BY LUKE ERIKSEN, ’22. PHOTO COURTESY CARSON GRESOCK.
Senior running back Carson Gresock’s senior campaign began with a roaring start in a come-from-behind win against Reynoldsburg. Gresock shattered the Upper Arlington single-game rushing record with 384 rushing yards. He also had four rushing touchdowns.
“I came into the locker room and I went on my phone and it said there’s a tweet and I was tagged in it. It said that Carson Gresock officially broke the single-game rushing record. I wasn’t sure that I had had it [during the game], but I figured I was close,” said Gresock.
Despite his record-breaking performance, Gresock relished his team’s 20 point comeback victory.
“It was the best. You come down 20 points you know there’s gonna be a whole lot of emotions throughout the night and just to finish off with the last-second touchdown to win the game, it doesn’t get any better than that,” said Gresock.
Gresock also mentioned the supportive energy of the student section and fans—who were not able to attend games this past year.
“It definitely helps get the adrenaline going and get you going. It’s awesome, especially when you’re running towards the student section they usually start going crazy. Without fans, it’s not really a Friday night experience. It’s not the same thing,” said Gresock.
Naturally, after a game like that, teams will focus on containing the star running back, but Gresock isn’t too concerned.
“I’m really confident in our guys this, especially this year. We have really good linemen so I’m pretty sure they can handle everything they throw at them.”
Gresock also mentioned that the Golden Bears’ rushing attack will open up the passing game for quarterback Simon Monin and receiver Sam Cannon.
“He [Sam] will be able to beat teams deep so hopefully they actually can stack the box against so we can hit the run and the pass,” Gresock said, “That would be the goal.”
Gresock’s four years have not been a conventional high school football experience; Gresock transferred to Upper Arlington as a Freshman.
“It was tough going to a new school not knowing anyone. Also, it was the first year of high school which is already tough,” Gresock said.
In addition, the Upper Arlington football team has had three different head coaches the past four years. Gresock had to learn a whole new playbook not only in his freshman year but also in his sophomore and junior years.
I’ve loved all the coaches I’ve had here. It’s definitely different. They’re all unique and they all do different things well. But it’s very tough to adapt every single year,” said Gresock.
Coach Justin Buttermore is the only coach Carson has had for more than 1 year.
“He’s really good with the playbook. He’s outstanding with plays defensively. I think he’s mastered the defensive side of the ball. He’s also a really good dude. Not all coaches are good dudes. It’s nice to have a good coach that actually cares about players that are willing to help with anything,” said Gresock.
Coach Buttermore has been a large part of Gresock’s recruiting process.
“He definitely tries his best to reach out for me and get me where I need to be. It’s also very tough with COVID going on. Scholarships are really hard to get in general and with COVID it makes it even harder,” Gresock said.
Around the country, certain states have put laws in place allowing high school kids to play another year of high school athletics. Gresock is not only competing with 2022 graduates for scholarships but also 2021 graduates.
Gresock currently holds no offers but hopes to be given the opportunity to play in college in any division. He is currently in contact with schools like Marshall, Youngstown State, Akron, and Toledo.