Old Cardinal
09-15-2005, 01:24 PM
Havens having fun in BC offensive line
By Tom Halliburton - The News Sports Writer Posted: 09/14/05 - 11:36:12 pm CDT
BRIDGE CITY - Andrew Havens has fun doing stuff that is really a grind for most people. He looks a bit different for an offensive lineman, too.
At 6-4, 220 pounds, the Bridge City senior has fun competing at offensive line... or at a math contest.... or in a high-pressure basketball game. If you think all offensive linemen are short, squatty, thick and dense, think again.
Havens would qualify as being none of the above. He's not short... not squatty... not thick... not dense. And if he has his way on Friday night, Bridge City is not going to lose this week either.
Why? Because this two-year starting offensive lineman enjoys the grunt work of straightening up and blocking pass rushers or plowing ahead and providing running room. It's fun for Havens and BC's blockers.
It might be argued that they had more fun last Friday night in Kirbyville than any previous occasion in this young season. Yet the fun may only be beginning. And Havens hopes it resumes this Friday night at 7:30 against long-time neighborly rival Little Cypress-Mauriceville.
Havens had to confess on Wednesday that he and his Redbirds teammates never expected to have quite as much fun at Kirbyville. They figured the Wildcats would make their journey anything but fun. Final score: Bridge City 40, Kirbyville 12 and most of the enjoyment was experienced by the visitors with the white hats.
"We surprised ourselves to be able to put up 40 against them," Havens said. "We were planning on Kirbyville being able to be a pretty tough opponent."
Yet as the Redbirds kept enjoying the visit, they were having quite a blast.
"We had a good time working together as a team," he said. "We weren't making any critical mistakes that we couldn't come back and correct."
Either you have fun or else. And Havens intends to have fun this winter when he returns to the lineup on BC's varsity basketball team. When basketball ends, he likely figures to compete in a state academic meet, trying to calculate the most difficult of math problems.
You see, this offensive tackle carries a 4.7-point grade average on a 5.0 scale. He's a Top 10 student academically (7th) and he's planning to enter the Engineering field. There's hardly any better Engineering anywhere than another Big Red Cardinal Country known as Lamar University in Beaumont.
That's where Havens plans to enroll next year.
"I like the atmosphere around here," he said. "I'll probably come back and watch these guys play next year because some of my friends still will be on the team."
The offensive line certainly began two-a-day practices as a major area of uncertainty. Havens has done plenty to remove that uncertainty and turn the area into a strength. Led by Doug and Lisa's 17-year-old son, the offensive line guided a unit which cranked out 408 yards and 20 first downs.
Havens doesn't need great math skills to know that a team with 408 yards and 20 first downs is likely going to be a winning team.
By Tom Halliburton - The News Sports Writer Posted: 09/14/05 - 11:36:12 pm CDT
BRIDGE CITY - Andrew Havens has fun doing stuff that is really a grind for most people. He looks a bit different for an offensive lineman, too.
At 6-4, 220 pounds, the Bridge City senior has fun competing at offensive line... or at a math contest.... or in a high-pressure basketball game. If you think all offensive linemen are short, squatty, thick and dense, think again.
Havens would qualify as being none of the above. He's not short... not squatty... not thick... not dense. And if he has his way on Friday night, Bridge City is not going to lose this week either.
Why? Because this two-year starting offensive lineman enjoys the grunt work of straightening up and blocking pass rushers or plowing ahead and providing running room. It's fun for Havens and BC's blockers.
It might be argued that they had more fun last Friday night in Kirbyville than any previous occasion in this young season. Yet the fun may only be beginning. And Havens hopes it resumes this Friday night at 7:30 against long-time neighborly rival Little Cypress-Mauriceville.
Havens had to confess on Wednesday that he and his Redbirds teammates never expected to have quite as much fun at Kirbyville. They figured the Wildcats would make their journey anything but fun. Final score: Bridge City 40, Kirbyville 12 and most of the enjoyment was experienced by the visitors with the white hats.
"We surprised ourselves to be able to put up 40 against them," Havens said. "We were planning on Kirbyville being able to be a pretty tough opponent."
Yet as the Redbirds kept enjoying the visit, they were having quite a blast.
"We had a good time working together as a team," he said. "We weren't making any critical mistakes that we couldn't come back and correct."
Either you have fun or else. And Havens intends to have fun this winter when he returns to the lineup on BC's varsity basketball team. When basketball ends, he likely figures to compete in a state academic meet, trying to calculate the most difficult of math problems.
You see, this offensive tackle carries a 4.7-point grade average on a 5.0 scale. He's a Top 10 student academically (7th) and he's planning to enter the Engineering field. There's hardly any better Engineering anywhere than another Big Red Cardinal Country known as Lamar University in Beaumont.
That's where Havens plans to enroll next year.
"I like the atmosphere around here," he said. "I'll probably come back and watch these guys play next year because some of my friends still will be on the team."
The offensive line certainly began two-a-day practices as a major area of uncertainty. Havens has done plenty to remove that uncertainty and turn the area into a strength. Led by Doug and Lisa's 17-year-old son, the offensive line guided a unit which cranked out 408 yards and 20 first downs.
Havens doesn't need great math skills to know that a team with 408 yards and 20 first downs is likely going to be a winning team.