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OL Zach Slagle (R.I.P.)

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Canton

7/21/06

Big plans for Bulldogs

Friday, July 21, 2006

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>[FONT=Verdana, Times New Roman, arial, helvetica, sans-serif]By JOSH WEIR REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER[/FONT]
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McKinley High School graduate Zach Slagle (right) prepares for the 17th annual Repository Stark County East-West High School All-Star Football Game, which is Saturday night at Fawcett Stadium. Slagle, along with fellow McKinley graduate and East All-Star Tyrell McDonald, will attempt to walk on the Ohio State University football team in the fall.​


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CANTON - They are two big men with a big challenge in front of them.

For Zach Slagle and Tyrell McDonald, the goal is to walk on the Ohio State University football team. The odds may be long, but their high school coach is not counting out his two sizable former players.

“They know it’s not going to be easy,” McKinley coach Brian Cross said. “They’re not quitters, and they’re going to work their butts off to be the best they can.”

Slagle and McDonald will play in Saturday’s 17th annual Repository Stark County East-West High School All-Star Football Game at Fawcett Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m.

Cross, who will coach the East, has reason to believe in Slagle and McDonald. As two-year starters on the offensive line, they helped clear the way for the most potent rushing attack in Stark County. Ryan Brinson rushed for 2,402 yards in 2004, while Morgan Williams put up 2,417 yards in 2005, believed to be the top single-season rushing totals in county history.

Slagle, a right tackle, and McDonald, a left guard, are blessed with size, strength and smarts.

What they lack, according to Cross, is quickness.

“The speed of the game changes so much, and that’s something they’ll have to get use to,” Cross said. “When you’re playing Division I football, everybody can run.”

Slagle and McDonald are aware of the challenge. During Tuesday’s practice, they were content on having fun with the large McKinley contingent on the East. Former Bulldogs Joe Grimsley, Mike Kirksey, Harriel Moore, Anthony Robinson, Brian Williams and Dejuan Dickerson, along with assistant coach Gary Shier, are on the East.

Nobody was enjoying himself more than Robinson, an interior defensive lineman who never seemed to stop talking to whomever would listen.
“He’s a big goof out there,” Slagle said, “always messing with the quarterback.”

During a trap play to Minerva’s Tim Cox, McDonald came over from his left guard position and got a good lick on Robinson. Slagle couldn’t resist the opportunity.

“He got laid out,” Slagle said. “I asked him, ‘What happened?’ and he said, ‘He didn’t get me.’ He tried to play it off.”

McDonald just returned to the huddle. Many say the baby-faced behemoth is too nice. He bristles at the notion.

“They say that because they want me to be crazy all the time,” he said. “I can’t just turn it on and off.”

“He is too nice, and sometimes he thinks too much,” Cross said. “Sometimes he tries to analyze the defense and by that time, they’ve snapped the ball and ran the play, and he’s still watching.”

Thinking too much is easy when you’re a 4.3 student. McDonald earned a Young Scholars scholarship — a full academic ride — to Ohio State, where he will study chemistry.

McDonald has the brains and the brawn. Cross said he is one of the strongest players he’s coached.

“Once he learns to use all that natural strength, he could be a very, very good football player,” Cross said.

While McDonald never considered going anywhere else, Slagle had some scholarship opportunities to weigh from Division II schools. After talking to assistant coach Lynn Wafler in February, Slagle realized Ohio State was a possibility.

When Slagle, also a solid student, was accepted into Ohio State and secured enough financial help, the decision was made.

“I just had the feeling that there would always be that, ‘What if?’ ” Slagle said. “I didn’t want to look back 10, 20 years and think I had an opportunity, and I didn’t take advantage of it.”

Football is important to Slagle, and he needed to be at a school where its important.

“Coming from McKinley, I didn’t want to go someplace where it’s laissez faire, if they win they’re having fun, if they lose they’re having fun,” Slagle said. “I wanted some place where they’re mad if you lose.”

Once they report, they just want to learn the Ohio State offense and get familiar with the surroundings.

Cross believes both players have a good chance at making it. He recommends they slim down. Slagle weighs 340 pounds, McDonald 320.

Ideally, he believes Slagle should be 305-310, while McDonald should be 300.

After practice, the East staff brought in pizza. As players stampeded to chow down in the locker room, McDonald was left behind talking to a reporter.

“You know I got to get some pizza?” McDonald said to an assistant, before adding in almost self-defense, “I know I need to be on a diet.”

Reach Repository sports writer Josh Weir at (330) 580-8426 or e-mail: [email protected]


The game
7 p.m. Saturday
Fawcett Stadium
HEAD COACHES Brian Cross, McKinley, East; Tom Stacy, Massillon, West.
SERIES The West leads, 9-7. TICKETS $5 in advance, available at The Repository, Dumont’s Sports, Logan’s Sports, the Washington High School ticket office, Beatty Sports, the Polar Bear Den and Rego Sporting Goods. Tickets are $6 at the gate.
Click to expand...

Canton

7/21/06

Plenty of work, some play for Slagle

Friday, July 21, 2006


It’s a busy time for McKinley High School graduate Zach Slagle. The former Bulldog offensive linemen is headed to Ohio State this fall, where he will try to walk on the Buckeyes football team. He also is playing in Saturday’s East-West Stark County High School All-Star Football game at Fawcett Stadium.
To help pay for school, Slagle has found time for a summer job ... or two ... or three ... or four.
Yes, he is working four summer jobs. He works for Kiko Auctioneers, Pizza Oven, the Rib Cage catering and basically runs a yard service, which he did with his dad for about four years before taking over the business the past two years.
How many hours a week does he put in overall?
“A lot,” Slagle said. “It’s sun up to sun down. I’m always doing something.”
So much for a summer vacation. Josh Weir
Click to expand...
 
Upvote 0
Zach Slagle said:
“Coming from McKinley, I didn’t want to go someplace where it’s laissez faire, if they win they’re having fun, if they lose they’re having fun,” Slagle said. “I wanted some place where they’re mad if you lose.
Click to expand...
I like this kid!
 
Upvote 0
ABJ

McKinley linemen walk on for OSU

Canton McKinley graduates Zach Slagle and Tyrell McDonald are walk-ons on the Ohio State football team this fall.
The 2006 Canton McKinley alumni were two-year starters on the offensive line. Slagle and McDonald helped Ryan Brinson rush for 2,402 yards in 2004 and Morgan Williams rush for 2,417 yards in 2005. The Bulldogs were 23-5 the past two seasons.
Slagle, a right tackle, and McDonald, a left guard, were honored as first-team All-Federal League selections last season, and each weighs more than 300 pounds. Slagle was a Division I All-Ohio special-mention choice.
 
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