Mr. Friday Night, Providence High’s Luke Bailey, gets 9 TDs; smashes state, local records
It’s been a pretty memorable couple of Friday nights for Providence High running back Luke Bailey. And Bailey wasn’t even a running back before this season.
After converting from wide receiver, where he was all-conference last season, Bailey has broken the school rushing record in consecutive weeks. Against South Mecklenburg last week, Bailey ran for 336 yards and broke a 17-year-old school-record.
Friday he broke two Mecklenburg County records as an encore.
In a 64-42 win over Parkwood, Bailey ran 36 times for a Mecklenburg County record 429 yards. He scored a Mecklenburg County record nine touchdowns. He had 261 yards and five touchdowns in the first half.
That performance sets a new N.C. public school record for rushing touchdowns as well, breaking the mark of eight, which is held by four players, most recently Savone Tutt of Pamlico County three years ago.
His rushing yards ranks No. 16 in N.C. public school history.
“It’s unbelievable,” Providence coach Wes Ward said. “I have never seen anything like it. It was like watching a video game. We’re sitting out here on the field and I think he’s taken a picture with every kid that was there.”
Bailey’s debut as the Panthers No. 1 running back got off to a shaky start. He had fewer than 50 yards in a season-opening 21-0 loss to Ardrey Kell. But that’s OK, when you can go for 765 yards in two games, which for some guys is a whole season’s worth.
Ward, 33, said he’ll talk about this performance for some time.
“It’s just the initial power and strength of our offensive line,” Ward said. “The movement off the ball is like a tidal wave. Luke’s five yards down the field before anybody touches him, and I’m talking 85 percent of the time. And once he’s in the second level, he either runs through one tackle or around them.”
Ward said Bailey doesn’t have any college offers yet, but is sure that his 5-foot-10, 205-pound senior has proven in 14 days that he’s a college-ready back.
“I can’t believe a college hasn’t really looked at him,” Ward said. “He was all-conference at wide receiver last year with some of the best numbers in the area, and he moves to running back and he has the best numbers in the area, and he’ll be well over 2,000 yards this season. And man, he also lined up at cornerback and had two knockdowns tonight.”
Ward said he’ll be talking to his grandkids about what Bailey did Friday.
“Man,” Ward said, “it was that good.”
Mecklenburg County single game rushing records
| Rank | Name | School | Yards | Year |
| 1. | Luke Bailey | Providence | 429 | 2022 |
| 2. | Josh Allen | Victory Christian | 411 | 2014 |
| 3. | Donnovan Spencer | Chambers | 405 | 2014 |
| 4. | Josh Covington | Providence Day | 378 | 2010 |
| 5. | Luke Watts | Community School of Davidson | 373 | 2017 |
| 6. | Elijah Hood | Charlotte Catholic | 372 | 2013 |
| 7. | Aaron Bradley | Myers Park | 367 | 2004 |
| 8. | Elijah Hood | Charlotte Catholic | 360 | 2012 |
| 9. | Ben Herlocker | Charlotte Catholic | 359 | 2006 |
| 10. | Quavaris Crouch | Harding | 350 | 2017 |
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 10:39 PM.
