PHS offensive line, the unsung heroes
November 6, 2009 Northwest Montana A Conference
PHS offensive line, the unsung heroes
Posted: Wednesday, Nov 04, 2009 - 11:17:13 am PST
By Sasha Goldstein
 | | Polson offensive linemen Alex Havlovick, Kyle Patterson, Taylor Bleazard, Derrick Rathe (left to right) and Brock Picard (in air) are an imposing bunch, but like to have fun. |
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POLSON - The most important thing when playing high school football is having fun. And when you do, good things happen.
Just ask the Polson starting offensive line which include five seniors who have played football together since the eighth grade. Seniors Brock Picard, Kyle Patterson, Derrick Rathe, Taylor Bleazard and Alex Havlovick and junior center Riley Grogan are an offensive wall weighing more than a half ton with an average height of six feet. That six person mass of humanity has pushed the Pirates to a 4-0 conference record (7-1 overall) and a second-round home playoff game with Belgrade on Saturday afternoon. Despite not having the flash or name recognition of the running backs and quarterback, the offensive line may very well be the most important position for Polson.
"You can have as many options as you want in the backfield, but it all starts with the offensive line, those guys get the job done," senior running back Joe Andrews said after the Pirates defeated Ronan for an undefeated conference season. "They step it up when they need to, they make some big plays and that's how it goes for us."
Andrews knows firsthand how important his offensive line is: he ranked second in the conference, behind teammate Tim Rausch, in average-yards-per-carry with well over nine. Rausch, who missed the first game of the season, averaged almost 11 yards a carry. Between the two of them, they scored 21 touchdowns and accounted for more than 18 points, offensively, per game for the Pirates. Polson totaled 2,370 yards of rushing on the season, second in the conference behind rival Ronan, who out gained them by 600 yards, but carried the ball 200 times more.
And the quarterback?
A sophomore, Vince DiGiallonardo contributed to the running game and when he did throw, had the highest completion percentage of any conference QB with more than 60 pass attempts. The verdict, it seems, is that a strong offensive line sets the tone for the offense, a key for an undefeated conference record.
"They're big solid kids," Ronan head coach Jim Benn said after losing to the Pirates. "At first glance they don't look all that imposing, but they play very physically."
The numbers don't tell the whole story for this group. They are loose and playful around each other, and when you get them all in a room together, as this reporter did, nothing is safe.
The guy who can bench press the most weight?
Look no further than Taylor Bleazard, who maxed out at 310 pounds.
Wonder who likes McDonald's the most?
That would be Rathe, who according to the others, once bought $18 worth of munchies at the fast-food chain on the way back from a game in Dillon.
The winner of completing the craziest dare?
Rathe again, who, in an Ozzy Osbourne inspired fit and at the insistence of several teammates, bit the head off a dead pigeon they found on the street. Rathe also helped the team learn that it is indeed impossible to down a gallon of milk in 20 minutes without throwing it back up.
These are things you just can't make up, people. That edge, and willingness to step up to a major challenge, may be what makes this Polson team such a threat this postseason, led by an offensive line that won't budge an inch.
"We've been a really close class, not just on the football field but also off it," Picard said. "We've formed a brotherhood. Every play we know we can look to the right, look to the left and you can trust that guy no matter what that he's going to do his job 100 percent of the time and get it done."
Picard is the relative newcomer to Polson and the offensive line position, having moved up county from St. Ignatius after seventh grade. He converted from a tight end to a fixture on the line. Yet he fits right in, becoming one of the more vocal players on the team.
"I throw a poem in every now and then," Picard said of pregame lockerroom pep talks. After the game against Ronan on Oct. 23, Picard was shaken up, unsure of the final score, and clearly befuddled. He spent the night in the hospital after being diagnosed with a concussion, but is ready to get back on the field for this group of seniors' final high school postseason.
That grit and determination is what has opponents worried about the Polson offense, and what Wilson thinks will carry them on.
"I think the biggest thing is that three of these kids have started since they were sophomores," Wilson said. "They've taken their lumps, put time in the weight room and it has really paid off with how well they're playing this year."
Football isn't all this group focuses on. Extracurricular activities, school, work and other sports, like track, wrestling and basketball, keep the guys busy. All have aspirations for college, with most, if not all, hoping to play a sport at the school they end up attending. And all agree that this team and this core group of offensive linemen would not be where they are without some other underappreciated key contributors: the Pirate coaching staff.
"They're the best coaches and they put a ton of time into it," Picard said.
Rathe added, "All of them are great, not just [offensive line coach David] Rensvold. But without Rensvold, we wouldn't be nearly as good of an offensive line."
There are a few pregame rituals you can be sure will happen prior to Saturday's matchup. A pasta dinner at a teammate's house the night before, Subway for lunch prior to the game and listening to "Build Me Up Buttercup" in the lockerroom help the team get in the right mindset before a game. With a team as loose and confident as this bunch, you can be sure that whatever happens, it will be plenty of fun.
BELGRADE PREVIEW
After watching Belgrade sneak past Miles City 7-0 in the first round of the Class A state playoffs, Polson head coach Scott Wilson has a good idea of what will be the key to victory: Defense.
"Both teams played great defense with some very good goal line stands," Wilson said of the matchup. "That's how the playoffs come down to a lot of times, those defensive struggle types of games."
The Pirates will face Belgrade on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Polson with the chance to advance to the semifinals of the state playoff tournament. Wilson hopes to see a continuation of his team's strong play in their push for a state title.
"We've got to be able to establish our run game," Wilson said. "They bring a lot of pressure, and they'll try to mess up our counters. Defensively, they've got some talent that can break some big plays, so we've got to keep them contained."
The Pirates (4-0, 7-1 overall) hope to make a loss to Miles City in last year's playoffs forgotten with a victory at home on Saturday. |
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