CAPSHAW – When East Limestone coach Jeff Pugh talks about his three running backs, it puts a smile on his face.

Even though Chad Dewitt, Jonathan Pinque and Derrick Malone have put up gaudy offensive numbers this season, it’s not just the trio’s stats that are making Pugh smile. It’s fact all three guys will be back next year that’s making the East Limestone coach smile.

“Don’t think for a second that I’m not glad those guys are going to be coming back,” he said. “They have come a long way as football players and have accomplished a lot, but the best thing is they’re still continuing to get better every day.”

Even though Pugh is pleased with the production he is getting from his running backs, opposing coaches don’t share his excitement. The three running backs have been the drive behind an East Limestone offense that has outscored opponents 111-31 in its past three games.

Pinque said the addition of Malone in the backfield has been a big part of the Indians’ offensive explosion.

“Having three guys who are capable of carrying the load helps a lot,” he said. “Last year, me and Chad got the majority of the carries and we would be pretty tired and banged up after games. This year we are fresher because we’ve got Derrick to split the ball with.”

Having multiple guys to get the ball to has not only lightened the load for some players, but also allowed Pugh to be more creative from an offensive standpoint.

“The addition of Derrick has been good for our offense,” Pugh said. “We’ve got two solid running backs to give the football to. With Chad at quarterback, we can get into a spread-gun formation and it’s almost like we have three tailbacks in the backfield.”

East Limestone’s ability to run the ball isn’t the only thing that’s got Pugh excited. He’s also been pleased with the way Dewitt has been able to throw the football.

“Chad has come a long way at quarterback,” Pugh said. “He’s been an exceptional passer this year. He isn’t just throwing the ball up anymore. Chad has been making good decisions and doing exactly what we want him to do.”

Even though Dewitt has been successful this year, he still isn’t completely satisfied.

“We’re still not exactly where we need to be,” he said. “There are still some things we can do better.”

Pugh will need another solid effort out of his running game Thursday night when the No. 10 ranked Indians host Cass 2A, No. 6 ranked Tanner.

“We’re going to have to be ready to play this week,” said Malone, who transferred to East Limestone from Tanner a few years back. “They’ve got a good football team and there’s a lot of bragging rights on the line. We just have to get the job done.”