The Coal Curtain: Week One

Get 30% Off Your Subscription with Code PRZWV30 at Checkout!   Each week of the 2025 season, PRZ WV will be recognizing five standout defensive linemen around the state, signifying the Coal Curtain of West Virginia. These five athletes demonstrated the ability to harass quarterbacks and create chaos along the line of scrimmage. We'll spotlight five linemen who have game film to highlight athletes who often don't receive the headlines they deserve.    2026 Spring Mills athlete [player_tooltip player_id='894977' first='Xavier' last='Anderson'] is committed to Cincinnati as a TE, but he proved in week one against Jefferson that he could play DE at a high level in college as well. Anderson used his 6'6 220 athletic frame to total several sacks and aided the Cardinals in their 14-0 shutout of Jefferson. He'll be nearly impossible to block 1-on-1 this season for opposing offensive linemen, and don't overlook his potential to earn some postseason defensive accolades if he continues this pace.      2026 Morgantown DL [player_tooltip player_id='1138540' first='Zevon' last='Shipman'] was dominant in the Mohigans' week one win over Parkersburg. We've been high on his ability since flashing as a sophomore, and Shipman appears to be playing at his best as a senior. The 6'1 280 interior big man had 2 TFLs, 2 pass deflections, and 2 QB pressures in week one while also enabling his teammates to make plays behind him. Shipman is a dominant force and havoc creator along the interior of the line of scrimmage and is a D1 defensive line prospect in our eyes.      The best defensive line performance in week one had to come from 2027 Independence defensive end [player_tooltip player_id='862720' first='Isaiah' last='Conley']. He was flat-out dominant in the Patriots' huge victory over Herbert Hoover, totaling 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble that was recovered for a touchdown by a teammate. Those numbers alone don't tell the full story of how much he impacted the game, as Conley was a big reason why Independence pulled out the victory. His length, athleticism, and pass-rush ability are why he's considered our #1 defensive line prospect in the 2027 class, and Conley more than proved it in week one.      If you aren't familiar with 2026 Oak Glen DL [player_tooltip player_id='1580725' first='Kameron' last='Hebrock'] yet, he's going to make his name known as a senior this season. He quietly had an excellent junior season in 2024, but flew under the radar during a tough year for the Golden Bears. Hebrock was dominant on both sides of the ball in game one versus rival Weir, and was a big difference maker for his play along the line of scrimmage. Hebrock is a highly physical athlete and had the Weir quarterback often running for his life, especially in the first half. He even ran in a couple of 2-point conversions on direct snaps, further proving the athleticism that he has to add to his tool belt as a player.      Ranked as a TE, 2026 Doddridge County two-way star [player_tooltip player_id='866670' first='Landon' last='Thomas'] had a big game in week one versus Liberty-Raleigh at defensive end. His length and athleticism translate well at that position and led the Bulldogs in tackles, TFLs, and sacks with 9, 5, and 2, respectively. Thomas did a great job not allowing runs outside of the tackle box and closed quickly on the runner if they tried to. He was impossible to block 1-on-1 for Liberty's offensive tackles and helped shut down their outside run game for a great week one defensive performance.

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