DALTON – Senior Matthew Heatwole will remember Week 6 forever.
“(He) had 9.5 sacks when we played Northwestern,” Dalton coach Ray Leek said.
Yes, you read that correctly — NINE AND A HALF.
“He’s coming on strong,” Leek said. “He’s a great lineman on both sides of the ball, and someone that we really count on and lean on when we need to.”
Dalton’s Matthew Heatwole brings down Hillsdale’s Owen Sloan.
Entering Week 8, Heatwole has 37.5 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. And he’s one of the main reasons the Bulldogs have only allowed 123 points on the season — 90 of those came in their two losses to No. 2 in Division VI Kirtland and No. 9 in Division VII Hillsdale.
“He’s the kind of kid that can take over a game,” Leek said. “He’s a physical kid, he’s disciplined, he practices hard, and on every play he’s only got one speed. He’s just a very physical kid who’s aggressive and has a motor that doesn’t stop.
“It didn’t surprise me to see him have a performance like that, he’s somebody that’s going to require a double team often.”
Week 8 Football Preview | Rivals meet with league title, postseason implications at stake
Finding the perfect balance
Last season the Bulldogs could run on just about anyone led by Greyson Siders, who rushed for 1,916 rushing yards and 32 total TDs, and current senior Sammy Tomlinson approaching the 1,000-yard mark with 18 touchdowns alongside. As a team Dalton rushed for more than 4,000 yards and 62 touchdowns en route to a state runner-up finish.
With Siders now gone, and Leek in his first season at the helm of the program, things have changed a bit.
“We’ve got key athletes in some roles outside,” Leek said. “Sammy Tomlinson moved the wide out, Brady Hignight, Kaden Russell, Alex Hess, can all be split out wide. And we can move some of them into the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/small-bites-bulldogs-senior-stacks-131547468.html
Author : The Daily Record
Publish date : 2024-10-10 13:15:47
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.