Prep football: Nipomo’s Isaac Bausley fills needs on both sides of the ball
Isaac Bausley was forced to sit and watch for the two most important games of the Nipomo High School football team’s 2015 season.
Bausley had fractured his thumb 50 degrees out of place, which required emergency surgery and two cross pins to keep it straight. The doctor advised him not to play, so Bausley was forced to watch the Titan’s walk-off win against Twentynine Palms and a loss to Linfield Christian in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern Section Northwest playoffs from the sidelines.
“I wanted to play,” Bausley said. “I wanted to wrap it up, suit up and play.”
Behind a talented group of seniors on defense last season, Bausley’s loss wasn’t immediately felt. But the top five tacklers from last season were seniors — Bausley was the sixth. On offense, running back Antonio Navarro also graduated, leaving Nipomo with gaps on both sides of the ball.
Enter Bausley, who took on the responsibilities of what the team needed most: A middle linebacker and running back.
“I knew I was going to have to step it up because seniors graduated last year,” Bausley said. “That was my goal.”
Bausley added that he worked hard in the offseason lifting weights and building cardio so he could play on both sides of the ball.
“We always knew we had him in the back of our pocket last year, but we had Toni (Navarro) and J.J. (Ramirez) running the show, so Isaac played only on defense,” Nipomo coach Tony Dodge said.
Bausley didn’t record a carry last season, but with the departure of Navarro and the recent concussion to regular starter Michael Jordan, Bausley has become the featured back. He entered Friday’s game against Templeton with 55 carries and 350 yards.
He carried the ball 24 more times Friday for 130 yards in Nipomo’s 42-14 win. It was hard-nosed running — many times straight up the middle — but the runs freed up space for speedier running back J.J. Ramirez on the outside.
On defense, Bausley was originally penciled in as an outside linebacker. But with the problems stopping the run inside early in the season, Bausley was moved to the middle linebacker position.
He has some big shoes to fill. Last year’s middle linebacker, Terry Wambolt, finished with 159 total tackles — nearly twice as many as the next closest on the team. With 47 tackles entering Friday’s game, Bausley appears to be holding his own.
“I told Isaac last week — because we knew Michael was going to be out — ‘It’s on your shoulders big boy,’ ” Dodge said. “‘We’re putting a lot on you. You’re going to play middle ’backer and carry the rock.’
“He’s the captain, he’s the leader and he embraces it.”
Nipomo (3-4) will continue league play against Mission Prep on Friday at 7 p.m.
This story was originally published October 8, 2016 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Prep football: Nipomo’s Isaac Bausley fills needs on both sides of the ball."