, a long (37-yard) run in a win against Cambridge."
Murphy finished his junior campaign with 93 carries for 599 yards and seven touchdowns, and proved to his coach the running back position was his.
"Zac was our main horse," said Rafferty. "But Jack really had his moments as a stellar change-of-pace back. He ran a lot of traps and counters and had a real knack for finding the creases and making something out of nothing. He is a very tough runner."
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Murphy, who was an All-CAL Large linebacker last fall, employs a no-frills running style.
"I'm a power guy," said Murphy, who did strike for three 30-plus yard touchdown runs last season. "I don't have great speed, so I like running between the tackles, with my head up finding holes. Sure, I take a licking during games, but I don't mind it one bit. I'm more like Iovanella, because he was a tough runner that really brought the intensity."
Murphy said running with the ball is similar to moving with the ball in lacrosse, where he has started the last two years for the Scarlet Knights. But, whether it's in football or lacrosse, scoring still takes a back seat to another big play.
"I'll take a big hit all the way," said Murphy, who ranks No. 40 in his class of approximately 300 students and scored a 1,930 on the SATs. "I don't know why, but it is just so much fun."
Ground terrors
Jack Murphy has big shoes to fill as the starting running back for North Andover. Here's a look at the two stars that came before him:
NameStartedYardsTDS
Andrew Foote2004-064,54975
Zac Iovanella2007-093,02945
Jack Murphy2010599*7
*— As situational back in 2009
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