Central's offensive line help Tigers get off to hot start on the ground

Central junior quarterback Christian Cavaness wanted to show appreciation for his offensive line, so he took a page out of his father's playbook.

Cavaness invites the offensive line over for dinner once a week in an effort to build a stronger relationship with the players charged with protecting him. It's something his father did during his high school career.

"Every time they're coming over to my house to eat, I tell them I know you're not getting to score touchdowns, so I'm just going to repay you by letting you come over here and have some food and just enjoy being together," Cavaness said. "They're always happy to hang out together and be eating together."

The linemen appreciate the gesture.

"It's nice to know he's appreciating us," senior Jeremy Lamb said. "It makes us want to protect him that much more."

Central's offensive line returned four starters from last season's team. Tight end Zach Boerboom also started last season for the Tigers. (Kristin Eberts)

Lamb said about half of the conversation at the weekly dinners of pizza or burgers is about football, where they'll reminisce about past gridiron success and talk about the upcoming week's opponent.

"It really brings us closer," junior Cody Owens said. "I think it just makes our friendship tighter so that when we do get in tight situations in a game, we do trust each other."

The bonds of friendship between offensive linemen is paying off for the Tigers. Central has rushed for 609 yards in two games, an average of 304.5 yards per game. The Tigers' success running the ball and protection for Cavaness have helped Central get off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2002.

"They're just working as hard as they can," Cavaness said. "They know what they're supposed to do and they get their assignments done at the line and they know who they're blocking. It just makes it that much easier because they're always on the same page."

Four of the linemen -- Lamb, Kevin Flesher, Chris Bird and Zach Horrell -- along with tight end Zach Boerboom started last season. Owens joined the starting lineup this season. That familiarity helped the Tigers hit the ground running when camp opened in August.

Central quarterback Christian Cavaness barks out calls behind center Cody Owens during the Tigers' Week 1 win against New Madrid.

"The first days of practice, you usually have to go over the basic plays," Lamb said. "But when everybody's been working that long, you don't have to work so hard on the basics and focus more on the details."

The familiarity also helps each lineman get better because no one is afraid to offer a critique to help someone improve.

"We're very willing to listen," Bird said. "We know if we tell each other something, we have to be doing something wrong. If we're doing something right, we won't say anything to each other but, 'Good job.' If we're doing something wrong, we'll tell each other then we'll correct it on the next play. That's the best way to be a line. You got to communicate."

The communication and honest approach provides a little added motivation for each game.

"You're not just winning for yourself or your school," Horrell said. "It's your friends that you're out there playing with. You want to win for them too."

The linemen all agreed that their success started during the summer.

"In the offseason, when we were in the weight room, we broke a lot of records individually that hadn't been touched in quite a few years," Flesher said. "Our whole line was in there the whole season, working together. I knew we were going to be a lot stronger than last year, come back with some vengeance.

"After each time we were lifting, we'd go out and eat. Try to get our weight up. It was just an effort all around."

The linemen lifted three times a week and participated in the Sikeston contact camp. Owens said the camp is where he noticed a change in the line.

"We went in there and we handled guys that we hadn't really been able to hang with before," he said.

The results have been impressive so far this season. Central has featured a 100-yard rusher in its first two games -- James Poindexter in the opener and Keilon Moore in Week 2.

"We take a lot of pride because I know when they get the ball, they're going to run hard, running to the best of their abilities," Bird said. "It makes the line look better."

Poindexter led the rushing attack with 151 yards against New Madrid in the opener. The Tigers averaged 8.7 yards per carry in that contest. The rushing attack was even more successful against Festus, led by Moore's 143 yards and Poindexter's 91. The Tigers averaged 7.0 yards per carry in Week 2.

"Especially when it's your friends that are running the ball, you don't want to leave them out to dry," Lamb said. "It's nice to see their talent show when you knew it was there the whole time."

All the linemen said the running backs are quick to share the praise for their success. It's a gesture that sits well with the line since blocking isn't a glamorous position, although there are reward.

"That's one of the most powerful things you can do is move another man against his will," Boerboom said. "It's great. It's up there with scoring. To move another guy that's the same size, same weight as you and your team gets the first [down], it's great."

While Central linemen have worked to improve their blocking technique, Boerboom said successful blocking takes much more than proper technique.

"Blocking is 99 percent effort," Boerboom said. "Everyone knows where they're going and they're trying with everything they have to get there. It's probably about 75 percent will and 25 percent technique. If you get in the right position, everything else is just effort."

Central coach Rich Payne likes the effort he's seen so far. It's one of the reasons he decided to go for the first down on fourth-and-inches from his own 31-yard line in the closing minutes against Festus last week. The Tigers only led 21-16 at the time.

"It gives us more confidence in ourselves knowing that coach believes in us," Bird said. "We know that coming down the stretch like that, coach will make the right decision and put it in our hands and let us determine the outcome ourselves."

Owens added, "That's really important to hear that your head coach believes in you that much."

The Tigers will try for a 3-0 start Saturday when they host Obion County, Tenn. Bird said the offensive line has started well, but he expects more from the experienced unit that averages 6 foot and 233 pounds.

"I think we're going to keep getting better," he said. "Later on in the season I really think we'll get there."