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Last year, South Lafourche halfback Corbin Allen started the year off with a bang, owning several early-season 100-plus-yard games, while punishing opposing defenses – especially late in games.
But it didn’t last.
After severely spraining his ankle in the middle of the season, Allen’s final games were forgetful.
Those are his words, not ours.
He played, but was a shell of himself. Because of the pain from the injury, he lacked the speed to outrun defenders and the cutting ability to make anyone miss.
He wasn’t the college-bound running back anymore, but was a mere mortal – a feeling he didn’t like.
And it’s a feeling that Allen vows to never feel again on the football field – especially not after having what he calls the most productive offseason of his career.
Fresh off the tough, frustrating junior season, Allen said he’s re-charged, re-focused and 100 percent healthy heading into the summer. He said he is ready to power the Tarpons, which are currently going through spring practices under first-year coach Blake Forsythe.
The Tarpons will wrap up their workouts on Thursday with a spring game against Chalmette. For Allen, this will be a chance to show folks in the Houma-Thibodaux area that he’s over the ankle problems and is ready to regain his position as a local Superman in the backfield.
“Last year, I got a little banged up,” Allen said. “But that’s not going to be an issue for me this year because I’m putting every, single thing I have into this season. Nothing is stopping me from the best year I have in me for my senior year. I plan to go out with a bang.”
Those are ambitious words, because Allen is already one hell of a football player.
He’s been a fixture in the backfield for several seasons now in Galliano – dating back to his freshman year when he saw time with the varsity after his responsibilities with the freshman team came to a close.
In one game during that freshman season, he rushed for two touchdowns, which set the area on notice that much, much more was to come.
In 2015, Allen officially broke onto the scene as a sophomore under former coach Dennis Skains.
In that season, the 5-foot, 11-inch, 190-pound halfback rushed 210 times for 1,255 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a receiver, he caught 18 passes for 133 yards with a score.
Skains said during that season that Allen was the real deal – one of the best he’s ever coached at the position.
After that season, Skains left the Tarpons to go to Cecilia, and he joked that part of what made the decision difficult was the idea that he was leaving Allen with two years of eligibility left.
“I’d love to take him with me,” Skains said with a laugh. “The thing about Corbin is that he can help you in so many ways. We have a hard time because we could literally find a way to get him the ball on every, single play, but, of course, we have to try and preserve him as the game goes on.”
Allen said after the big sophomore year, he was amped up emotionally for even more in 2016 as a junior under first-year coach Brandon Nowlin.
Nowlin is an offensive mind, and throughout fall camp, his sets heavily featured the halfback – even through some direct snaps at quarterback.
Allen thrived under Nowlin, dominating Bonnabel in the season opener, then pushing forward for more than 100 yards against Carver, Thibodaux and Central Lafourche – all in consecutive weeks.
But right before district play, Allen severely rolled his ankle, which caused him to miss the team’s win against Morgan City.
He returned the next week, but was never the same.
As Allen’s body ached, so did the Tarpons’ offense.
South Lafourche struggled in the final weeks of the season, finishing just 3-7 – one win short of the Class 4A State Playoffs.
Allen said immediately after the season ended, his eyes focused on 2017.
He said playing through pain and fatigue made him lapse in ball security – something he’s worked on throughout the offseason, in addition to getting bigger, faster and stronger in every facet.
“Ball security is a major priority for me,” Allen said. “I just been saying to myself that I have to keep the ball secured and I can’t let it touch the ground.”
So with that hunger burning inside his belly from a junior season filled with missed opportunities, Allen said he’s had his best set of spring practices in his career.
He said he loves the philosophy of first-year coach Blake Forsythe, adding that he thinks the new coach will help his career.
Forsythe said when he first took the job that his offensive philosophy is simple – a mantra that ought to help Allen thrive.
“We want to run the football and we want to run the football often,” Forsythe said. “We want to control the line of scrimmage and keep the game played at our pace and our speed.”
And by doing that, Allen thinks he will be able to shine in his senior season and move his talents to the next level of play.
He said he receives letters from colleges almost every day, and his goal is to play after high school.
But first – a big senior season must be had.
That, Allen said, is his only focus – something that keeps him focused every, single day.
“I’m extremely excited to play my final year at South Lafourche High School,” Allen said. “I want to try and carry on as one of the best running backs to ever play her. My goals are all based on our team. I want to give my all into this year and just give our community a reason to be at the games on Friday nights. I want to give our fellow seniors the best year of their lives – that’s our goal.”
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