ROGERS — A change doesn’t faze Colton Noeltner.
The 6-foot, 210-pound senior has played a couple of different positions over the past two years, but he’s found an unlikely home at right tackle this year for Rogers Heritage.
Noeltner had spent the past two years watching from the sideline as a backup quarterback and tight end. But Heritage football coach Perry Escalante said his coaching staff told him last spring they wanted to find a way to get Noeltner on the field.
“He’s one of those kids who will do whatever you need him to do in order for the team to be successful,” Escalante said. “He’s done well for us and he’s getting better and better each week.”
Noeltner laughed when asked about his reaction when War Eagles offensive coordinator Darren Hotelling approached him last spring about making the move to the offensive line.
“I was surprised, but I’d do anything to help the team,” Noeltner said.
He also doesn’t mind the physical nature of the position, despite being out-sized most night.
“You’re always hitting people at this position unlike quarterback or receiver and I like that,” Noeltner said.
Hotelling said even Harrison coach and longtime friend Chad Harbison chuckled when they were discussing Heritage’s offensive line last week.
“He said ‘Wasn’t Noeltner your backup quarterback?’” Hotelling said.
But nobody’s laughing after three weeks in which the Heritage offense posted big numbers. The War Eagles are leading the 7A/6A-West thus far, averaging 407 yards per game of total offense.
Escalante pointed out Noeltner didn’t get to ease into the position, but was thrown in against a top-notch opponent in Fort Smith Southside.
“He was thrown into the fire that’s for sure,” Escalante said. “That’s pretty tough going against Southside with their size and strength and then Northisde with the good-looking athletes they have.”
Escalante said may be overmatched physically at times by bigger, stronger defensive linemen, but he utilizes other skills to hold his own.
“He’s got the mental part of it down to figure out how to block them,” Escalante said. “He uses proper technique and is just getting better and better each day.”
Noeltner remembered vividly his first opportunities to play in the offensive line at a team camp in June at the University of Missouri.
“I got pushed around quite a bit,” Noeltner said. “I didn’t know anything about hand placement or footwork or anything like that, but the coaches up there helped me out a lot. It was quite a learning experience.”
Hotelling remembered it, too, and not always fondly.
“Early on, I saw his pads up and high and I saw him getting blown up,” Hotelling said. “I had some doubts watching that, but he figured it out and progressed through the week.”
Something Hotelling also tried to remember is that Noeltner was forced to go against some high-calibre opponents.
“They had some guys in there that Mizzou had offered or were thinking offering,” Hotelling said. “So he got a full dose of it.”
Heritage quarterback coach Hal Qualls, another of the coaches was was in Noeltner’s corner, said his work ethic makes him a natural at any position.
“It doesn’t matter, he’s going to do whatever he can do to protect and to block,” Qualls said. “He’s not going to pout or take a play off.”
Several of the coaches said Noeltner’s willingness to accept the change was also key to his success. Hotelling offered at least one example where a former player bucked at a position switch.
“He was a third string tight end and we wanted to move him to offensive line where he might could have played some,” Hotelling said. “But he didn’t want to. That’s one thing where Colton’s attitude played a big part. He works really hard. And we wanted to find a way to get him on the field.”