Winning in the trenches
(Cover photo: Korey McDermott/SportsEngine) My dad was a high school football coach. When fans would ask him what the key to the next game was going to be, they were waiting for some bit of strategy or some motivational technique…
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Continue Reading(Cover photo: Korey McDermott/SportsEngine)
My dad was a high school football coach. When fans would ask him what the key to the next game was going to be, they were waiting for some bit of strategy or some motivational technique he was going to use on the kids, but my dad would usually simply say ‘whoever blocks, and tackles better is going to win the game.’
“That’s it?” along with a look of confusion was the usual response he would get. The truth is – as complicated as football can be – blocking and tackling is usually “it.”
Most people hate sports clichés.
“We have to win in the trenches” is one of my favorite clichés – mostly because, like most sports clichés, it is true. I don’t care if you have the greatest quarterback or the greatest play caller in the country – if you can’t block you aren’t going to win. On the flip side, a dominating defensive line can make up for shortcomings on the back end of any defense.
In the spirit of winning the line of scrimmage, here are ten guys who have been dominating in the trenches already who NFN feels will continue to dominate in the trenches in 2018.
Quinn Carroll – OL Edina – ranked #1 (overall) by NFN
What else can be said about Carroll that has not already been said? He is the total package. He has the size to maul defensive linemen, but he also has the agility to get to the outside and to the second level. I saw him play live a couple of times during his junior year and I think I saw him get cleanly beaten by a defender once.
Bryce Benhart – OL Lakeville North – ranked #2 by NFN
Benhart is a powerful right tackle. His straight-line power blocking is maybe the best in the state. He is so strong I have seen him appear to get beat but can recover by merely throwing the defender to the ground – with one arm. While power is his strong suit, he is agile enough to get to the second level and get to the outside.
Rafael Orubo – DL Woodbury – ranked #7 by NFN
Speaking of power, Woodbury’s Orubo is a power in the middle of the Royals’ defensive line. During his junior season, I went to one of his games expecting to be impressed by teammate David Alston – which I was – but Orubo was the guy I was thinking most about after the game. Usually, a nose or three-technique defensive tackle, Orubo’s explosive power allows him to play on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Even when blocked he has the strength and technique to get off blocks and make tackles or at least slow down a back with one arm.
DeVonne Harris – DL Big Lake – ranked #9 by NFN
Like Orubo and Alston, when I traveled to Zimmerman to watch the Thunder play underdog Big Lake in the playoffs, I was expecting to see a Zimmerman offense that had – up to that point – dominated defenses. Harris and the rest of the Big Lake defense held the Zimmerman offense to six points. Zimmerman’s previous low – 28 points. Harris is a long, athletic defensive end who looks more like a tight end – which he also plays. Harris relies on his superior speed to avoid blocks, but when he is blocked, he uses his length and still makes plays when blocked.
Kyle Downs – OL Monticello – ranked #16 by NFN
While he can drive block and move guys off the line of scrimmage well enough, Downs’ strength is his quick feet. The left tackle is good in space and gets to the second level quickly. Despite his 6’3″ 270 frame he is quick enough to stay with a defensive back in the open field or cut off a linebacker on a sweep.
Bronson Warner – OL Eden Prairie – ranked #20 by NFN
One of the most physical linemen on the list, Warner can play both guard and tackle. The 6’2″ 305-pound junior plays angry and finishes blocks as well as anyone on this list. At this point in his career, he is not only built more like a guard, but he also plays like one too. Even when he gets out of position, he is strong enough to knock defenders off their line of attack and sometimes to the ground. He is a punishing inside blocker who is nimble enough to get to the outside.
Will Mostaert – DL Lakeville North – ranked #22 by NFN
While Warner relies on power, Lakeville North’s Mostaert’s strength is his quickness and athleticism. At 6’4″ and 230 pounds he is not your prototypical defensive tackle. While he uses good leverage to make up for his size, when Mostaert is on his game he is not allowing offensive linemen to get a solid shot on him. Like a running back who never seems to take a big hit, the Panthers’ defensive tackle makes blockers miss or even when they get him lined up, avoid full one on one contact with bigger lineman. He plays sideline to sideline and at the next level may end up at defensive end.
Latrell Bible – DL Washburn – ranked #25 by NFN
A two-way player, I might have been more impressed with Bible’s tape from the offensive side of the ball than the defensive side. The junior is quick off the ball and has outstanding footwork – especially in his pass sets. When he gets to the second level, he is agile enough to stay with smaller defenders and when he gets his hands on a smaller guy – it is over. Like his game on offense, Bible’s strengths as a defensive end are his quickness, speed and his ability to either run down plays from the back side or string plays out on the play side.
Eli Mostaert – DL Lakeville North – ranked #26 by NFN
The most versatile athlete on this list, Mostaert played everywhere at one point or another in the Panthers’ front seven. Not surprisingly, his best attributes as a defensive lineman are his athletic ability and his instincts. I am sure playing linebacker helps the junior with his reads on the defensive line – both on the interior and the exterior as he often diagnosed the play quickly. At 6’4″ and 235 pounds he plays too high for my liking but other than that there is little to dislike about this all-around athlete.
Ethan Jackman – OL Chaska- ranked #27 by NFN
Jackman is another physical offensive tackle. If he gets squared up and gets his hands on a defender, the defender gets moved. The junior is a finisher. Jackman has excellent hips and uses them to turn his man away from the hole and drive the defender away from the play. While straight line power shows up most on his tape, the 6’4″ 280 junior is agile enough to pull, get to the outside and pass protect. While in pass pro, he uses power more than excellent footwork to get the job done.