Joel Forbes’ running style isn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination. He doesn’t juke defenders to the ground in the open field, nor does he plow over them like a human battering ram. Half the time, it seems like he’s simply walking through the line for whatever yardage he can get.

What he lacks in style, however, Forbes makes up for with effectiveness. He has cemented his role as Warren Central’s workhorse, a tough back who can carry the ball 25 or 30 times a game and keep coming back for more. Forbes posted his second straight game of 100 or more yards in a 13-7 loss to Northwest Rankin on Friday, also the second straight game in which he carried the ball more than 25 times.

He went for 142 yards on 30 carries the week before against Hazlehurst, then carried 28 times for 108 yards against Northwest Rankin.

“We have a simple offense, and Joel winds up carrying the ball a great deal. We’re going to keep on giving it to him,” WC coach Curtis Brewer said. “You don’t have many options, and when you don’t have many options you just don’t.”

Forbes emerged as WC’s featured back early in his sophomore season in 2006, and finished with 813 yards and eight touchdowns on 150 carries. As WC’s pass offense struggled, he took on more and more of the workload to carry the offense, a pattern that is repeating itself this year.

Starting quarterback Keaton Sanders threw just 68 passes in 2006, and has thrown 60 this season. Forbes, by contrast, has already carried the ball 102 times. He has gained 475 yards and scored three of WC’s six offensive touchdowns this season.

When asked if he’s worried about wearing down as the season progresses, Forbes answers with a simple “no.” His running style, combined with the workload, could prove to be a punishing combination though.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder follows blocks well but doesn’t have blazing speed in the open field, often leading to some sort of contact from bigger defensive linemen and linebackers. Forbes said he tries to avoid contact when he can.

“I get what I can get, and then get down,” he said.

And it works. Forbes is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and is on track for a 1,000 yard season. With another year to play, he could also end up close to 3,000 yards for his career — a mark that would put him among the top 10 backs in Warren County history.