Monday, August 20, 2012
BERLIN CENTER
It’s been five years since Alex Dahler has played football.
The Western Reserve senior ran track for the past three years and caught the attention of the Blue Devils football coaches when he’d beat former running back Donnie Bolton in foot races.
“I could keep up with him and beat him,” Dahler said. “That’s when the coaches started talking to me.”
Now, he’s bulking up to take on the load of an anticipated encore after the school’s best season on the gridiron.
“It’s the big time,” Dahler said. “It’s a big jump from pee-wee until now and it’s way different. The shoes are different. I’m getting used to that and the shoulder pads and carrying the ball.”
It’s much too early to worry about the inexperience, Devils fans.
“I haven’t fumbled yet,” Dahler said.
Western Reserve went 13-1 in 2011 with Inter Tri-County League Tier Two, district and regional championships. Leaving are Division VI and The Vindicator’s offensive player of the year, Jeff Clegg, all-state lineman Tyler Powell, deep-threat wide receiver Thomas Benyo and, of course, the powerful Bolton. His 29 touchdowns and 2,500 rushing yards are school records.
“You’re not going to replace them,” Western Reserve coach Andy Hake said. “There’s just other guys that step up and fill their roles. We don’t even talk about it. They’re gone and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s just up to these other guys to come aboard.”
Hake said Dahler “has been very impressive.” Then there is fullback Dan Zilke, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound fullback — “a truck,” as Hake likes to call him.
Quarterback Nick Allison, at 6-foot-4 and 165 pounds, is bigger than Clegg — now a preferred walk-on at Youngstown State — but less mobile.
“He’s the prototypical pocket passer,” Hake said. “He can throw it a mile. Nick is as talented as [Clegg and 2009-10 QB Shane Ewing] were. And he has the potential that they did — maybe even a little more.
“It’s just experience. He needs reps. There’s no doubt about it that he can do it.”
Allison’s No. 1 target is Tim Cooper. One of two three-year lettermen, the senior is a quick one-on-one wideout who also anticipates seeing some time in the backfield.
While there will be new faces, Cooper says the new guys haven’t missed a beat.
“This summer, we really gelled,” he said. “We’ve put in a lot of hard work in practice and at camps. I think they’re ready for it right away.”
Hake has more than half of the 101 boys enrolled at Western Reserve on the practice field this summer. Twenty-six players are underclassmen.
“There’s guys out there and we’re hard on the kids,” Hake said. “But we have the numbers and the enthusiasm and it’s not always normal for a Division VI school.”
That enthusiasm helped urge Dahler to come out for his last high school season.
“Last year’s success brought the team together and I wanted to be a part of that even more,” he said. “Everybody in the school and community was very enthusiastic and this year we’re going to try and do it again.”
In the meantime, he’s shaking out of the track spikes and fully getting used to his football cleats.
“It’s big shoes to fill,” Dahler said. “I’ve been trying my hardest and working to either beat Donnie’s record or go 10-0 again. Both would be awesome.”