By Kalle Oakes,Staff Writer
Lewiston tailback Jared Turcotte is turning heads on and off the field.

LEWISTON – Jared Turcotte is averaging nine yards a pop on the football field this fall. And we do mean pop.

Most plays, there are three or four pops, followed by the sound of fists slamming to the turf as linebackers and safeties recoil in frustration, incredulously looking up to double-check the number of that truck (it’s 21) that just left them spitting out sod.

Turcotte, a 16-year-old Lewiston High School junior with the body type and talent of a Division I breakaway back, has the potential to leave Pine Tree Conference defenses in a shambles this year and next.

“I never expected this, but I’ll take it,” Turcotte said. “I don’t change my philosophy because of it.”

No, it’s the guys in the opposite-colored uniforms who are scrambling, retreating to the dry erase board scratching their helmets after Turcotte lit up defending conference champion Bangor for 229 yards and this season’s co-favorite Mt. Blue for 347 out of the gate.

All eight Lewiston touchdowns belong to Turcotte, as do more than half the team’s carries and over 75 percent of its total offense.

“You worry about not giving the ball to someone else, but especially in a tight ballgame, it’s hard not to keep handing it to him,” said Lewiston coach Bill County. “I’ve had some tailbacks in the past with that same type of mentality. As the game goes on, they just get stronger.”

County can compare the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Turcotte to Jim Ray and Jeff Dube, every-down backs who carried Leavitt Area High School to Class B championships under County’s tutelage in 1995 and 1998.

PTC coaching counterparts are dipping even deeper into the vault and the talent pool, already extolling Turcotte in the same breath with all-time league greats Jeremy Tardiff of Oxford Hills and Kirk Matthieu of Lawrence.

“He’s a special player,” said Mt. Blue coach Gary Parlin, who watched Turcotte trample a combined dozen would-be tacklers on TD runs of 26, 84, 4, 29 and 2 yards in a 35-34 Cougars victory last Friday night in Farmington. “You spend all week telling your guys, Stay in your lanes! Stay in your lanes!’ But when you’re facing a kid like that, it’s easier said than done.”

Turcotte topped 1,000 yards after winning the starting job midway through his sophomore campaign. Lewiston rode his broad shoulders from an 0-6 start to impressive, season-ending wins over Mt. Ararat and Edward Little.

Extending the winning streak to three by beating Bangor at home on Sept. 2 legitimized the Blue Devils.

“We’ve had bad records, so people haven’t taken us seriously. Three years ago we almost made it to the state championship game, and we feel like we’re getting back on that same path,” Turcotte said.

While he’s busy creating Kodak moments on the gridiron, Turcotte’s big picture is even brighter. He’s a honor student with impeccable manners.

He is quick to laud his small but well-schooled offensive line, and rightfully so. When Turcotte wasn’t leaving Mt. Blue defenders sprawled out at the 50-yard line Friday night, he was running through a vacuum created by seniors Brandon Dubois, Patrick McLellan, Luc Collette, Jared Phillipon and Nick Hall and receivers Kyle Caito and Kurt Thibeault.

“I love our offensive line. People look at them and wonder how they get the job done,” said Turcotte. “But you watch film and you’ll see they’re pushing the other guys two yards downfield. It’s not all me, believe me. I give total credit to them.”

Teachers pull County aside in the hallway and rave about his star’s character, politeness and complete lack of ego.

“Jared is a young kid for all this to be happening to. People look at the way he’s put together and say, OK, when does he turn 20?’ But he’s a junior and a young junior. He just turned 16,” said County. “Some people are just blessed with speed, size and strength. He’s big enough to play every position on the field. There’s no place where we couldn’t plug him in, but we think our chances are pretty good with him at tailback.”