SPRINGDALE — Family is the theme surrounding the Springdale Har-Ber offensive line this season, and that fraternal bond looks to have this group virtually unaware of the weight on its shoulders.
Har-Ber graduated all five of its starting offensive linemen from last season, including Parade All-American Brey Cook at right tackle. With all new faces on the front five, it’s nothing more than business as usual.
“All I do every day is go out and play the position,” said senior J.C. Bond, who’s replacing Cook at right tackle. “I don’t worry about anything else.”
Along with Bond, the projected starters across the offensive line are Jesus Delasancha at guard, Grant Gershner at center, Luis Avelar at left guard and 6-foot-5, 250-pound Josh Paxson playing left tackle.
All five are seniors, which will have Har-Ber in the exact same position next season, breaking in a new quintet. But that doesn’t phase Wildcats offensive coordinator and line coach Don Struebing.
“Five brand new guys with not much experience at all on Friday nights,” Struebing said. “We’ve been there before. That’s what you battle in high school football, you’re pretty much building a new fort every year.”
Struebing added that he likes this group of seniors due to the blue collar attitude they all bring to practice each day.
And the love extends both ways.
Calling the offensive line one big family, Gershner and Bond agreed Struebing fits into the family mold as either the dad or an instructive big brother.
“(The linemen) always try to find an excuse to go to someone’s house and (hang out) or go to a buffet and just pig out,” Gershner said. “Like coach Struebing says, we’re just one big family. Even if we don’t want to be around each other, we have to tolerate just like any other family.”
Just like a father helping his son grow as a person, Struebing wants nothing more than for his offensive line to develop into a unit that proudly gives a full effort during each snap.
“We just try to work on ourselves, not so much what the opponent is doing,” Struebing said. “We try to be as good as we can be as a group and look forward to the opportunity.”
THE SKINNY
Springdale Har-Ber High School
Watch Out For: Left tackle Josh Paxson moved from wide receiver to offensive line in the spring and now weighs in at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds.
Biggest Strength: The Har-Ber line takes pride in its fraternal order that helps each player bond off the field and hopes to use that unity on Friday nights.
Biggest Question: While all five linemen are seniors, none have starting experience on the varsity level and will have to adapt to the speed of the game quickly.