Offensive Line Paving the Way for Eagle’s Undefeated Season
October 23, 2014
Down after down. Block after block. Five students are relentless, week in and week out, in their pursuit of a second straight state championship season.
LT Matt Hiter, LG Zack Mahon, C Austin Bergstrom, RG Matt Waggoner, and RT Ty Smith have led the way to the Eagles dominating start in the offense’s season, from opening running lanes for RBs Nick Ralston and Gage McCook to keeping a clean pocket for QB Cooper Rodgers.
“I feel like I’ve done well, but it all stems from the success of the other players,” Smith said. “When one player plays bad we all play bad, and vice versa.”
The offensive line is a huge reason for Ralston’s success this season, as the offense has seemingly run the ball at will all season long.
“We’ve had a few miscues, but all around, we’ve done pretty well,” Bergstrom said. “We can miss a block occasionally, and Nick will make up for it. It’s really nice, he gives us a lot of credit, and he’s a great running back.”
When Argyle won the state championship last year, the offensive line was considered a major contributor for the title. This year, the players feel they have improved even more.
“I think the offseason lifting is what got us to where we’re at,” Hiter said. “We have great coaches in Coach Lyle and Coach Chancellor that put us in position to perform.”
Nick Ralston has arguably been the teams MVP so far this season, but after every game he gives credit to the big men upfront.
“It feels great because Nick’s such a big part of the team,” Hiter said. “He gets all the recognition and for him to say it’s because of us is really cool.”
Quarterbacks, running backs, and receivers get all the credit and their names in the paper, but Argyle wouldn’t be able to play as well as they do without the offensive line.
“We realize we don’t get a ton of credit,” Bergstrom said, “but we know we are pretty vital. You can’t make a play without an offensive line, so we just take pride in that.”
Despite the lack of recognition, all of the offensive linemen love their unique jobs.
“Knowing that you dominate someone and impose your will on them every single play is why I play offensive tackle,” Hiter said. “It’s an awesome feeling.”
