Colter scores 4 TDs in undefeated Roosevelt's win
Roosevelt High School running back #2 Donte Colter, left, rushes past East Rockaway #76 Doug Draude in the third quarter of the game at Roosevelt High School. Colter ran for four touchdowns en route to Roosevelt's 36-24 win. (Oct. 9, 2010) Credit: James Escher
Donte Colter's nickname - they call him "The Monster" - conjures up an image of a large and forceful creature who tramples everything and anything that dares come in his way.
Compare that to the actual Donte Colter: The Roosevelt senior running back who's so graceful and frustratingly elusive that he left East Rockaway's befuddled defensive line grasping at air. Far from being a Godzilla-like, one-man destructive force, it was Colter's often-overlooked offensive line that cleared the way.
Not that he didn't do a good bit of damage on his own.
Roosevelt (5-0) defeated East Rockaway, 36-24, Saturday to remain undefeated in Conference IV behind Colter's four rushing TDs, including a 60-yard game-changer in the final seconds of the first half. He ran for 243 yards on 21 carries, every last one of them adding to his growing resume as one of the best players on Long Island. The Rocks are 3-2.
"It is determination" that drives him, Colter said. "I feel like I need to compete."
Roosevelt is doing its best to accommodate him. Colter scored his first TD on a 28-yard opening drive that saw him take the ball for small gains on eight out of the nine plays. With the game tied at 6 and a little less than three minutes left in the half, Colter took the handoff off left guard and streaked up the sideline untouched for a 50-yard touchdown. Said the PA announcer: "It's Donte 'The Monster' Colter!"
It would be only a few minutes before that announcer called his name again, as Colter took the direct snap for the 60-yard score with 36 seconds left in the half. Both times, he seemed to burst out of the scrum as if he were walking on air - so far removed from his PeeWee football days, where he earned the nickname for being as frightening and physical as a 7-year-old linebacker can be. He still plays defense, and still demonstrates a deep appreciation for a good block.
"They kept opening up holes for me," Colter said of his o-line. "They work more than everybody, but they don't get much love."
That offensive line, made up of Chris David, Matthew Gabaud, Leon Johnson, Makese Powe, Luke Graham and Emmanuel Jones, stood around him after the game, perfectly illustrating the bodyguards they've become. Colter has 770 yards rushing with 10 TDs and Leon and Gabaud, especially, have been instrumental in that, coach Joe Vito said.
Roosevelt led by as many as 18 after Erin Parker's QB keep with 2:56 left in the third made it 36-18. Four different rushers scored for East Rockaway, the longest being Michael Castellano's 48-yard run in the third to make it 28-18.
All the while, that offensive line stayed true. It's a testament to team's camaraderie, Gabaud said. "I believe we're stronger and more agile [than last year]," he said. "Our chemistry is so strong."
It certainly helps when you like the guy you're protecting. "We encourage each other," Gabaud said. "And [Colter] is such a good-hearted person."
So, for the record: Not a monster - still scary, though.
