Burridge, O-line giving Octorara reason to dream
WEST FALLOWFIELD >> In the past, if the Octorara football team was going to be successful, it had to rely on the talents of a few extremely talented stars.
When the Braves last made the playoffs two years ago, they could count on the rushing yards piled up by the tandem of lightning quick running back Charles Cooper, or quarterback Alex Gooden, who had a habit of turning broken plays into big gains almost singlehandedly.
Before that, the Braves saw the postseason thanks to the arm of quarterback Danny Solomon, who threw as well as almost anyone in the Ches-Mont League.
But even with all those kinds of playmakers, an opening week win is a rarity for the Braves, the last one coming four years ago.
Last Friday, though, the Braves not only won their opener over Springfield (Montco), they did so easily, 47-20, with enough of a cushion after just one half of play, that many Octorara starters sat much of the second half.
And while running back Scott Burridge got the headlines after churning out 180 yards on the ground to go with four touchdowns, he did so because of offensive line play the likes of which head coach Jed King hadn’t seen before.
“We had some guys play well on the line before, but not entire units like I have now,” said King. “I’ve never seen a line as aggressive as these guys are. No matter how big a hole they’ve created, no matter how far upfield they get, until that whistle blows, they are looking for people to hit. There’s none of the idea that they completed their assignment so it’s OK to stand around watching the play.”
Burridge, also a stand-out wrestler for the Braves, isn’t the fastest gut on the planet, rather relying more on his toughness and ability to break tackles to pick up yards. So a good line in front of him is paramount.
“This was the best offseason I’ve seen here,” said Burridge. “We’ve all put in a ton of work.”
Still, no one had any idea that the payoff would be the best day of running for Burridge since his days playing for the Downingtown Young Whippets in pee-wee.
“Even then, I don’t think I scored four touchdowns,” said Burridge. “I looked at the film over and over, and I was watching this one cross block. On the field, all I could see were the backs of my linemen. Then seeing it on film, all their butts were to the hole just like we’re taught. It’s a combination of the coaching we’re getting, plus us wanting it more. But nothing will matter unless we keep it going. But I think this team will keep it going.”
Manning the O-line for the Braves are senior Jeries Madanat and juniors Andrew Allison, Donnie Black, Joe Leen, and Joe Meyer, with junior Wade Thomas coming in as a sixth man.
“We’re all working hard here, giving 110 percent on every play,” said Leen. “We’re seeing a lot more intensity than in the past, and we all are just hoping we can carry that out all season.”
The line prides itself on its willingness to go out and bang, playing the kind of smashmouth football that breeds a solid running game.
“It’s all part of a team concept, a team game that you’ll only understand when you’re out there fighting alongside your brothers,” said Meyer. “Our main job is to protect the guy with the ball, and to do that, you just have to keep blocking everyone in sight until you hear that whistle.”
All the Braves, however, recognize that Week 1, while a great win, was only Week 1, and there’s a lot of football still to be played.
“We can’t be satisfied,” said Leen. “We have to just keep going out with this kind of intensity, and keep working hard every single day to get better and better each week.”
