Posted by Bixby23
on 1/29/2009, 5:34 pm, in reply to "Re: Returning Spartans -- Centers"
134.159.109.82
Seconding Rat's comment about the OL not getting enough positive publicity. To get hit like that every Saturday, then read on Sunday how people, if they think of you at all, think you're underperforming -- that's got to wear you down physically and emotionally over the course of a season. I hope our centers and everyone else plays their heart out in 2009, and for my part, I will refrain from, or at least think thrice about, grousing and finding fault.
Thanks to everyone for the reportage. Great to know what's going on.
--Previous Message--
: Thanks for putting the spotlight on the
: O-Line. These guys in the trenches never get
: enough positive publicity. Maybe someone can
: add their photos.
:
: --Previous Message--
: Spartan football fans are already looking
: forward to next season. Some, like myself
: (admittedly), look ahead with with grim
: determination, others with more optimism.
: In a few days we'll know more about the
: players who will join our program in 2009.
: Here is a look at who is coming back,
: position-by-position, starting with Centers.
:
: Our returning Centers are:
:
: Ronnie Castillo, SR, 6 - 0, 292 : The most
: likely starter at Center is Ronnie Castillo,
: who (I believe) was injured in the early
: part of the 2008 season. He missed the
: first five games of '08, then played the
: next seven, starting the last three.
: Castillo started all 12 games in 2007,
: either at center or guard. He joined the
: the team in 2005, and red-shirted his true
: freshman year. He was a most valuable
: lineman in his high school football league
: during his senior year.
:
: Castillo would seem to have sufficient
: experience to be a competent Center. At
: 6-0, he should have a low center of gravity,
: but also gives up some height to opposing
: defensive linemen. I'm not sure what his
: injury was, but he may be prone to getting
: re-injured. The offense did not improve
: markedly after his return to the line-up in
: Game 7.
:
: Robbie Reed, JR, 6 - 3, 290 : Reed played
: in 10 games in 2008, starting the first
: four. He did not play against New Mexico
: State, or Nevada. As a reserve in 2007,
: Reed got into three games. As a high school
: player, he was a two-time all-league
: selectee, first team in his senior year.
:
: Reed packs about the same weight, but adds
: three inches of height, so is probably a bit
: more imposing on the line, maybe a little
: faster. Reed played a lot this year, so he
: should be more experienced in 2009. He will
: probably be the number 2 Center in '09, and
: may play a little Guard as well, especially
: if he can pull well.
:
: Jackson Dallas, FR (RS), 6 - 4, 305 : All
: I know about Jackson Dallas is that he was
: listed in at least one SJSU program this
: year as being on the roster. He did not
: make any game appearances. I have read
: elsewhere that he was a walk-on freshman in
: 2008, which would make him a red-shirt
: freshman in 2009. Anybody who knows
: anything about Jackson, please enlighten us
: below. At 6 - 4, 305, you'd think it would
: be kind of hard to keep him under wraps.
:
: Dallas has great size, but I'm not sure if
: he is center-heavy. (You old Spartans know
: what I mean.) I'd look for him to make some
: game appearances in 2009, probably as a
: reserve. It would be great to see this
: walk-on turn into a real Spartan success
: story.
:
:
: Analysis
:
: Let's face it: our 2008 Spartans were not
: very good on offense. Many fans have
: singled out the offensive line as the root
: cause for that poor performance, whether due
: to injury, poor conditioning, poor coaching,
: an offensive scheme they were ill-suited to,
: or just maybe because they really weren't
: that good. Or: [D] All of the above.
:
: At the center of the line is -- well -- the
: Center. It's an important position. He
: snaps the ball, and must be sure-handed to
: avoid muffs. Because he is snapping the
: ball, he is often targeted for an early
: blast by defensive linemen, so he has to be
: able to hold his ground. The Center doesn't
: pull much (if at all), but he is often the
: pivotal blocker on pass protection. He will
: often team up with one of the guards to put
: a double team on a troublesome defensive
: lineman, to open a hole, or pass protect.
:
: I am just as mystified as many other fans as
: to why the offensive line performed so
: poorly this year. I'm inclined to hold the
: OL Coach, Steve Morton, and the departed
: Offensive Coordinator, Marcus Arroyo,
: primarily responsible for that. My guess is
: that our linemen did not have the physical
: agility and finesse necessary to execute
: Arroyo's offensive playbook, which may have
: led to disagreements between Arroyo and
: Morton. Those differences were reflected in
: the poor offensive performance.
:
: Hopefully, our coaches -- whoever they may
: be -- will mold next year's offensive line
: into a more cohesive unit, with emphasis on
: blocking , and the unit will improve. Coach
: Tomey has said he wants to emphasize
: "power" running next year. He's
: not gonna get that without a more effective
: offensive line. And a more effective
: offensive line starts with the Center who
: anchors it.
:
: I don't expect all readers will agree. Any
: comments or insights on the Center position,
: or the offensive line, are welcomed.
:
: Next up: Offensive Guards.
:
:
:
:
:
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