Season recap: Tyler Cierski
Maryland was one of many schools to offer Tyler Cierski a scholarship based on his junior-season film, even though the 6-foot-1, 255-pound fullback missed four games during his 11th-grade year with a high-ankle sprain.
As a senior, Cierski got a chance to play at full strength and show the Terps that they made a good move in extending him an early offer, which he accepted last April.
“He had a great year,” said Shannon Jarvis, Cierski’s coach at Mill Creek High in Hoschton, Ga. “He ended up as a powerful presence for us to allow us to spread out defenses, and yet maintain a strong running game in the one-back set. … He was just tremendous in the latter half of the season. He always did a great job as a leader in the locker room and the focal point of our offense.”
Facing the top competition in Georgia high school football, Mill Creek finished its regular season at 5-5 to sneak into the playoffs. With Cierski leading the way, the Hawks reeled off wins over No. 7 Etowah and No. 6 South Gwinnett in their first two postseason games.
“Against South Gwinnett, [Cierski had] 29 carries for 161 yards and two touchdowns,” Jarvis said. “… I think he had over 20 broken tackles in that game. He’s a very punishing runner. South Gwinnett is a very athletic team. We knew we had to run downhill on them. Really, that’s what he brought at the end of this season and throughout the season. It allowed us to spread people out and still be physical.”
After the South Gwinnett game – which Jarvis called the “biggest win” in Mill Creek’s seven-year history – Cierski and the Hawks moved on to the state quarterfinals. Against Colquitt County, Cierski’s high school career came to an end with Mill Creek’s 27-14 loss to the eventual state runners-up.
Cierski finished his senior season with 755 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns on 143 attempts, while also catching 16 passes for 187 yards and two scores. He broke six school records, including most points scored in a season (78), most career points (150), most rushing touchdowns in a season (11) and most career rushing touchdowns (22). Jarvis said Cierski’s versatility called for a more prominent role than your average fullback.
“To just label him a fullback – it’s accurate, and I think Tyler would tell you he’s a fullback,” Jarvis said. “But he runs a 4.7 40, he has speed, and I think the one thing we can’t underestimate with this young man is his size. He weighs right now about 255 pounds. But his feet are so quick, and his legs and lower body are so strong. He’s a very agile young man. He gets receptions on screens and plays out of the backfield. He can do everything we need him to do. Just to think of him as a blocking fullback that carries on a dive play, we did much more with him than that.”
Cierski considered taking an official visit to Vanderbilt and keeping his college options open, but a trip to College Park last weekend solidified his commitment to the Terps. Jarvis isn’t entirely familiar with Maryland’s depth chart at fullback, but the Mill Creek coach is confident that Cierski could handle early action if necessary.
“I really think he’ll be able to play sooner rather than later because of not only his strength, but also his intelligence,” Jarvis said. “A lot of people don’t understand how intelligent this young man is. He knew the offense inside and out as a sophomore. A lot of times in college, the biggest transition is learning the scheme and being mature enough to handle the pressure. We run a pretty advanced offensive scheme here. We have to because of the high level of football in this area. I think that’s going to help him as much as anything.
“He’s such a smart young man, in addition to his physical attributes. Based on his size and his strength and his speed, I feel certain that he’ll make a pretty quick transition. Whether he redshirts or not that first year depends on how they want to use him. He’ll be able to step in and help them, but every kid has to go through that transition. Every kid is a little different, but I have a lot of confidence that Tyler can do it.”
