Jakivion Calip, Bobby Ogles become dynamic duo in Olentangy Orange backfield

Bobby Ogles wasn’t sure what to expect when Jakivion Calip joined the Olentangy Orange football program.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Ogles, who was the starting running back last fall, didn’t know what his role would be with an all-state tailback moving in from Worthington Kilbourne. Any worries were quickly quashed when he met with coach Zebb Schroeder and saw the fellow senior in action.

“I think with J.J. coming here, I was a little curious,” Ogles said. “I didn’t know if carries would be taken away from me, we were going to split them or what.

“I watched his film and the first thing I thought was he was really fast. He could move. I was curious to see what would happen with both of us being two really good tailbacks, but I knew he would be good wherever he was put on the field.”

The fusion has been a success with the two carrying much of the offensive load for the Pioneers, who are 3-3 after losing to Hilliard Davidson 14-7 on Sept. 23 in their OCC-Central Division opener.

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The 6-0, 190-pound Calip has rushed for 400 yards and five touchdowns on 63 carries and has a team-high 31 receptions for 284 yards. Ogles has 298 yards rushing and four scores on 53 carries and six catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Calip is averaging 6.3 yards per carry and Ogles is at 5.6.

“I think it’s like lightning and thunder,” said Calip, a Central Michigan recruit who was third-team all-state at Kilbourne last year while rushing for 1,209 yards and 14 touchdowns on 176 carries. “You take me out of the play, and Bobby is pretty deadly. I see the (defenders’) eyes get big when that dude runs. It’s like a 1-2 punch. You give either of us the ball, and there’s a danger of us scoring.

“I came here and this dude (Ogles) is benching 320 (pounds). I don’t know, that’s a different dude there. We just click together. He can run, and he can catch.”

Schroeder said the cooperation between the two has been key.

“It’s their unselfishness,” said Schroeder, whose team plays a league game Sept. 30 at Dublin Coffman. “Both of them could be a focal point of anybody’s offense at tailback. When J.J. ended up enrolling here, we told both of them that a two-tailback offense can work, but it’s only going to work if they would do things that were non-tailback stuff.

“Whether it’s blocking, running routes, screens, because it makes our offense so much more diverse when they do that because they have accepted all of that and been unselfish. They probably have thrived in areas that they didn’t realize they could, whether it’s catching the ball in the backfield (or) being out on the perimeter for screens. It’s been a lot of fun.”

Last fall, Ogles was honorable mention all-league after rushing for 524 yards on 123 carries and catching 14 passes for 110 yards. Schroeder said he is the perfect combination of strength and athleticism.

“Bobby, if he wanted to, he could have been an Olympic gymnast,” Schroeder said. “He’s a freaky kind of an athlete. Seriously, you ask him to do a backflip and he can, or he can walk on his hands.

“He’s really difficult to tackle. That’s one of his strengths. A lot of times the kids who are difficult to tackle can’t catch the ball or he is lost when you put him out on the perimeter, but Bobby can do all of that.”

Calip has explosive speed and can take the ball into the end zone from any part of the field.

“J.J. has some of the best acceleration of anyone we have had here,” Schroeder said. “He can be flat-footed with the ball in his hands and get to top speed faster than your normal high school, OCC player. Whether that’s giving him the ball on the inside or the outside or stretching the field outside, when he has that little crack to accelerate, he can turn 1 yard into 10 yards really fast.”

Ogles has been a mentor to Calip not only in learning the offense but in style of play.

“Bobby and I learn from each other, too,” Calip said. “I used to be the kind of running back that would put a juke move on you, but I wouldn’t lay the shoulder down. With me and Bobby being together, I learned how to get lower.

“I was like, ‘How are you running these dudes over?’ He taught me how to get lower and since then I have been running people over.”

Ogles believes a 40-10 loss at Toledo Central Catholic on Sept. 2 could be considered a win in many respects. It helped the Pioneers put opponents in a different light.

“They had big dudes with linemen that were 6-8, 350 pounds or whatever,” said Ogles, who has not made a college selection. “We knew it was going to be a challenge, but when you go up against someone like that you realize that you can play with anyone.

“We lost, but we held our own. That makes you realize that all the other teams are very beatable. If we are consistent, hit hard and do our job, I don’t see what we can’t win these (remaining) games.”

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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Calip, Ogles become dynamic duo in Olentangy Orange backfield