Team

Hubbard

Record	Div.	Conf.
5/5	Div. IV	All-American Conference White Tier

By Steve Ruman

sports@vindy.com

HUBBARD

Behind every great performance lies a strong and reliable supporting cast.

Gladys Knight had the Pips. MJ had the likes of Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Steve Kerr. Seinfeld had George, Kramer and Elaine.

With headline-makers L.J. Scott and Darnell Tate leading the charge, Hubbard entered the 2013 season considered by many as the Valley’s top team.

To date, the Eagles have not disappointed. They are off to a 7-0 start, and are ranked fourth in the Division III, Region 7 computer rankings. The Associated Press state panel of sportswriters and broadcasters rate the Eagles as the third-best Division III team statewide.

As expected, Scott and Tate are pacing a high-octane offense which is averaging 43.1 points per game.

Despite a couple of nagging injuries, Scott has rushed for 1,045 yards and 14 touchdowns on 103 carries, a 10.2 yards-per-carry average.

“L.J. is the complete player,” said Hubbard coach Brian Hoffman. “He is so very versatile. His play on offense speaks for itself, and on defense we’ve used him at three different positions. L.J. is the rare type of player who can be a game-changer on just about any play of a game.

“L.J. is also extremely mature and he’s a team leader. He’s a team guy. Even when he was injured this year, he was leading his teammates from the sidelines.”

Tate leads Hubbard in receptions (17) and receiving yards (253), and has compiled 649 all-purpose yards on the season. He, too, is a mainstay on defense and special teams, and has scored seven TDs.

“Darnell is a senior captain and a leader, he’ll do whatever is asked of him to win a football game” Hoffman said. “Offensively, he can be a weapon as a slot man, a tailback or a receiver. And he understands the little things it takes to win. When he doesn’t have the ball, he’s a great blocker in open space.”

Yet while Scott and Tate often own the headlines, the Eagles’ offensive success has been a total team effort.

“You never get to 7-0 or score this many points without a great supporting cast,” Hoffman said. “A few players on this team have gotten a lot of publicity, and rightfully so. But make no mistake about it, this has been a complete and total team effort.”

Senior quarterback Brennan Wassil has thrown for 646 yards and nine touchdowns, and has rushed for an additional 193 yards and eight TDs. Bill Fisher, Isiah Scott and Tyler Taafe highlight a deep and explosive receiving corps.

Wassil is a transfer from Kennedy Catholic, where as both a sophomore and junior he led Mercer County in passing yards. Though his numbers may be down a bit this year, he said he cherishes his role with the Eagles.

“We have so many options on offense, I’m just grateful to be part of the mix,” Wassil said. “All of these skilled players, they just make my job much easier. And our line is unreal. There are times where I run 15 yards without getting touched because our line is so good.

“We feel like we can succeed by either running or throwing the ball. We’ll do whatever it takes to win.”

Eleven different players have carried the ball this year for an Eagles’ offense which is averaging 321.4 rushing yards per game.

When Scott was forced to miss the second half of the Howland game earlier this year, sophomore George Hill stepped up and rushed 14 times for 170 yards, leading the Eagles to a come-from-behind 22-14 win. Hill has gained 569 yards on the year, averaging 9.9 yards-per-carry.

“You try to game plan in a way so that all of your play-makers can flourish. You look to get them all to have touches,” Hoffman said. “But as the game wears on, you go with what is working, you go with the hot hand or what the defense is giving.

“We’re fortunate in that we have multiple options. And maybe our biggest asset is that all these guys are team players. They are unselfish. For them, it’s all about getting the win, and nothing more.”

Hubbard is also benefiting from a deep and experienced offensive line which Hoffman says “set the tone” for each and every game.

“Up front, we’ve rotated seven guys this year with different variations, and all of our linemen have been a major part of our success,” Hoffman said. “They really get things started every game. When they come out and win the battle up front, it gets our whole team going.”

Senior center Jared O’Hara said that much like the rest of the team, the offensive line plays as a unit, with each player understanding his role. He noted that “communication is the key to our success,” and said that the group continues to gel as the season wears on.

“A big play on offense is never the result of just one lineman making a block, it takes effort by everyone up front,” O’Hara said. “We all work together.

“One thing I’ve noticed is that with each game, we’re becoming much more in tune with each other. I kind of know exactly what the guy on my left and right is going to do, and that helps me. We’re all on the same page, and that makes our assignments much easier to follow.”

Senior tackle Jake Foster said that the linemen “take great joy” in seeing teammates such as Scott and Tate grab the headlines, because “We know that we were part of the success.” He said that a grateful group of skilled players also goes a long way creating team unity.

“Whenever one of our offensive stars has a big night, they go out of their way to thank us, or they mention what a great job the line did in the newspaper,” Foster said. “That means a lot. We don’t always get recognized, which is OK. But our teammates recognize and appreciate our work. For us linemen, that’s all that matters.”

With a 7-0 record, including a 3-0 mark in league play, the Eagles can clinch a share of the All-American Conference, American Division crown tonight with a home win over Poland. A victory would also all but lock up a playoff berth.

Last year, the Eagles went 7-3 during the regular season, and defeated Niles in the first round of the playoffs before falling to Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary. They have their sights set on bigger and better things this November.

“We’re happy to be undefeated right now, but at the same time we don’t feel as though we’ve accomplished a thing just yet,” O’Hara said. “We had a really nice season last year, but what I remember most about it are the losses, especially the playoff loss.

“We’ve been motivated all year to have a far better season than we did a year ago. To do that, we have to win the big games, and we have to make a very deep playoff run. Anything short of that will be a disappointment.”

If the Eagles do accomplish their goal, it will be the result of a complete team effort.