OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Ethen Knox has heard his name mentioned in the same breath with Tennessee Titan star Derrick Henry.

(Photos by Richard Sayer/Eight & 322)

He’s recently stood on the sideline at Acrisure Stadium during a University of Pittsburgh home game.

He’s had the red carpet rolled out for him at Ohio University and Edinboro University.

Knox’s prodigious rushing numbers have been plastered on websites and printed in newspapers all across the country.

But the Oil City junior is trying not get caught up in all the hoopla.

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There are bigger goals in his mind. Winning football games with the Oilers. Qualifying for the playoffs. Making a deep postseason run. Then, all those eye-popping numbers and all that national exposure will be worth it.

“It’s all kinda come out of nowhere,” Knox said. “I just try to enjoy it, while staying focused on the season at the moment.”

It would be easy for Knox to get caught up in the massive tsunami of attention.

MaxPreps, a national website, has featured him in several articles.

Another 400-yard effort on the ground against Hollidaysburg on Friday night gave Knox five such games this season, which MaxPreps posted is thought to be a first in high school football history.

Of course, it’s virtually impossible to prove such a claim — high school football has been played in the United States since the late 1800s and The National Federation of State High School Associations, which formed in 1920, established the first official high school football rules in 1932.

That’s a lot of football in 90-plus years. A lot of running backs from Abilene to Zanesville, USA, during that time.

Still, the feat is a special one.

Henry had four 400-yard rushing games in a single season when he was a high schooler in Yulee, Fla.

He never had five.