Offensive line leading Phantoms’ state run
West De Pere likes to run the football.
The 4,258 yards and 64 touchdowns it has racked up on the ground this season are evidence of that.
The Phantoms are averaging a bruising 6.7 yards per carry and have had five different players post multiple games of at least 100 rushing yards this season.
It’s a testament to the job the West De Pere offensive line has done.
“They’re running hard for us, so we have to block hard for them,” West De Pere senior center Cameron Reese said.
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Reese is joined by junior tackle Kerry Kodanko, sophomore tackle Gabe Somerville, senior guard Liam McDonough and junior guard Bryce Graef on the offensive line, while junior tight end Billy Wyatt and senior fullback Matt Kempen are also key cogs as to why the Phantoms are averaging 327.5 rushing yards per game this year.
Reese, Kodanko, Graef and Wyatt were all first-team all-Bay Conference choices this year.
“The offensive line group they come in every day and are willing to get better,” West De Pere senior defensive lineman Jake Karchinski said. “Their improvement from the first day of practice until now is absolutely incredible. The way they go at practice every day it shows on the field.”
West De Pere will face its toughest test of the season Friday morning when its squares off against Waukesha Catholic Memorial in the WIAA Division 3 state championship game at Camp Randall Stadium.
The offensive line knows it will have to have its best effort this year to be able to open holes in Madison.
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“We’re just all really close and we trust each other,” Reese said. “That’s the big thing on our offensive line. We communicate really well. On top of that, we have our three or four running backs at times that come in and give us an energy boost.”
Josh Blount leads the stable of backs, as the sophomore quarterback has rushed for 1,579 yards and 23 touchdowns. Blount has surpassed the 100-yard mark seven times.
Junior Cody Cavil, sophomore David Vanderlogt, junior Sam Mommaerts and senior Evan Frisque have also recorded 100-yard games on multiple occasions this year.
To further speak to how well the offensive line has played this season, the Phantoms didn’t pass once last week against Rice Lake in windy and snowy conditions, and had sophomore Kaden Kosobucki step up to rush for a season-high 79 yards.
“It has been a good mix,” West De Pere coach Jack Batten said.
“We’re just playing really well right now and confidentially and aggressive and downhill. We’re going to need all of that and more when we face Catholic Memorial this Friday.”
