DECLO - When Mark Knobbe carries the football, he's toting more than just a pound of pigskin.

The Declo senior running back is also carrying the weight of his entire community, his family, and the memory of his sister Nicole, who passed away just before the start of the season from injuries sustained in a car wreck.

"Everyone expects me to perform because they know I can perform," Knobbe said. "But when I make mistakes, I take it really hard.

"Mondays are my worst days. That's the day we look at film and I see what I've done wrong. I might do 50 things right, but I only see the two or three things that I did wrong. And that ruins my day."

Knobbe's mistakes are few and far between. With over 1,000 yards rushing in just four games, Knobbe has run over opponents to the tune of more than 18 yards per carry.

But don't expect Knobbe to get too excited about his performance, even after he has waited his whole career for the opportunity to start at running back for Declo, which has gone from pre-season No. 1 to a 1-3 record.

"I've never liked people who admired their stats above the team," Knobbe said. "I never envisioned how well I would do, I always imagined how well I could help the team. I'm still happy I'm doing well because I've put a lot of time into improving myself. But I would be happier if our team was playing better."

Knobbe's high level of performance this season certainly has surprised Declo head coach Kelly Kidd.

"I thought Mark was going to excel more on the defensive side of the ball at linebacker," Kidd said. "I thought that's where he would get most of his attention. But it's been on the offensive side. That just goes to show how much all that hard work has paid off."

Even before Knobbe stepped on the field for fall practice, Kidd knew he had a talented leader as one of only two returning starters on either side of the ball alongside Jared Patterson.

"To talk about what Mark brings to the field, you have to go back to what he does before he gets on the field," Kidd said. "He brings hours and hours of preparation, and our people respect and understand what he has done to get where he is. I find that to be the most impressive."

Football has become Knobbe's place of escape-and a way to honor the memory of Nicole, who was an enthusiastic fan of football.

"She always came to my games with my whole family," Knobbe said. "She was one of my biggest fans."

Nicole was also a big fan of the Dallas Cowboys and gave Knobbe a hard time about his team, the Chicago Bears.

"Since I was 12 years old, I don't remember a time when the Cowboys and Bears played each other and we weren't at each other's throats about which team was better," Knobbe said fondly. "But this year, I didn't even watch the game because it was just too hard."

Each day is a challenge for Knobbe when reflecting on the pain of losing his sister, but he's finding solace on the field.

"Football is next to his family as the most important thing to Mark," Kidd said. "He utilizes his team to give him strength. He's just a rock."