It is not very often the Player of the Week comes from John Essex High School. Then again, it has not been very often over the last several years that John Essex has absolutely rolled over an opponent the way it did last Friday night.

In the Hornets’ first season-opening win in recent memory, running back Denzell Charleston anchored the new-look Essex attack by rushing for 225 yard and five touchdowns on 16 carries. That’s pretty impressive by any standards. And with the Hornets’ struggles and obstacles in recent years, it is borderline legendary.

On a night where his team did almost everything right, Charleston was pretty close to flawless. And for at least one week, so is the Hornets’ record. If the Hornets are to go to 2-0 this week against Autaugaville, odds are Charleston will have a lot to do with that as well.