New London

Not coincidentally, his season rushing totals at the end of the day: 1,917 yards. Note the number: 1917. That's the year of the Russian Revolution. This is the year of the Rushing Revolution.

And to think Khaleed Exum-Strong even wears red, too.

"Red and white forever," the kid they call "Lee Lee" was saying early Thursday afternoon, the whiz kid from Norwich Free Academy, red and white forever, but with a soft spot for green and gold.

It had to be here. In the city where Exum-Strong was born. No better stage for the game of his life. Cannamela Field, the 153rd meeting of New London and NFA.

"Playing in this game," his brother, former New London High basketball player D.J. Exum said, "is probably as important as anything in his life."

"Lee Lee" came home again and brought his old pals to their knees. He ran for 303 yards and played virtually every snap on defense, too, leading NFA to a division title and back to the state playoffs with a 63-40 demolition.

"This is real sweet," Exum-Strong said. "Now I get to go Thanksgiving to the table with all my family and talk."

It is a family sprinkled with Whalers and Wildcats.

And Exum-Strong's version of "talking" wasn't "please pass the potatoes." More like "BWAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH."

Sixty-three points?

A defense with more holes than Shenny?

"They got me last year," he said, referring to NFA's 9-7 loss and the ribbing from all his pals from Whalerville, including Jelani Lucas, Hunter Roman, Jacob Epps and Melquann Gomez. "Now it's my turn."

Funny, though, how "now it's my turn" has more than one meaning for Exum-Strong. This year has been his turn. With the ball. In the spotlight. As The Man. It wasn't always this way. Not playing with Marcus Outlow the last two years.

Outlow has made his way now to Boston College, a solid freshman season that continues Saturday in Chestnut Hill against Syracuse. Outlow was paying close attention to his old friends Thursday, especially Exum-Strong. When Outlow learned NFA was all but taking a bat to New London in the third period, he tweeted, "LOVING IT!" with the hashtag #CatFam.

"I know a lot of people might have felt that Khaleed played in Marcus' shadow," D.J. Exum said. "Khaleed embraced it. At the end of the day, having Marcus on the team made Khaleed better. It was like my junior year (at New London) behind Kareem (Brown) and Lee (Mitchell). It helped me so much."

Exum-Strong: "Last year was Marcus' turn. It's my turn now. You wait your turn. It wasn't hard. The coaches here showed me love. Running next to a Division I running back taught me a lot. I had a certain style of running and I feel like with Marcus there, I expanded it."

Without protest.

"When you're a guy who is as talented as Khaleed, it's difficult not to get the touches you might get at a different program," NFA coach Jemal Davis said. "He always handled it with dignity. We never had an issue. Never, 'Coach can I get the ball more?' It makes the other team members realize they can't be selfish, either."

So now Exum-Strong's senior year carries on, to the playoffs, while his New London friends need some help from school across the state to learn their fate. Even though "Lee Lee" moved to Norwich in third grade, he still called many of the Whalers "family" Thursday afternoon.

"The only reason they say I run like this is because I'm from New London," Exum-Strong said, grinning. "But it means so much to me to be part of this. This is the rivalry. We've been doing this forever, now 153 years. I've got family on both sides."

Exum-Strong said he's heard from UMass and Syracuse, among other schools. Prep school is an option. He sure looks like a Division I player. There's nobody tougher around here. Or with a better attitude.

Big day Thursday for "Lee Lee." Can't think of anybody who deserved it more.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius