44INAROW
12-12-2007, 12:03 PM
Lineman getting some "love" :)
Cuero’s offensive success starts with the linemen
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BY MIKE FORMAN - ADVOCATE SPORTS WRITER
December 12, 2007
CUERO – Cuero attempted only 10 passes in its 42-14 Class 3A, Division II quarterfinal win over Palacios but the Gobblers were having so much success running the ball they didn’t have to throw.
“We had almost no mistakes or mental errors in that game,”right tackle Dustin Blinka said. “Our offensive line has improved so much it’s almost to the point where there are times when we feel like we don’t have to throw the ball.”
Cuero hasn’t abandoned the pass but it has rushed for 3,740 of its 6,177 total yards, while averaging 267 yards of rushing per game. The Gobblers rushed for 287 yards against Palacios and averaged 7.6 yards per attempt, which was just ahead of their 7.2-yard average for the season.
“We figured the offensive line would be the strong point of our offense,” left tackle Blake Phillips said. “It’s just been a matter of reading our keys, making the right calls and opening holes. When we do that, we do a good job of executing the offense.”
Cuero (12-2) is counting on another strong performance from its offensive line when it meets China Spring (13-1) in a semifinal game Saturday at 6 p.m. at Burger Center in Austin.
“Our offensive line had a really good ballgame against Palacios and we need another one against China Spring,” Cuero coach Mark Reeve said. “The reason they won (31-28 over Waco La Vega) last week is they kept the ball for 33 of the 48 minutes. La Vega never got the football back from them.”
Reeve would like Cuero to keep the ball out of the Cougars’hands and knows a strong running game will help keep the clock moving.
“Those guys have gotten better every week,” Reeve said. “The big key is being healthy. Those guys have been so unselfish. We’ve had so many injuries this season most all of them have had to play on both sides of the ball.”
The Gobblers have battled injuries up front but it has allowed them to develop more depth, which has helped them in the playoffs.
“At the beginning of the season we were a little shaky,” left guard Patrick Nami said. “But I think after the Liberty Hill game we realized our potential and we’ve played hard. We’ve been friends for a long time and our offensive line has really bonded.”
Watching their teammates play on both sides of the ball has inspired the one-way players to go even harder.
“You see the other guys playing both ways and it gives you more incentive to use all your energy when you’re playing,” tight end James Olsovsky said. “It was great last week to see us get our blocks and see our backs hit the hole.”
The line has taken pride in Cuero’s rushing totals and in helping Quincey Whittington to rush for 1,759 yards and 25 touchdowns.
“We get fired up seeing him run,” Nami said. “We know it started with us making a hole. We do our best to give him one to run through.”
The line has helped Cuero advance to the semifinals for the third time in four years and Reeve knows it would have been impossible to make it there without them.
“We knew at the beginning of the season that we had a whole lot more of those guys than anybody else,” Reeve said. “The games you win, you win up front. That’s usually the way it goes.”
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com.
Cuero’s offensive success starts with the linemen
advertising
BY MIKE FORMAN - ADVOCATE SPORTS WRITER
December 12, 2007
CUERO – Cuero attempted only 10 passes in its 42-14 Class 3A, Division II quarterfinal win over Palacios but the Gobblers were having so much success running the ball they didn’t have to throw.
“We had almost no mistakes or mental errors in that game,”right tackle Dustin Blinka said. “Our offensive line has improved so much it’s almost to the point where there are times when we feel like we don’t have to throw the ball.”
Cuero hasn’t abandoned the pass but it has rushed for 3,740 of its 6,177 total yards, while averaging 267 yards of rushing per game. The Gobblers rushed for 287 yards against Palacios and averaged 7.6 yards per attempt, which was just ahead of their 7.2-yard average for the season.
“We figured the offensive line would be the strong point of our offense,” left tackle Blake Phillips said. “It’s just been a matter of reading our keys, making the right calls and opening holes. When we do that, we do a good job of executing the offense.”
Cuero (12-2) is counting on another strong performance from its offensive line when it meets China Spring (13-1) in a semifinal game Saturday at 6 p.m. at Burger Center in Austin.
“Our offensive line had a really good ballgame against Palacios and we need another one against China Spring,” Cuero coach Mark Reeve said. “The reason they won (31-28 over Waco La Vega) last week is they kept the ball for 33 of the 48 minutes. La Vega never got the football back from them.”
Reeve would like Cuero to keep the ball out of the Cougars’hands and knows a strong running game will help keep the clock moving.
“Those guys have gotten better every week,” Reeve said. “The big key is being healthy. Those guys have been so unselfish. We’ve had so many injuries this season most all of them have had to play on both sides of the ball.”
The Gobblers have battled injuries up front but it has allowed them to develop more depth, which has helped them in the playoffs.
“At the beginning of the season we were a little shaky,” left guard Patrick Nami said. “But I think after the Liberty Hill game we realized our potential and we’ve played hard. We’ve been friends for a long time and our offensive line has really bonded.”
Watching their teammates play on both sides of the ball has inspired the one-way players to go even harder.
“You see the other guys playing both ways and it gives you more incentive to use all your energy when you’re playing,” tight end James Olsovsky said. “It was great last week to see us get our blocks and see our backs hit the hole.”
The line has taken pride in Cuero’s rushing totals and in helping Quincey Whittington to rush for 1,759 yards and 25 touchdowns.
“We get fired up seeing him run,” Nami said. “We know it started with us making a hole. We do our best to give him one to run through.”
The line has helped Cuero advance to the semifinals for the third time in four years and Reeve knows it would have been impossible to make it there without them.
“We knew at the beginning of the season that we had a whole lot more of those guys than anybody else,” Reeve said. “The games you win, you win up front. That’s usually the way it goes.”
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com.