Sweetwater Red
11-20-2008, 01:56 PM
:evillol: :devil: :evillol:
http://www.mywesttexas.com/articles/2008/11/20/sports/top_stories/doc4924f94a47e8b856430482.txt
Rangers' offensive line key to success in 2008
By Oscar LeRoy
Sports Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 11:46 PM CST
The work to being a good offensive line at Greenwood started long before the season opener against Fort Stockton on Aug. 28.
Senior center Zach Benton said the Rangers began working hard last spring in one of the most intense off-seasons they’ve ever had. That carried over into the summer when the players lifted weights and then into two-a-days where they grinded and sweat buckets during those hot August workouts.
“If there was one word to describe us, it is sacrifice,” said Benton, who is also a team captain. “We worked very hard to becoming a good offensive line.”
Added Greenwood coach Steve Taylor, “They take a lot of pride in how they work. They drive the sleds and they beat on each other under the shoots. When everybody is throwing and catching the ball and having fun, they’re working.”
And it’s important for Greenwood to gave a strong offensive line considering how much the Rangers run the ball out of their base Wishbone offense. The holes they’ve created this season have paved the way for senior running back Kinsey Williams to rush for 1,573 yards this season.
The line will look to open more holes at 7:30 p.m. today when Greenwood (7-4) faces Sweetwater (9-2) in the area round of the Class 3A Division II playoffs at Abilene’s Shotwell Stadium.
Sweetwater is going to be another team that would rather run the ball than throw it. That is why the Rangers believe that keeping the ball away from the Mustangs with a ball control offense will be a big key.
“The main thing we have to do is get on our blocks and stay on our blocks in this game,” senior tight end Zac Craft.
Craft is one of the newer members to the line this season who has stepped in and done a good job in helping to create those holes for the Ranger running backs. The Rangers had two pretty good offensive lineman coming back from last season in senior right guard Jesse Villa (5-foot-10, 305 pounds) and junior left guard Richard Onzures (5-9, 301). They were joined by Benton (5-10, 186) at center, and senior Caden Farrow and junior Peter Sunderland at the tackle spots, and then Craft (5-10, 164) at tight end.
But then injuries to Farrow and Sunderland forced other Rangers to step up. Luckily for Greenwood, the team had juniors Ty Coker (5-9, 280) and Clete Knippa (5-10, 265) step right into the starting spots, as well as junior Bevan Moody (5-9, 195), and the Rangers haven’t missed a beat up front. Sunderland has returned to the rotation, but unfortunately Farrow was lost for the season with a shoulder injury.
“When we lost Caden Farrow we had a couple of people who we didn’t expect step up and that was a surprise,” Benton said. “I didn’t know what Ty Coker could do but he’s stepped up and has turned out to be a valid player. I have a lot of faith in our line. I hope that our running backs do to.”
Villa added that he wasn’t too surprised to see other players come in and fill those roles of the injured starters.
“Everybody works hard, so we know that the second string is just as good as the first string and so on and so on,” said Villa, also a team captain. “We’ve had our ups and down but we’ve been improving. Everybody knows what each person is doing on the line that if we ever have a question we can ask the person next to us.”
And by working hard is how the Rangers make up for their lack of size at some positions. While Villa, Onzures and Coker weigh much like your typical offensive lineman, a player like Craft would be considered small by most standards.
“Being new to the line I kind of had to prove myself a little bit,” Craft said. “I know I’m not the biggest but I’m actually pretty proud of myself with what I’ve done. I think we make up for (a lack of size) by working hard. Pushing sleds is a big thing we do.”
In addition to putting in the time, the Rangers have proven over the years that their heart is their biggest asset as to why they’re enjoying their 10th consecutive season in the high school football playoffs.
“We might not be the biggest or the tallest, but don’t judge us by the way we look,” Villa said. “We’re pretty good and we’re always going to bust our tails.”
Rangers notebook
Class 3A Division II Area
Greenwood vs. Sweetwater
When/where: 7:30 p.m., Shotwell Stadium, Abilene
On the Web: www.lonestarsportsradio.com
Records: Greenwood 7-4; Sweetwater 9-2
Last game: Greenwood 35, Pecos 32; Sweetwater 31, Dalhart 0
Last meeting/series: Sweetwater defeated Greenwood 44-21 in the 2005 Class 3A Division II bi-district. Sweetwater has won the last three games in the series.
