ZANESVILLE - Muskingum Valley coach Len Hartman pulled no punches when assessing his team following the first full-contact practice Wednesday.

He liked their intensity, especially along the defensive line, where guys like Tri-Valley's Jesse Gaswint, Crooksville's Terry Corp and Zanesville's Kyle Collins flashed the ability that made them marquee players for their respective teams. The goal-line defense was strong too.

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Offensively, however, he admitted he's looking for a little more.

It's no secret that Hartman is a run-oriented coach who seeks aggressive play up front. He wants offensive linemen who can fire out, use good hand placement and drive block in an effort "to keep the line moving."

Defensively, he wants players who can win leverage battles, shed those same blockers and pursue the ball.

In some cases, a player can fulfill both needs.

"A lot of times guys who are your best offensive lineman might be your best defensive lineman," Hartman said. "It's up to us as coaches to find out who fits in where."

It was common scene on Wednesday for many of the linemen to change sides in an effort to get repetitions on both offense and defense. With the game played in the middle of July's heat, it's no secret that every player will be needed in an effort to stay fresh.

Hartman said at the beginning of practice on Sunday that he'd like to be two-platoon as much as possible. But that will be dependent on how well players progress before next week's game.

"The conditioning is the hardest part," Morgan's Nick Lawrence said. "You're just not used to being in pads. I think we'll be ready by the time the game gets here though. I think once guys pick everything up, and know what they are doing, then we'll come along pretty fast."

Both lines are big and deep.

The offensive line, despite the loss of Sheridan's A.J. Mack, who quit the team prior to Wednesday's practice, still has seven players at least 240 pounds.

Gaswint, headed to Wooster, is 6-3, 260. Sheridan's tackle-guard combo of Dustin Williams and Steve Emmert, a Muskingum signee, are 6-4, 295 and 6-4, 285, respectively. Both were mainstays on a pair of Division III regional finalists the last two years.

Corp, a two-time All-Southeast District selection in Division V, is 6-0, 285 and destined for Mount Union. Zanesville's Clay Lawyer is 6-2, 260, and New Lexington's Matt McCabe (6-1, 240) and Koy Dennis (6-5, 275) were the top linemen for New Lexington's Division IV playoff team in 2005. McCabe was a three-year starter for the Panthers.

Size is one thing. Most coaches will take an aggressive 220-pound blocking machine over a 250-pound load of motionless humanity anytime. Size and good ability are a different story.

"I'm looking for guys who are going to fire off the ball, finish blocks and have a nasty demeanor, and I think we'll have some of that once guys start getting everything down assignment-wise," Hartman said. "Right now, guys are a little bit tentative. But there's no question the talent is there. If we're going to win this game, these are the guys we're going to do it with."

And Hartman would know. He was a starter at guard at Ohio State during the early 1990s. Hartman has been very "hands-on" during the one-on-one trench battles during practice.

"I think the work that Coach Hartman is putting in with them is making them better than they were before they got here," West Muskingum tight end/defensive end Jared Jesse said. "I agree with the coaches. I think that's where this game is going to be decided - up front. Coach Hartman played at Ohio State and I think the guys who don't know him respect him and listen to him because of that."

But make no mistake, Hartman is still looking.

"Nobody is locked into a starting job yet," Hartman said.

sblackburn@nncogannett.com
740-450-6723

Originally published July 13, 2006

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