Early on in preseason camp, Emporia High offensive line coach Phil Thornton challenged his linemen to create a nickname for the group.
The name chosen was supposed to provide the unit with an identity — a rallying point that would foster a sort of camaraderie.
So the players chose “The Herd.”
“A herd stays together as one,” sophomore Daniel Goodman said. “It’s the five guys up front staying together and making our blocks so the people behind us can do what they need to do. Just like the herd is one, the linemen are one.”
The name has caught on, as other EHS players, not just the linemen themselves, now use The Herd nickname in reference to the offensive line.
The herd mentality has stuck as well.
Added senior David Hrabik: “We play as a team, and if one person goes down, we all come and help them.”
“The o-line is really becoming more of a family,” he said, “and we’re really starting to develop as a unit.”
Which is good, because much of Emporia High’s success this season depends on just how good The Herd can become, as the Spartans have plenty of talent at the skill positions — quarterback Taylor Euler, running backs Edd Noonan and Mark Kolmer, wide receivers Brandon Childs and Harrison Stone — to potentially harbor a powerful offense.
“It’s really fun to see those guys go run for those touchdowns and get 10-15 yards a play,” Hrabik said. “It just means that we’re doing our job.”
The concern for the Spartans lies in trying to replace three linemen from a season ago that saw extended action: center Jared Johnson and guards Eric Dorsey and Kiel Amos.
So far, Thornton said, it’s not about whether the big guys up front can grasp their positions, it’s about actually going out and doing it.
“The actual plays, everybody’s pretty much got it,” he said. “But in game situations, they have not carried over their practice situations. They don’t move like they do in game situations because they’re so concerned about what that defender is going to do to them. I’d like it a lot more if they were more concerned about what they were going to do to the other guy.”
Anchoring the unit this season will be Hrabik and junior T.J. Heins. Both are returning starters off last year’s 6-3 squad, and will be called upon to lock down the guard spots.
“The thing about the veteran players is that they know the system inside and out,” Thornton said. “For them, it’s a refinement of execution — running and sticking on blocks.”
Goodman appears to have earned himself the starting job at center after a lengthy battle with junior Cody Yevak.
Goodman said he welcomed the responsibility of handling all the duties that come with the center position.
“I like knowing that I can do better, and that if I can get a good snap off, it could be enough to win the game,” he said. “If I screw up, it’s on my shoulders. I like having the pressure. I think I can handle it well.
“I think I’ve progressed a lot at center with the help of my teammates, of course, supporting me and helping me out.”
At the two tackles spots, junior Jordan Barr and senior Chase Harder look to have settled into the starting roles, giving the offensive line two of their bigger bodies on the outside protecting the edges. Sophomore Lorenzo Cerna is expected to see time at tackle, as is Yevak.
With the two-deep beginning to clear itself out, the EHS offensive linemen have shifted their focus to becoming more in-tune with each other’s movements.
Thornton said once that happens, the group could excel.
“They are still thinking too much and not doing what they are taught to do in drills everyday,” Thornton said. “It takes reps. It takes time. It’s not going to happen overnight.
“They’ve got to really commit themselves to letting go and believing in the guy next to them. If they do that, they can go.”
Much like a herd.
Bigearl2 (anonymous) says...
Good Job Danny , I am proud of you!
August 27, 2007 at 1:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )