That moniker comes courtesy of his father, Sidney Holmes Sr. The elder Holmes played football briefly at Vineland before suffering a knee injury that made him concentrate on basketball.

"Sometimes I fear that he will knock somebody out, and he hits so hard that he will knock himself out," the elder Holmes said after his son helped Pennsauken improve to 4-3 with Saturday's 19-8 win over Rancocas Valley.

Sid Holmes is more than somebody who packs a solid pop. He is a student of the game who has a high football IQ. His stamina is also impressive, since the 6-foot-1, 180-pound senior rarely leaves the field.

Holmes is a wide receiver, free safety, punter, and return man. On Saturday, he returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown. He also had a punt return for a touchdown nullified by a penalty. And, as usual, he provided hellacious hits.

"I think he is the hardest hitter in South Jersey," said Pennsauken first-year coach Clinton Tabb.

Tabb was a standout defensive back at both Pennsauken and Rowan University, somebody who never shied away from contact.

One reason Holmes hits so hard is that he often has a good head of steam leading up to the collision.

He is one of the top athletes around, a starter in basketball who was 12th in the Meet of Champions high jump during the spring with a leap of 6 feet, 4 inches.

For somebody who comes at opponents full force, Holmes is soft-spoken. When asked if his coach's assertion of his being the top hitter in South Jersey was accurate, he replied, "I'd like to think I'm up there."

Holmes is an admitted football fanatic who has been playing since the age of 5 in the Pennsauken Youth Athletic Association.

"I've always loved football from the beginning, and I can't get enough of it," Holmes said.

He's hoping to play football in college but hasn't come close to deciding his destination. There is no doubt Holmes has Division I potential as a free safety.

Obscured by the fact that he is such a strong hitter is that Holmes reads the game so well, a prerequisite to playing the position. And even though Pennsauken isn't much of a passing team, he has great hands at receiver and the ability to leap over defensive backs.

Holmes began his high school career as a running back at Holy Cross but transferred to Pennsauken, where he has been a three-year varsity standout.

No matter what he accomplishes on the field, the subject always returns to hitting. He said some of his relatives had nicknamed him "Sid Vicious."

And those are people who like him.

"He's been hitting people every since he was a little kid," his father said.

Holmes desperately wants the team to win a South Jersey Group 4 playoff berth, and hopes to extend his high school career as long as possible.

"I just love this game and enjoy the physical part of it," he said. "I don't know what I would do without it."