It is hard to argue with production and Linden running back Kendarius Fritts has been nothing if not productive. Friday night against region rival A.L. Johnson, Fritts rushed for 265 yards and six touchdowns on 22 carries. Fritts has also been terribly consistent thus far this season.

Through three games, Fritts has 519 yards and 10 touchdowns on just 40 carries. That is an average of 12.97 yards per carry and one end zone visit for every four touches. Those numbers are, in a word, remarkable.

What is even more amazing is that Fritts has accomplished the feat while remaining seemingly oblivious to the pressure of being Linden’s primary back.

Entering the season, the knock on the Patriots from fans and program outsiders was that Maurice Tate and Shantrell Braxton are gone, and with them, Linden’s chances of remaining relevant in the Class 1A state title chase. But program insiders had a different take. Some have called Fritts the perfect combination of his tailback forerunners, citing him as possessing both Braxton’s speed and Tate’s bruising style.

What he has done through his first three games has done very little to erase the memories of Tate and Braxton from the minds of Patriot fans. But it has gone a long way in carrying on the legacy that the tandem helped build.

So while he causes some fans to reminisce about previous Patriot backs and he causes some stat nerds to geek over his insane production, the one thing Fritts has most certainly accomplished is taking a giant step toward making a name for himself and helping to hoist Linden’s name back to the top of the 1A ranks.