Key injuries: Greenwood, OL Caden Farrow (shoulder) is out, QB Kaden Hatley (groin) is questionable; Sweetwater, QB Zach Birdwell (ribs) is questionable
Weather forecast: Highs in the upper 50s during the day with winds increasing to 15-20 mph, getting into the lower 30s overnight
Of note
n Greenwood is coming off its first playoff victory in two years as the Rangers held off Pecos last Thursday night.
Pecos had 399 yards of total offense against the Rangers and Greenwood coach Steve Taylor said his defense must have a better performance tonight.
“I think we had a little bit of a letdown,” Taylor said. “I think we were within a half-step of either them getting no gain or 15 yards.
“I think we learned a lot from (Pecos game) and I think we learned from our mistakes in that game.”
n The Rangers did a good job of moving the ball themselves behind the tough running of RB Kinsey Williams (5-11, 175, Sr.), who had 214 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries.
n Sweetwater rolled to an easy victory over Dalhart in its bi-district game as the Mustangs had 335 yards, 296 of which came on the ground.
RB Daniel Jackson (6-1, 194) led the Mustangs with 83 yards rushing and two TDs on 14 carries, to go with one receiving TD. Jackson has rushed for 1,224 yards and eight TDs this season.
The Sweetwater defense held Dalhart to 111 yards.
n Sweetwater coach Kent Jackson said this game will feature two teams cut from the same West Texas cloth. Both teams like to run the ball and both like to play ball control offense to kill the clock.
“Greenwood’s been like that for a long time and we respect their tradition and their mentality,” Jackson said. “Greenwood has also prided themselves in being very physical on defense and they have skill people that will just grind it out with you.”
Jackson added that like Greenwood, his team was picked to finish by many in fifth place in the very tough District 2-3A.
The teams also have played similar opponents in Monahans and Seminole this season.
Sweetwater defeated Seminole (29-22) and Monahans (17-14), while Greenwood split, losing to Seminole (41-25) and defeating Monahans (21-14 in OT).
“I don’t know if we gained any more from playing in our district,” Jackson said. “I do know that Monahans and Seminole are pretty good also and Greenwood has proven their worth and meddle by playing in that district.”
Next: Winner plays either Liberty Hill or Vernon in Class 3A Division II regional round
http://www.mywesttexas.com/articles/2008/11/20/sports/top_stories/doc4924f94a47e8b856430482.txt
Rangers' offensive line key to success in 2008
By Oscar LeRoy
Sports Writer
Published: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 11:46 PM CST
The work to being a good offensive line at Greenwood started long before the season opener against Fort Stockton on Aug. 28.
Senior center Zach Benton said the Rangers began working hard last spring in one of the most intense off-seasons they’ve ever had. That carried over into the summer when the players lifted weights and then into two-a-days where they grinded and sweat buckets during those hot August workouts.
“If there was one word to describe us, it is sacrifice,” said Benton, who is also a team captain. “We worked very hard to becoming a good offensive line.”
Added Greenwood coach Steve Taylor, “They take a lot of pride in how they work. They drive the sleds and they beat on each other under the shoots. When everybody is throwing and catching the ball and having fun, they’re working.”
And it’s important for Greenwood to gave a strong offensive line considering how much the Rangers run the ball out of their base Wishbone offense. The holes they’ve created this season have paved the way for senior running back Kinsey Williams to rush for 1,573 yards this season.
The line will look to open more holes at 7:30 p.m. today when Greenwood (7-4) faces Sweetwater (9-2) in the area round of the Class 3A Division II playoffs at Abilene’s Shotwell Stadium.
Sweetwater is going to be another team that would rather run the ball than throw it. That is why the Rangers believe that keeping the ball away from the Mustangs with a ball control offense will be a big key.
“The main thing we have to do is get on our blocks and stay on our blocks in this game,” senior tight end Zac Craft.
Craft is one of the newer members to the line this season who has stepped in and done a good job in helping to create those holes for the Ranger running backs. The Rangers had two pretty good offensive lineman coming back from last season in senior right guard Jesse Villa (5-foot-10, 305 pounds) and junior left guard Richard Onzures (5-9, 301). They were joined by Benton (5-10, 186) at center, and senior Caden Farrow and junior Peter Sunderland at the tackle spots, and then Craft (5-10, 164) at tight end.
