HS Football Spotlight: Central’s Fernando Minnis, an opponent’s nightmare

Central senior Fernando Minnis has 16 rushing touchdowns but prefers the big hit.

Central's Fernando Minnis (24) dives in for a touchdown against Glendale.

Away from the football field, the new kid in town is friendly and soft spoken. But once he’s padded up, Fernando Minnis is a bad dude. Minnis transferred to Central High School from Portageville in southeast Missouri (in the bootheel), making a leap to Class 5 Central. It didn’t take long for the senior to adapt to the city or the new class of football. “I thought (Springfield) was a nice, cool place,” he said about his first impression. “It’s a small 2A school where I’m from, it’s different. I’ve adjusted just fine.”

Minnis is among the area’s leading rushers with 822 yards and 16 touchdowns – even after getting bottled up a bit against Glendale last week. However, it’s his play on defense which deserves just as much shine. Minnis talked about his impact on both sides of the ball and how he seeks the “kill shot” when squaring up a tackle.

Fernando Minnis prefers the defensive side of the ball

Somebody Should Block Fernando Minnis