Suburban One League 2019 Preview and Team-by-Team Breakdowns

[tps_title]Bensalem Owls [/tps_title]

Owls look to their line to start upward trajectory

BENSALEM >> It’s not easy to find new, compelling ways to motivate the players in a high school football program known primarily for its chronic absence of winning. Ed Cubbage, the fifth-year head coach at Bensalem High, knows the feeling well.

Yet, things are looking up for Cubbage and the Owls this year despite a shortage of depth and experience on their roster. The coach can thank Lower Bucks rival and longtime non-contender Harry S Truman High for igniting renewed optimism at Bensalem. Truman, of course, won a share of the SOL National title in 2018.

“I tell the kids that we’re in one of the best leagues in the state and that’s what we point to, that a team like Truman can build itself up and compete with the big boys,” Cubbage said.

For Bensalem in 2019, the reconstruction project will have to start at the foundation. Only a few of the Owls have real varsity experience – three of them are on the offensive line. Senior guards Matt Brown and Ian Bustard will anchor the unit, along with junior tackle Joe Trunkwater.

At 6-2 and “every bit of” 330 pounds, according to Cubbage, Brown is an immovable object and an irresistible force. He is “without a doubt one of the hardest workers we have in the weight room, the classroom, and on the field.” Bustard is the team’s strongest player and another hard worker, despite his smaller stature for his position, the coach said.

In the Owls’ spread offense, Brown and Bustard are the key guys to power the inside running game.

“Their strong suit is going forward and that’s pretty much what we’re going to do,” Cubbage said.