But then injuries to Farrow and Sunderland forced other Rangers to step up. Luckily for Greenwood, the team had juniors Ty Coker (5-9, 280) and Clete Knippa (5-10, 265) step right into the starting spots, as well as junior Bevan Moody (5-9, 195), and the Rangers haven’t missed a beat up front. Sunderland has returned to the rotation, but unfortunately Farrow was lost for the season with a shoulder injury.
“When we lost Caden Farrow we had a couple of people who we didn’t expect step up and that was a surprise,” Benton said. “I didn’t know what Ty Coker could do but he’s stepped up and has turned out to be a valid player. I have a lot of faith in our line. I hope that our running backs do to.”
Villa added that he wasn’t too surprised to see other players come in and fill those roles of the injured starters.
“Everybody works hard, so we know that the second string is just as good as the first string and so on and so on,” said Villa, also a team captain. “We’ve had our ups and down but we’ve been improving. Everybody knows what each person is doing on the line that if we ever have a question we can ask the person next to us.”
And by working hard is how the Rangers make up for their lack of size at some positions. While Villa, Onzures and Coker weigh much like your typical offensive lineman, a player like Craft would be considered small by most standards.
“Being new to the line I kind of had to prove myself a little bit,” Craft said. “I know I’m not the biggest but I’m actually pretty proud of myself with what I’ve done. I think we make up for (a lack of size) by working hard. Pushing sleds is a big thing we do.”
In addition to putting in the time, the Rangers have proven over the years that their heart is their biggest asset as to why they’re enjoying their 10th consecutive season in the high school football playoffs.
“We might not be the biggest or the tallest, but don’t judge us by the way we look,” Villa said. “We’re pretty good and we’re always going to bust our tails.”
Rangers notebook
Class 3A Division II Area
Greenwood vs. Sweetwater
When/where: 7:30 p.m., Shotwell Stadium, Abilene
On the Web: www.lonestarsportsradio.com
Records: Greenwood 7-4; Sweetwater 9-2
Last game: Greenwood 35, Pecos 32; Sweetwater 31, Dalhart 0
Last meeting/series: Sweetwater defeated Greenwood 44-21 in the 2005 Class 3A Division II bi-district. Sweetwater has won the last three games in the series.
Key injuries: Greenwood, OL Caden Farrow (shoulder) is out, QB Kaden Hatley (groin) is questionable; Sweetwater, QB Zach Birdwell (ribs) is questionable
Weather forecast: Highs in the upper 50s during the day with winds increasing to 15-20 mph, getting into the lower 30s overnight
Of note
n Greenwood is coming off its first playoff victory in two years as the Rangers held off Pecos last Thursday night.
Pecos had 399 yards of total offense against the Rangers and Greenwood coach Steve Taylor said his defense must have a better performance tonight.
“I think we had a little bit of a letdown,” Taylor said. “I think we were within a half-step of either them getting no gain or 15 yards.
“I think we learned a lot from (Pecos game) and I think we learned from our mistakes in that game.”
n The Rangers did a good job of moving the ball themselves behind the tough running of RB Kinsey Williams (5-11, 175, Sr.), who had 214 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries.
n Sweetwater rolled to an easy victory over Dalhart in its bi-district game as the Mustangs had 335 yards, 296 of which came on the ground.
RB Daniel Jackson (6-1, 194) led the Mustangs with 83 yards rushing and two TDs on 14 carries, to go with one receiving TD. Jackson has rushed for 1,224 yards and eight TDs this season.
The Sweetwater defense held Dalhart to 111 yards.
n Sweetwater coach Kent Jackson said this game will feature two teams cut from the same West Texas cloth. Both teams like to run the ball and both like to play ball control offense to kill the clock.
“Greenwood’s been like that for a long time and we respect their tradition and their mentality,” Jackson said. “Greenwood has also prided themselves in being very physical on defense and they have skill people that will just grind it out with you.”
Jackson added that like Greenwood, his team was picked to finish by many in fifth place in the very tough District 2-3A.
The teams also have played similar opponents in Monahans and Seminole this season.
Sweetwater defeated Seminole (29-22) and Monahans (17-14), while Greenwood split, losing to Seminole (41-25) and defeating Monahans (21-14 in OT).
“I don’t know if we gained any more from playing in our district,” Jackson said. “I do know that Monahans and Seminole are pretty good also and Greenwood has proven their worth and meddle by playing in that district.”
Next: Winner plays either Liberty Hill or Vernon in Class 3A Division II regional round