These Three Put Team Ahead of Personal Goals
The 2009 football season presented Pierce with a real dilemma. All five starting interior offensive lineman graduated in June. Pierce approached three young men in the off-season and asked them to set aside their personal goals for the good of the team and plant themselves in the middle of the offensive line where a cloud of dust and a swarm of humanity make it difficult for fans to make out the number on a player's back...
Photo By: Chuck Moore / GamedayMagazine.com | VIEW GALLERY
All five starting O-line players were big, averaging over 250 pounds per man, dedicated, and very effective. Three of them will be playing college ball...
Photo By: Chuck Moore / GamedayMagazine.com | VIEW GALLERY
Gone are the dreams of crossing the goal line, ball in hand. All three will now have to watch from behind as one of their teammates hits pay dirt while they have the unenviable task of having to block people play after play...
Photo By: Chuck Moore / GamedayMagazine.com | VIEW GALLERY
ASHBURN, VA - Briar Woods High School has fielded a varsity football team for only three years. Head Coach Charlie Pierce led his boys to a combined record of 21-11 with two playoff appearances in the Falcons' short history. He knows how to motivate high school athletes. As Alex Munro, now playing QB for Division III Campbell University told me a couple years ago, "When you play for Coach Pierce you know you are involved in something special."
The 2009 football season presented Pierce with a real dilemma. All five starting interior offensive lineman graduated in June. We're talking about a group that played together for four years, one JV season before starting at the varsity level. They were big, averaging over 250 pounds per man, dedicated, and very effective. Three of them will be playing college ball: Jamie Caldwell at Towson State, Aaron Kakol at James Madison, both Division I-AA schools while Richard Derrickson will suit up for Division III Salisbury University.
Two seniors who saw quite a bit of playing time on the offensive line in 2008 will man the tackle positions. They are 6-5, 230 pound David Woodall and Omar Omokhodian, 6-1, 230 pounds who incidentally, was the state champion in the discus. But that left three offensive line slots to fill and there were no experienced big bodies to take their place. What's a coach to do?
Having already accumulated a number of downs at the TE position as juniors, Tavis Henry and Attila Aliriza looked to compete for the starting TE job in 2009. Allen Jackson was a backup at the FB position for two years, once gaining 95 yards in a game to lead all running backs. Pierce approached these three young men in the off-season and asked them to set aside their personal goals for the good of the team and plant themselves in the middle of the offensive line where a cloud of dust and a swarm of humanity make it difficult for fans to make out the number on a player's back.
"You don't hear a lot these days about young men making sacrifices for the good of the team," commented Pierce. "These three are the exceptions. This is leadership by example and I'm very proud of them."
I recently spoke with the threesome and all three are cheerfully assuming their new responsibilities. I asked them if this was a change they wanted to make. They answered thusly: Tavis: "nope;" Allen: "heck no;" Attila: "negatory." Gone are the dreams of crossing the goal line, ball in hand. All three will now have to watch from behind as one of their teammates hits pay dirt while they have the unenviable task of having to block people play after play that will outweigh them by 30 pounds or more.
This is not to say that Aliriza, Henry and Jackson will be overmatched. Averaging just under six feet tall and 200 pounds, this trio will probably be quicker than any linemen they will face. All three have run the 40 yard dash in 4.7 seconds. It is rare for a high school lineman to get under 5.0. All three are very strong, routinely benching 320+ pounds on multiple repetitions.
Henry will handle the center position with Jackson and Aliriza paying guard. When the opposition has the ball they won't be going to the bench. Aliriza will play OLB on defense while Jackson and Henry play strong side and weak side ILB respectively. Oh yes: Tavis Henry is the also the team's long snapper.
"Last year everybody's role was defined before the season started," said Henry.
"Not this year." Aliriza pointed out that all three are still in a learning curve when it comes to blocking technique and footwork.
"There is an element of starting over this season," Pierce says.
On the other hand, Pierce has experienced, tough competitors taking on the new roles.
"We're a tight group and we are used to winning football games," asserts Jackson. "We intend to continue winning and we expect be back in the playoffs."
"And not just be in the playoffs," Henry added. "We expect to be winning playoff games."
