Troy Hayes stared at the television and knew he was watching his life change.

Days away from starting high school at Helen Cox High in New Orleans, Hayes was 111 miles north in McComb, Miss., watching Hurricane Katrina ravage his hometown.

"I watched it on TV," said Hayes. "I knew it was going to change everything."

What he didn't know was how well the cross-country odyssey would turn out.

Four years after Hayes was uprooted, Fillmore (5-1) may be the team to beat in the new-look Frontier League because of the way its miniature powerhouse has meshed with a terrific homegrown senior class.

"It's been like home," said Hayes of his four years in Fillmore. "These guys have welcomed me, and the whole town, really."

The Flashes have been repaid with a player opponents dare not underestimate, despite his the 5-foot-3, 145-pound build.

"He plays big," said Fillmore coach Matt Dollar. "When he runs, he's not going out of bounds.

"He'll put his head down and run someone over."

The small back from the small school with the big tradition remains in the top 5 in the county in rushing after six games, carrying 51 times for 631 yards and seven touchdowns.

"He's fun to block for," said center Carson Lhotka. "You only have to give him an inch."

Hayes has also caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown, completed 4 of 11 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown, returned an interception for a touchdown and recovered three fumbles.

"His vision on the field is incredible," said Dollar. "He can find a ray of daylight."

Hayes had 203 yards and a score on just 11 carries in Fillmore's 35-24 win over Kilpatrick on Sept. 26. In Fillmore's 40-14 win over Carpinteria on Oct. 4, Hayes had a 61-yard touchdown catch, a 64-yard touchdown run and a 49-yard interception return for a score.

He not only does it all on the field, but leads off it, as well. After a Fillmore loss last September, Hayes reminded his teammates that they'll accomplish more together than apart.

"Win or lose," Hayes told guard Gabe Manzano, "we're still a team."

Hayes is reminded of that lesson daily. He lives in Fillmore with his father, Troy Eskridge, and his 12-year-old sister Kayla, while his mother Victoria and other siblings remain in Louisiana.

While Hayes was watching the storm on TV, Eskridge was on the roof of their two-story home in Gretna, La., on the west bank of the Mississippi River in Jefferson Parish. Fleeing the flood waters, Eskridge waited days for help.

"We were stuck," said Eskridge. "They came and rescued us in a boat."

Within two weeks, the family reunited at a relative's home in Baton Rouge, before Eskridge and Hayes piled into a Greyhound bus for a three-day trip west.

"We didn't know anything about California," said Eskridge, whose mother lives in Northridge. "I told the government that I didn't want to be around any violence. I wanted my kids to be safe.

"Every day since, I thank God he found Fillmore for us."

The feeling is likewise for a team that appreciates their teammate as much as they appreciate Eskridge's Cajun cooking.

"They love the jambalaya," said Eskridge.