Big Man Standouts: Week One (OL)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The trenches are often overlooked and underappreciated at all levels of football but the big boys need their fair share of praise too! They are what make the entire operation possible and arguably the most important positions on the team. Here are 8 offensive linemen that looked good on film from the opening week of high school football in West Virginia.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Offensive Line:</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402802' first='Da'Ron' last='Parks'] - Hurricane '26</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='402802' first='Da'Ron' last='Parks'] showed why he's a national offensive line prospect in his class and our #1 rated player in the 2026 rankings during Hurricane's blowout victory over rival Winfield. The 6'5 280 sophomore held down the blind side for QB [player_tooltip player_id='865453' first='JacQai' last='Long'] for about two and a half quarters until the reserves came in to finish the game. Long was able to have a big night through the air and on the ground in large part due to Parks and Co. controlling the line of scrimmage. Parks showed great footwork and was able to recover well when a defender did get a step on him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='884184' first='Shane' last='Bates']- Tyler Consolidated '24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tyler Consolidated had a big game on the ground behind [player_tooltip player_id='370426' first='Sean' last='Winfrey']'s 230-yards and two touchdowns night with [player_tooltip player_id='884184' first='Shane' last='Bates'] and the Silver Knights's offensive line being a big reason for their success. Bates is a lineman that we really like and have written about numerous times this summer from his camp performances and that off-season work has paid off. Bates was physical in the run game but was able to get some good clips in pass protection with a new offensive scheme this year. He'll be one of the top offensive linemen in Class A this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='908618' first='Brady' last='Baker'] - James Monroe '25</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>James Monroe had a lethal running attack in their week one win over annual power Wheeling Central and rushed for nearly 400 yards in the game. Baker was very good at left tackle for the Mavericks and they ran behind the left side of the line often and successfully. Baker is on our 2025 defensive line rankings but he's just as talented on the offensive side of the ball. He blew defensive linemen off the ball all game and man handled them at times. You couldn't ask for a better performance out of Baker and the James Monroe offensive line in their first game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='450992' first='Wes' last='Brown Jr.'] - Bridgeport '25</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another 2025 defensive lineman who had a good game on offense was Bridgeport's [player_tooltip player_id='450992' first='Wes' last='Brown Jr.'] He was very fun to watch pulling in their single-wing offense and Brown Jr moves very well for a kid his size. He hit the pulling gaps like a running back and you didn't want to be on the opposite end of him when he got through the hole. His game best translates to the defensive interior with his size but Brown Jr is a very good blocker in their offense. He's a punishing blocker and very strong but also moves very well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='832666' first='Brayden' last='Kirk'] - Spring Mills '25</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='832666' first='Brayden' last='Kirk'] is Spring Mills' center and the junior lineman had to deal with a straight-up nose guard playing zero tech all game in their narrow week one loss to Jefferson. Kirk handled that task very well which can always be a tough deal for a center in that 1-on-1 matchup. From watching his highlights it appeared that Kirk got the better of the nose guards that Jefferson rotated in and shut them down most of the night. Kirk has good leverage and also showed strength and good technique from his center position. He had a nice mix of man blocking, pass blocking, and flipping his hips to shield off the opposing lineman in the run game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='884186' first='Seth' last='Drvar'] - University '24</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I really enjoy watching 2024 University offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='884186' first='Seth' last='Drvar'] and although he's a touch undersized he sure doesn't play like it. Drvar is a pancake machine and a very physical blocker. He asserted his will on a few opposing defensive linemen in game one and was able to push them around. I like the way he plays the game and the type of lineman he is and you can tell he plays with an edge. His aggressiveness and physicality landed him a spot on our week one linemen standouts list and the senior Hawk showed his experience in the first game of the year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='907770' first='Brandon' last='Champion'] - Oak Hill '25</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oak Hill 2025 offensive lineman [player_tooltip player_id='907770' first='Brandon' last='Champion'] had a nice game at left tackle for the Red Devils. He doesn't have the prototypical offensive tackle size at 6'0 250 but Champion has the athleticism to be able to handle quicker defensive linemen. They ask him to pull a lot from his tackle position and Champion has the ability to move quickly and has good feet. Once he meets the defender after pulling he has the strength and leverage to push them backward and open holes. Champion can also get to the second level of the defense and block linebackers. His athleticism really flashed in week one of the season which earned him a spot on the list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='978804' first='Zach' last='McNeely'] - Scott '25</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='978804' first='Zach' last='McNeely'] isn't your typical offensive tackle at 5'9 275 and will slide inside at the next level but McNeely performed well on the outside against a very good Herbert Hoover team. He's stocky but has good width which makes it tough for defensive linemen to get around him. His feet are okay but he does a nice job keeping defenders in front of him and with his size he has good leverage. The Scott Skyhawks like to spread it out on offense so McNeely is asked to pass block a lot and he performed well in game one which saw his team throw it all over the field against a good team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->