Football today has turned into a fast-paced, high-scoring sport that features star quarterbacks, flashy receivers and speedy running backs.
The sport is no longer a sport where big, power running backs and fullbacks are leading the way for offenses. The wishbone formation is a dinosaur and most high school football players these days weren’t even born when the option was the main offensive system across the nation.
However, there is one constant that remains in football and that is a team will only go as far as its offensive and defensive lines take them.
There is an old saying in football and that is, “It doesn’t matter who you have in the backfield running or throwing the football, if you can’t block anyone they aren’t going anywhere.”
That is a true statement. A football team could have Adrian Peterson in the backfield or Peyton Manning as their quarterback, but it wouldn’t matter if the offensive line didn’t do its job and give Peterson holes to run through or give enough time for Manning to find his open receiver.
No one knows that more at Mustang High School than senior offensive lineman Larry King. King is going into his senior year and is considered the leader of the offensive line that graduated four out of the five starters from last year’s group.
King has been assigned the responsibility to not only open holes for the Mustang running backs to run through, but to protect Broncos star quarterback Chandler Garrett.
King said even though this group is new, they have a lot of ability and a lot of heart.
“We have a little saying where we call each other the core,” he said. “It’s kind of our way of reminding each other what our job is and what we are supposed to do. It also serves as a motivator for us. We worked hard this past summer in the weight room and on our conditioning. We aren’t going to be the biggest line, but we are going to be sound in our technique and be an athletic line.”
The only returning starter from last year’s offensive line is Coty Harper. King suffered an injury last year at the beginning of fall camp and he dealt with the injury all year. Mustang offensive coordinator Kyle Williams said if King hadn’t suffered the injury, he would be a returning starter for the Broncos.
“We consider Larry a veteran and experienced player,” he said. “He has been in the system for over a year now and he is a senior this year. The team looks to him as the leader on the offensive line.”
Even though Yukon is only one game in a 10-game regular season, King said he can’t wait for Sept. 5 to roll around so they can take on the Millers.
“We are going to be ready for that game,” he said. “They came down here and beat us on our home field last season, and we want to do the same to them this year. We know it is a long year, but we are wanting to get off to a good start this season.”