The scoreboard is directly where outcomes of football games are determined. The line of scrimmage is where they are indirectly determined.
Baylor (10-1) and Ensworth (9-2) will have some big, agile athletes in the trenches tonight in their game to determine the TSSAA Division II-AA state champion. Kickoff at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville is set for 8 EST.
If not for the grunt work done by the offensive linemen, neither Baylor senior quarterback and Mr. Football winner Jacob Huesman nor Ensworth sophomore running back and Mr. Football finalist Cornelius Elder would have more than 1,700 rushing yards coming into the game.
“Those guys pretty much are in hand-to-hand combat from the snap to the whistle,” Baylor coach Phillip Massey said of the linemen.
Tonight’s game is a rematch from Oct. 22 when the Tigers defeated Baylor 41-29. Massey said one of the Red Raiders’ goals this time around is to work on taking good blocking angles, as well as sustaining their blocks.
Red Raiders running back George Potter is 48 yards away from reaching 1,000 for the year, and despite being a 160-pound freshman, he’s often asked to get the tough yards inside behind 6-foot-2, 230-pound junior center Chase Beard. Beard is flanked by 6-3 1/2, 270-pound junior left guard Mitch Payne and 6-1, 315-pound sophomore right guard Derek Green.
Massey said as the season has progressed, so has his team’s offense. The offensive linemen must continue to learn week to week, while continuing to retain what’s already been covered.
Junior Billy Sivley (6-2, 255) is Baylor’s right tackle and classmate Barrett Gouger (6-5, 280) is the tackle on the quarterback’s blind side. Huesman has also thrown for 1,078 yards this year, so keeping him upright is a priority.
“We’ve got to pass,” Massey said. “They’re too big and strong up front for us to think we don’t have to throw the ball.”
Behind Ensworth’s strong front are active linebackers Austin Prevost and Nantambu Fentress, who have combined for 150 tackles, 13 for loss. Provost leads the Tigers with three sacks.
“They like to move, slide around and bring some ‘backers now and then,” Gouger said. “We’ve worked on all of that.”
Ensworth has a Mr. Football lineman finalist in 6-3, 295-pound senior Keenan Crenshaw, who is being recruited by the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Tulane and Kentucky. His primary role is on offense, but “big hits” is one of the statistical categories the Tigers keep on defense and his five are second only to Fentress’s six.
When he does play defense it could be at any of the down-lineman positions. Gouger said the two had a few confrontations in the last meeting, and he expects a few more this time.
“I don’t really look at matchups too much,” Crenshaw said. “Whoever I line up against, I just try to do my job and move them out of the way or plug holes on defense. Having Cornelius running behind us gives us a lot of confidence as a line because we know it doesn’t take much for him to break big plays.”
It’s possible Gouger might play a little more defensive tackle than usual tonight, but no matter who’s out there it’s going to take every defender to try to contain Elder, which the Red Raiders didn’t do last time.
“They’re beatable,” Gouger said. “We played our worst defensive game against them. Obviously they’re fast, but we’re going to be ready for them.
“I’d rather be playing them. It’s good to get redemption or revenge against somebody that beat us the first time. Here’s our chance.”