Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Tonka Hickman is tough to bring down.

That is an important trait in a running back and the City High senior ball carrier certainly has it in more ways than one.

On the field Hickman is a load, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound wrecking ball that ranks among the toughest backs in the state to tackle.

It’s off the field where Hickman is even tougher to take down.

Back-to-back disappointing seasons have done little to dampen the attitude of Hickman who enters Friday’s season finale with West High (3-5) at 7 p.m. at Bates Field with better than 1,500 career rushing yards.

Even as he discussed the struggles of the past two seasons following a practice this week Hickman wore a smile a mile wide.

“We didn’t win as many games as we would have liked, we had games that got away from us or games we should have won,” Hickman said trailing off a bit. “It hasn’t been everything I thought it would be but it’s been great. I wouldn’t trade it. The losses have just pushed us to work that much harder here.”

Hickman has been the focal point of the City High offense the past two seasons rushing for 832 yards and seven touchdowns last season and adding 689 yards and 10 scores this season.

The statistics for Hickman aren’t staggering but those that have seen play can attest to his talent.

“He is a good tailback, he gets in there and he really gets after it,” veteran City High coach Dan Sabers said. “He would rank right up there if he had more of a supporting cast and won a few more football games.”

The wins are where Hickman has failed to stack up with some of the great City High running backs of the past.

Following a 2-7 season a year ago City High is 2-6 entering Friday’s Battle for the Boot against West High.

Even as the losses mounted Hickman wouldn’t allow himself to be taken down. On the field or off it.

“I just hope people remember me as a great role model and a leader on the field,” Hickman said. “That and being a good teammate. Those are the things I want to be remembered for.”

Hickman has rushed for 100 or more yards seven times in 17 varsity games and has scored a touchdown in 11 of those games with five multi-score games.

Hickman has scored a touchdown in each of his last six games entering Friday.

“He’s had a great week and I am excited about what he is going to do on Friday night,” Sabers said. “He’s going to go out with a bang. I’m really confident in that.”

Off the field his attitude has never wavered.

“I’m just going to remember playing with awesome teammates, the fun the atmosphere around the team, the coaches, I’m going to miss all of it,” Hickman said. “It’s been fun. My senior year, playing with all these guys that’s the stuff that you remember. I love the atmosphere with these coaches and everyone.”

Hickman has one more game and he plans to make the most of it.

For one more Friday night Hickman plans to be hard to take down.

“It would mean a lot for us to bring the Boot home,” Hickman said. “We lost it the last two years so it would mean a lot to us. A lot to the school the football team. We’ve come together, we’ve been practicing hard this week and it would mean a lot to us.”

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