08-26-2004, 12:23 PM
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Head Coach
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Join Date: Nov 2003
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free C-bus dispatch on Jimmy Cordle and the Lancaster Oline
Quote:
Gales’ hopes rest on big line
Blocking unit return intact, ready to open more holes
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Steve Blackledge
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
RENEE SAUER | DISPATCH
Lancaster’s offensive linemen are returning for their senior years leaner and meaner. Back row, left to right, Jay Stoughton, Shawn Fosnaugh, Tom Stuck and Jimmy Cordle; front row, left to right, A.J. Mallory and Joe Palmer.
LANCASTER, Ohio — Few people can appreciate the value of a stout offensive line more than Lancaster coach Rob Carpenter, who spent 10 seasons as a running back in the NFL with the Houston Oilers and New York Giants.
"I’m not stupid: My best friends throughout college and the pros were always linemen," he said.
"If you’re a real football person, you can’t help but appreciate those guys because they tend to do the dirty work. . . . a lot of the stuff that goes unnoticed by the casual fan."
But anyone who watched Lancaster (11-1) roll to the Ohio Capital Conference Ohio Division championship last season recognized that the Golden Gales’ efficient wing-T offense was predicated on a huge, dominant line mashing defenders at the point of attack.
And all of the road graders who powered the Golden Gales to average 39.4 points and 450 yards of total offense return as seniors: guard Jimmy Cordle (6 feet 5, 275 pounds), tackle Shawn Fosnaugh (6-5, 285), center Tom Stuck (6-3, 280), guard A.J. Mallory (6-0, 240), tackle Joe Palmer (6-2, 280) and tight end Jay Stoughton (6-1, 215).
Cordle, a first-team All-Ohio choice known for his agility, has committed to Ohio State. The versatile Fosnaugh and Stuck, a hard-nosed mauler who placed second in the state in the shot put in June, also are being actively recruited.
The key strengths of this outfit are its versatility and quickness.
"We’ll all interchangeable as far as the positions we play," Palmer said. "It helps us a lot to know exactly what every guy’s role is so we can adjust to defensive fronts. And if there’s an injury, anybody can fill in without missing a beat. The idea is to run like a well-oiled machine."
Cordle, who Carpenter called "the quickest lineman I’ve ever seen at any level" played center his first two seasons before shifting to pulling guard. Fosnaugh and Stuck can play any of the line positions.
Despite adding a year of maturity, each of the linemen actually has dropped 10 to 20 pounds since last season.
"We’re (bench-pressing) more but weighing less," Fosnaugh said. "Coach asked us to cut weight in the off-season, and we can notice the difference.
"People see us as a big, power line, but actually what we do is more geared toward everybody being quick and mobile."
Carpenter likened Lancaster’s wing-T to the one used by Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers of the 1960s.
"We run a lot of misdirection with sweeps, counters and pitches that require the guys up front to do a lot of pulling, trapping, kicking out and running laterally," Carpenter said. "Our linemen don’t just stand there and use their mass to ward defenders off. They’re usually running 15 to 20 yards every play. That’s why I’d rather have them lean and mean."
With the graduation of All-Ohio tailback Jonathan Carpenter, who rushed for school records of 2,179 yards and 36 touchdowns, the line will carry an even larger burden in creating holes for his inexperienced replacements.
"We’re going to have to put the weight of the team on our shoulders and cut down on mistakes," Cordle said. "Last year, if we made a mistake, Jon had the ability to improvise and still get yardage because he was so good. We may not have that margin of error to rely on this year."
The elder Carpenter hinted that Lancaster’s linemen, on reputation alone, may be targeted like a star running back.
"Some people got frustrated last year when we whipped them up front and realized that their only chance was to gamble by crowding the line of scrimmage and run-blitzing," he said. "Some people tried to take our guys’ legs out.
"The pressure is definitely going to be on them this year."
sblackledge@dispatch.com
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