Easley High School Offensive Line Coach Brian Strickland talks to his players last week against JL Mann. The Green Wave will return home on Friday for homecoming against Woodmont.
Scott Schroeder | The Easley Progress
EASLEY — It all starts on the O Line.
That popular saying holds true, too, for the Easley High School football team. They are dialed in this season, run-blocking for the scrappy Aaron Tolbert and pass-blocking for the rifle-arm of Jay Stoker.
“We’ve got some guys back and some position-battles going on,” said EHS head coach Sam Houston, recently at practice. “All of these guys compete with each other. It’s a good group.”
Overall, it’s been a bit of a work-in-progress for the Green Wave offensive line.
First, they are adjusting to a first-year coach on the O Line in Brian Strickland.
“It was kind of a get-to-know-you stage because I came in during spring practice,” said Strickland. “It’s new and I do things differently than they are accustomed to, but they’ve adjusted well to it.”
Strickland is in his first year of coaching the O Line at Easley, but he brings plenty of experience to the forefront.
“I’ve been coaching for 32 years,” Strickland said. “I’ve been a head coach and I’ve been a coordinator, but probably the thing I enjoy the most is coaching the offensive line. They are a special group of kids. Not a lot of primadonnas in that group.”
Junior Jaxon Wilson (No. 66) has been widely regarded as the “anchor” of the Green Wave offensive line. He can play guard or tackle or wherever is needed in the trenches for Easley.
“He (Wilson) comes to work every day, he plays hard and is vocal when he needs to be,” said Strickland.
One big boost to the Easley O Line has been the return of senior Jeb Bishop after a foot injury last season.
“He (Bishop) sort of solidified our rotation,” said Strickland. “We were kind of scrambling our first couple of games, playing people in different positions. Now, we’ve been able to settle into a five-man rotation.”
Cole Watkins is another “constant” on the Easley line at center and he is also a standout wrestler. Watkin is only a sophomore and he brings a solid 1-2 punch in the future with Wilson also returning.
Junior Brody Lesley (No. 75) had a really good preseason and is one they are counting on this season.
Not to be overlooked on the O Line is sophomore Kaleb Davis (No. 73).
“I call him (Davis) our sixth man,” Strickland said. “He’s our backup at everything but center. He’s played in every game and has played a different position in every game. He’s just a sophomore and has done a really good job learning that sort of stuff – taking on that role and embracing it.”
Senior tackle Zayden Smith (No. 53) and junior Henry Masterson (No. 77) help round out the EHS O Line.
Reach Jeff Holt at 864-855-0355.