HS Football: Sprecher settling into former position

For Bismarck High senior Jalen Sprecher, moving to running back this season is no surprise.

"I think it was always going to happen. It was just a matter of time," Sprecher said.

Sprecher was initially the number two running back behind all-stater Lucas Butts, but Coach Gibson started Sprecher at corner so he could see plenty of playing time. 

And that paid off nicely, as Sprecher became an all-state defensive back.

But now with Butts gone, Sprecher will be lining up at tailback, instead of across from opposing receivers.

"He carried the ball a little bit for us last year," head coach Mark Gibson said. "He's very explosive. He's going to touched the ball a lot more this fall. He's a kid that can catch the ball out of the backfield and do a lot of things for us. He's an offensive weapon that our offense is definitely going to be centered around."

Sprecher says his time as a defensive back should give him an edge now that he's back on offense.

"You kind of learn the tricks of the offense, how they try to manipulate the defense and exploit it," Sprecher said. "And I can kind of counter that a little bit better than someone who hasn't played defense, I'd say."

And after playing both sides of the ball, Sprecher is looking forward to downsizing to one.

"It's good to finally have just one solid spot. It's just going to give me a chance to focus on one thing, and that will probably help me in the end," Sprecher said.

Bismarck High plays at West Fargo this Friday.