The year 2001 proved to be a banner one for Northern Virginia running backs.

Mike Imoh of Robinson, Ahmad Brooks of Hylton, Thomas Clayton of Mount Vernon, Kenneth Tynes of Centreville and Antwan Stewart of Potomac all had outstanding seasons, piling up the yardage and leading their teams to postseason success.

In Imoh's case, his team went all the way to the Group AAA, Division 6 state title.

Those stars are gone now, each taking his considerable talent to play for Division I schools at the highest level of college football. Imoh is at Virginia Tech, Clayton is at Florida State and Tynes is at Virginia, with Brooks hoping to enroll at the school in January and play for the Cavaliers in the fall of 2003. Stewart will play at Tennessee.

That list of prominent backs doesn't even include West Springfield's Jamie Langley, Herndon's David Thompson or Nick Hartigan, who only led the entire Northern Region in rushing at W.T. Woodson with 1,629 yards. All three have graduated, as well.

While a number of players have departed, the local talent base is far from depleted. Several Northern Virginia backs were on the way to outstanding years in 2001, only to see their season interrupted by injury. Others labored in the shadow of last year's talented class of seniors and appear ready to have breakout campaigns of their own.

Here is a list of five area running backs to watch in 2002:

JAMES TERRY

Woodbridge, (6-foot-2, 220 pounds, Sr.)

Terry was one of several local running backs who showed flashes of excellence in 2001 before injuries took a toll and cut their season short. The Viking senior rushed for 792 yards in just six games, missing four because of a nasty high ankle sprain that hobbled him for much of the season.

Terry rushed for almost 100 yards against both Gar-Field and Hylton, both playoff teams, and had a 212-yard outburst against Osbourn. He also scored 10 touchdowns in those six games.

Performances like those were good enough for Al Groh and the University of Virginia coaching staff, which offered Terry a scholarship and received a verbal commitment in return in early July.

``That's part of the reason he did it," Woodbridge head coach Keith King said. ``Now, James can enjoy his senior year, have fun, and not have to think about those [recruiting] things."

With the madness of the recruiting process behind him, the 6-foot-2, 220 pound senior is poised to have a breakout season for a Viking team intent on improving its two-win performance a year ago.

``He's a big kid, but he's a power back with speed," King said. ``James can run away from people and he can move a pile, too. He has that ability."

Terry is also an excellent linebacker in a defensive system where the Vikings give him the freedom to attack the ball. He led Woodbridge in tackles last year with 70 and was actually recruited as a linebacker by Maryland and Clemson. Pittsburgh wanted him as a running back, but the Cavaliers proved they wanted him even more at that spot.

``James can play any position, really," King said. ``He has great hands. As a fullback, of course, he is a great blocker and he has speed enough to be a tailback."

TONY HUNT

T.C. Williams (6-3, 225, Sr.) One of the few bright spots during T.C. Williams' difficult 0-9 season in 2001 was the emergence of Hunt as one of the region's top rushing threats.

``Tony's a big-back type runner with speed, great vision, great acceleration, great power," said Titans head coach Riki Ellison. ``Then he has the ability and the desire to run over people and once he gets in the open field he has the foot work and the agility to jump around [defenders]."

Hunt rushed for 770 yards in nine games last season, using his then-6-foot-2, 190 pound frame to punish opposing defenders, often choosing to run over would-be tacklers instead of around them.

Now, Hunt has added an inch in height and lots of muscle in the offseason, bulking up to 225 pounds and standing 6-foot-3, becoming one of the most sought after recruits in the state and receiving serious interest from Maryland, Virginia, Southern California, Clemson and Penn State.

A college decision can wait, however. Hunt's main focus now is on leading T.C. Williams to a winning record for the first time in years.

``Tony is our captain and one of our leaders," Ellison said. ``Our kids look up to him. We're hoping he can get 1,000 yards this year and I've been pretty impressed with what's he done during the offseason ... He is legit."

SEAN SOMLAR

Washington-Lee (5-11, 185, Sr.)

Injuries cost Washington-Lee the services of Somlar, its starting running back, for almost half of 2001.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder had a torn muscle in his shoulder that kept him out of four games and in pain for the six he did play. But Somlar fought through the injury and rushed for 827 yards and had more than 100 yards receiving.

And with Washington-Lee's quarterback moving out of the area, Somlar will also see time at that position as well this season.

Not that there will be that much of a difference. The Generals run an option-oriented offense so Somlar should be able to take advantage of his blazing speed no matter what position he plays.

``It shouldn't be a problem because as a quarterback I'll always know what the running back should be doing anyway," Somlar said. ``I prefer running back more, but I'll do whatever's best for the team."

Somlar is one of the fastest players in Northern Virginia, running the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds at one point. He also runs track, making it to states as a sophomore where he finished fourth in the 100-yard dash and 10th in the 200-yard dash. He missed the indoor track season last year after surgery on his shoulder in January and struggled to get back in shape when he returned for the outdoor season in mid-April.

Completely healthy now, Somlar is ready to build on his junior season. With a running style similar to that of Mount Vernon's Thomas Clayton, Washington-Lee head coach Chad Lewis believes Somlar is ready to go.

``Sean's back and fully recovered so we look for him to have a big year," Lewis said. ``He's extremely fast ... and a pretty powerful runner when he's healthy."

ROLAND HILLIARD

Osbourn Park (5-7, 155, Sr.)

When Osbourn Park requires a jolt of energy it need look no further than Hilliard, one of the most prolific rushers in Northern Virginia last year.

``He's an interesting young man," Yellow Jacket head coach Brian Beaty said. ``Definitely, Roland is one of our team leaders, but he's kind of quiet and leads in his own way. But when a voice needs to be heard, he'll step up and provide it. He gives us a lot of energy on the field and leads by example."

Hilliard had a pair of 300-yard games last season on his way to more than 1,500 yards in the Yellow Jackets' single-wing offense, the most of any back in Prince William County. But lest any opponent be fooled by Hilliard's size, 5-foot-7 and 155 pounds, he doesn't back down from anyone and he doesn't get his yards based on pure speed alone.

``That's the scary thing," Beaty said. ``He has a lot of speed, but he just won't shy away from contact. He'll run over a defender in a heartbeat, sometimes more than I would like him to ... Roland doesn't like to lower his shoulder and then run out of bounds."

The energy Hilliard provides the Yellow Jackets can best be seen on the practice field where he has been known to lead the scout team in drills and generally do whatever it takes to keep his teammates motivated. Beaty and the coaching staff may cringe when he's out there against the first-team defense in practice, but they have come to admire his desire to do anything to help his team win.

Hilliard's impressive statistics have helped generate interest from some colleges, but as always his size has become an issue for some.

It is not something Beaty worries about.

``His size is the one drawback for college coaches, but the heart and the ability are definitely there," Beaty said. ``Roland is a tough kid."

P.J. CAMERON

Lee (6-foot-1, 225 pounds, Sr.)

Cameron has been a stalwart in the Lancers program since head coach Gerry Pannoni took over as head coach before the 1999 season, starting at linebacker as a freshman and at running back since his sophomore year. Last season, he racked up 631 yards rushing in eight games, including 100 yards against Edison and 233 yards on 32 carries against McLean.

With a strong offensive line returning four starters, Pannoni believes Cameron has the potential to be a 1,000-yard rusher.

``P.J. is in his fourth year as a starter and with the offensive line coming back, we should be strong in the backfield again," Pannoni said.