CLAXTON — The Claxton Tigers are counting their blessings this week after what appeared to be a serious injury to a star player has not only turned out to be a minor issue, but has also shown the team the abilities of a new breakout performer.

In the middle of last Friday’s 18-9 win over Portal, fans at The Grove fell silent as Claxton running back Shavez Mincey failed to hop back up after a hit.

Things grew more serious when Mincey was kept still be the training staffs and eventually braced and carted off the field. Fortunately for Mincey, what at first looked to be a serious back injury has proved to be just a bit of a bruise.

"Shavez is still a little bit sore and a little bit stiff," said CHS coach Allen Cartwright before Monday’s practice. "When he went down, the trainers thought it might be something serious with his back. They decided not to move him, but thankfully it wasn’t as bad as it could have been."

While Mincey was at school Monday and has attended practice, there is still some doubt over when he will return to game action.

"He might be back this week," said Cartwright. "Right now it’s hard to say. If he can’t go Friday, we have an off week coming up before region starts. I would think that he’ll at least be good to go by then."

Getting the good news that their leading rusher back soon is reason enough for excitement among the Tigers, but in the wake of Mincey’s injury Friday, a new weapon emerged.

Stepping up from his backup role, sophomore Khlil Brewton had the game of his life, rushing for a career-high 105 yards as Claxton erased a 9-0 deficit en route to the win.

Brewton was prepared to shoulder the load, but hadn’t had many opportunities as Mincey has taken the majority of the carries for the last two seasons. Still, Brewton looked like a polished, every day starter as he picked up the slack.

"I knew that I could handle it," said Brewton. "I wasn’t really all that nervous. I knew that I needed to go out there and play well, so that’s what I tried to do."

Brewton also showed an endurance that isn’t always found in such young players. In addition to filling in on offense, he continued to play in his starting role on defense, helping Claxton shut down Portal’s powerful running game all night.

With Brewton’s emergence as a dependable offensive weapon, Cartwright is even more confident in his team’s chances this season. The Tigers have been formidable in recent seasons, but have tended to be centered around just one or two offensive stars.

Now, Claxton is able to hand the ball to a number of people with the confidence that whoever has their number called can get the job done.

"A few years ago, we didn’t have as many options," said Cartwright. "We’re a much more versatile team with the guys we have now. It’s going to be great to have Shavez come back, but it’s always good to know that you’ve got another talented kid that can always step in to help us out."

Mike Anthony can be reached at (912) 489-9404.