Coaches say football games are won in the trenches.
And the Northview High Chiefs have a pretty solid group of soldiers down there fighting those battles.
The Chiefs' offensive line, which features three-year starters LaDerious Franklin and Blake McCall, has been the strength of Northview's offense this season.
That offensive line has paved the way for a team that has averaged 256 yards on the ground and 145 yards through the air for an average of 401 yards of total offense per game.
"They have done the job," Northview coach Sid Wheatley said. "You had LaDerious (Franklin) and Blake (McCall) that have been there for three years, but then you have two new guards and a center. Those interior three guys, whether it be (Justin) Halteman, Kahlil (Grice), Logan Weber or Tyler Roley, they're all smart kids that play extremely hard
."
The Chiefs went into the season having a pretty good idea the skilled position players would be solid. Wheatley felt during the spring if the offensive line could mesh the three new starters with the old guard, they had a chance to have a pretty special offense.
"We've really progressed, I think," guard Justin Halteman said. "We started off with three new guys coming in and I'd say we really picked up the pace and especially grew throughout the season.
"Coach (Ty) Wise always preaches if you win in the trenches, you will win the game. He always pushes us and we work hard and have grown together."
Wise, a Washington High graduate, coaches the offensive line at Northview, and uses his experience of playing at the University of Miami and professionally with the Chicago Bears to the Chiefs' benefit.
"Ty Wise does a tremendous job with the offensive linemen," Wheatley said. "He's got them coached up and they know what to expect in every situation. They just do their job well. They're technicians."
Halteman said Wise's experience and knowledge has been a huge asset to the Chiefs this season.
"I'd say we lean on him a lot," Halteman said. "He's a great coach. I came into this game as a junior, and didn't know that much about the offensive line, and he really coached us up.
"I'd say he's made me the man I am today."
Wheatley said the thing that sets this line apart from others is its ability to jump in and out of various offensive philosophies, without taking a step back.
"It's big because you don't always see the same defense and you want to kind of counter your offense with what you think may be successful," Wheatley said. "They're equally adept at going straight ahead and run blocking, as they are in dropping back into pass blocking. They're a very smart and versatile group."
