by Marc Hardin, Enquirer Contributor
Defenses lining up against the Ryle football team will need to account for the rare combination of power and speed at the point of attack. Dealing with the Raiders’ offensive linemen play after play will be an entirely different matter.
“The guys on our offensive line are incredible athletes,” senior running back Tanner Pulice said. “They’re all big and strong and one of them is the second-fastest guy on the team.”
Three senior captains – left guard Mitch Howes, center Brad Weber and right guard Tyler Morgan – form the base of the Raiders’ line. Weber, at 6 feet 3 and 285 pounds, is the biggest. Howes is 6-3, 230, and with a clocking of 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash, is faster than Pulice.
“Howes is very quick on his feet and that’s why he’s our pulling guard,” said coach Bryson Warner, who guided the Raiders to a 7-5 finish in 2011. “He’s also an intelligent kid. He got a 29 on his ACT, and Weber and Morgan also scored really well. This is a smart group and that really helps when it comes to recognizing defenses and communicating across the line.”
Howes has attended Western Kentucky University line camps and learned new techniques to maximize his tremendous speed.
“When you can get a separate look by a different set of coaches, it enhances your game and helps the entire line,” Howes said. “You can’t win a game without the offensive line winning on the line.”
Weber has moved from right tackle to the middle.
“A lot of teams are using the 3-3 stack and putting their best player right over the center and they try to distress the line, so we moved Weber inside to single-block that guy,” Warner said. “He’s a great athlete and he’s got the same work ethic as our guards and those guys have been working together for three years now.”
Junior Lex Sowards, a 6-3, 275-pound left tackle, and 6-1, 250-pound junior right tackle Logan Ross are improved pass blockers.
“Things are going to be a little different this year because we need people to respect the pass,” said Warner, who has relied on a power running game. “Our quarterback (Nathan Davis) has improved and we’ve put (backup quarterback) Ryan Hill at receiver so we can get him the ball in open space. Sowards is a very good pass blocker because he’s got super feet and he can cover a lot of ground.”
Junior tight ends Kevin Walker and former ball boy Jacob Lamping complete the group.
“Lamping’s got a nasty disposition on the field. He likes to hit people,” Warner said. “We can be very physical and we can move the ball in a lot of different directions. It’s so hard for a defense to play both sides of the field, and with the power and speed along our line, we can use the whole field.”
http://nky.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20120813/SPT0302/308130037/
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