Solid play up front lifts Pioneers
Streak-breaking performances like those turned in by the Pioneer offense last Friday night all began with one thing: Solid play up front.
The Warren County offensive line, which had seen its numbers dwindle due to several injuries during the preseason, stood tall in Warren County’s win over Bradley Central’s Bears, drawing the praise of their coaching staff in the process.
Starting tackles Ryan Ramsey and Scott Wood, as well as guards Toby Watts and Trey Whitaker, center Jon Paz and tight end Phil Hitchcock, opened up holes in the Bear defense throughout Friday’s win, resulting in 313 rushing yards which contributed greatly to the victory.
“They had to step up to the plate,” said WCHS coach Jeff Lee, who is responsible for offensive linemen as well as defensive ends. “Some of our starters had gone down early in fall, but they worked hard on fundamentals and technique, and did a great job communicating with each other.”
Head coach Chris Madewell noted after Friday’s game that prior to the Bradley contest, he was a bit anxious about how his “O”-line would perform.
“One of my main concerns coming in was our offensive line,” he said, “but the way they played (Friday) was excellent. They opened some wholes, and did a great job. I’ve got to give credit to coach Lee and those guys for an outstanding game.”
Lee noted the Pioneers’ added depth at lineman, which allows most players to specialize in a specific side of the ball, was a key to the offense’s production.
“We only have one starter (Paz) going both ways,” he noted. “So when you can bring your line over after you come off the field, and talk about what you’re doing and how to adjust, it makes things a lot easier.”
That communication on the sidelines between series, as well as communication at the line of scrimmage, helped prevent Bradley’s defenders from making similar adjustments.
“They’re thinking like football players now,” Lee said. “We’ve gone from trying to learn what to do to coming out and doing it, and now we’re playing with football smarts. We’re stronger because of the time they’ve spent in the weight room. We’re making adjustments on the line, and we’re communicating more than we ever have.
“We may not have blocked the right person each time Friday, but everybody came off the ball hard and blocked somebody. That was good to see, and that’s what we’re going to continue to stress.”
The Pioneers will look for another big week out of their offense this Friday, when they play host to DeKalb County. With a victory in that game, WCHS would open its season at 2-0 for the first time since 1999.
“DeKalb is huge up front, and they’ve got nothing to lose,” Lee said of the Tigers. “They’ll be coming out and playing as hard as they can, and we’ve got to be prepared for that.”