ELKHART, Ind. — Aalias Leonard, a junior running back for the Elkhart Lions varsity football team, made a statement during the 2021 season. He provided much stability for a team in need of offensive productivity.

Leonard originally began his football career at Elkhart during the previous season in 2020. He appeared in only two games, totaling 61 rushing yards on nine carries.

It was a year in which the Elkhart Lions, during their inaugural season, finished with a record of 9-1, their only loss coming against Merrillville in the Class 6A Regional Championship game.

In 2021, Leonard was thrust into the spotlight, starting at the running back position for the Lions varsity team in all ten games.

His first big performance came against Concord, racking up 143 rushing yards with a touchdown on the ground. Elkhart played well throughout the entire game, ultimately overcoming a competitive Concord team by a score of 12-7.

Leonard would then continue to succeed in Elkhart’s offense, putting up stellar numbers against Hammon Morton. He scored two rushing touchdowns to go with 83 yards on the ground, averaging 6.9 yards per carry.

The Lions, however, would go on to lose the next two games, but they rebounded tremendously against the St. Joseph Indians (South Bend). Leonard exploded for 191 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries.

Elkhart would ultimately end the year with a 5-5 record, underperforming and coming up short of their expectations following a stellar season in 2020. However, they finished the year with a 3-2 record in conference play, which was good enough for third place out of six northern Indiana teams.

Leonard contributed to a potent ground game that allowed Elkhart to impose their will on several conference and non-conference teams. He finished the year with 1,032 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He also averaged 5.9 yards per rush to go along with four receptions and 40 receiving yards for the season.

How will the Elkhart Lions fare during the 2022 season? Leonard will likely have to play an even larger role in the offense next year, but he has already proven to be an effective weapon out of the backfield.

With a lot of unknowns surrounding the future and potential success of Elkhart’s varsity football team, one thing is certain: Leonard is a good football player. The Lions will have to lean on their star running back if they want to win the conference and make a run in the playoffs.

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