Casey Etheridge had a record-breaking career for the Princeton Tigers, setting new Bureau County records for rushing yards (5,326) and touchdowns (78).

With Etheridge’s career ending, let’s take a look back at the top running backs that preceded him from Bureau County. Note that most full statistics were only available dating back to 1971.

Certainly one of the all-time Bureau County greats is Kenny Bourquin, an all-state running back for Walnut. The “Blue Bullet” rushed for 1,788 yards in just eight games as a senior in 1952 and was the state’s leading scorer with 175 points on 25 TDs and 25 PATs. His overall career totals are not available, but he assuredly had more than 3,000 yards and more than 50 TDs.

[ Bureau County all-time rushing records ]

When visited by this reporter at Greenfield Retirement Home in Princeton this fall, the humble Bourquin learned how revered he was in his hometown. Fellow resident Max Lauritzen, who has recently passed away, came through Walnut High School after Bourquin and told him he had always looked up to him during his playing days.

Bourquin was recruited by the University of Illinois before transferring to play at Western Illinois. He launched a long, Hall of Fame coaching career at Manlius and later Bureau Valley.

Former Princeton standout Ronde Worrels rushed for a then all-time Bureau County records of 4,387 yards and 72 TDs. Worrels, a senior defensive end at Augustana, had career highs of 1,654 yards and 33 TDs (a county record) as a junior in 2019. His senior year was shortened to the six-game 2021 spring COVID season.

Todd Maynard, who passed away from cancer earlier this year at 39, was the first 4,000-yard rusher in Bureau County, finishing with 4,001 as the heart and soul of the Bureau Valley Storm from 2001-03. His 56 rushing TDs rank No. 3 all-time.

Tiskilwa’s Compton brothers, Doug and Dave, had nearly 6,500 yards between them, a figure excluding postseason numbers, which are not available in Indian Valley Conference records. Doug rushed for 3,291 yards from 1980-82 and Dave racked up 3,196 yards before him, including a 2,155-yard senior season in 1978.

Princeton’s Cory Scott rushed for 3,230 yards in just two seasons, topped by 1,807 for the Tigers as a senior year in 2000.

Jim Dietz of Walnut also approached 3,000 yards at 2,940 from 1976-78 for the Blue Raiders, but his postseason numbers are unavailable.

The Norman brothers of Princeton, Nate, who had 2,672 yards rushing from 1995-97 and Braden, who rushed for 2,436 yards in 2001-02, had more than 5,100 yards combined. Another brother, Jason, was a Tiger QB.

Princeton’s Pete Roth rushed for 2,720 yards from 1977-79 and went on to play for Northern Illinois and was a replacement player during the 1987 NFL strike.

Jim Howard, another Tiger standout, was a 3-time NCIC back in the late 1960s and went on to play for Indiana University.

Before he returned home as the athletic director at Hall, Eric Bryant (“Junior”) rushed for 2,664 yards for the Red Devils, a key cog for Hall’s 1995 state champion and 1996 state runners-up.

Hall’s Jim Troglio received all-state accolades in 1952, rushing for 1,326 yards, finishing second in the state in scoring with 132 points. The Bureau County Hall of Famer finished his prep career with 2,476 yards rushing and went on to Northwestern where he was the Wildcats’ leading rusher for three years.

The Red Devils have had a stable of 2,000-yard rushers at running back, including Jason Bland (1990-91) at 2,652, Kyle Roach (1993-94) at 2,255, Mike Boroski (1996-97) at 2,210, Nate Chandler (1997-99) at 2,009 and Chaise Thomas (1999-02) at 2,003.

Other Bureau County 2,000-yard rushers are Princeton’s Jim Douglass (1971-72) with 2,264, Manlius’ Greg Polte (1976-78) with 2,160 and Brian Davis of (1986-89) with 2,122, Western/Wyanet’s Ricky Newman (1986-89) with 2,098 and Richie Hamrick (1987-89) with 2,032, and Princeton’s Blake Pratt (2002-03) with 2,025.

Two all-time Bureau County greats, all-staters Mac Resetich of Hall and Garret Barnas of Bureau Valley, are a bit of an anomaly. Both started as running backs but saw their greatest fame and success at quarterback.

Resetich, now a junior defensive back for the University of Illinois, was switched to quarterback by former Hall coach Randy Tieman as a senior to fully utilize his talents. He rushed for a Bureau County single-season record 2,227 yards and 30 TDs as the Red Devils’ QB, finishing with 3,290 career yards.

Barnas was a reserve running back as a sophomore for BV’s state runner-up in 2004 before flourishing as QB1 for his step dad Dave Moore’s 2005 undefeated state champions. He was portrayed as Superman for his 2006 BCR Player of the Year illustration because he was deemed faster than a speeding bullet and able to leap over defenders. He rushed for 3,263 yards and 47 TDs from 2004-06.

Barnas, however, may not be the rushing leader in his family. His grandfather is Kenny Bourquin.