PORT TOWNSEND — For a senior holding down a 4.0 grade point average, Port Townsend offensive and defensive linemen David Hoglund made a foolish mistake.
Hoglund started launching into his team’s offensive protection calls during an interview before his explanation was stopped short by fellow offensive guard Keegan Khile.
“Don’t say that,” Khile said while laughing
“You can’t give that stuff away, Hogie. You don’t know who’s going to read it.”
Hoglund’s willingness to share information is symbolic of a trend along Port Townsend’s offensive line.
Communication at the line of scrimmage has been a key component in the Redhawks’ unbeaten season (6-0, 9-0).
Port Townsend is led by a trio of seniors, Hoglund and Khile at the strong and quick guard spots, respectively, and 6-foot-2, 300-plus pound center
Lucas Foster.
Junior Gabe Montoya (5-11, 210) and sophomore Kaiden Parcher (6-1, 240) man the tackle spots, while sophomore Jackson Foster (6-2, 260), Lucas’ younger brother, provides relief.
“It’s a group of really strong, smart and hard-working guys,” Redhawks coach Nick Snyder said.
“Hogie is a 170-pounder benching 260, a 4.0 student and was a mountain bike state champion his sophomore year — he’s motivated.
“Keegan is our team’s leader, just relentless.
“Gabe is probably the fastest of the offensive linemen, and Kaiden is a basketball player who has really good agility.
“And Foster is the big man in the middle.”
The team’s Pistol Wing-T offense is firing at a furious clip, averaging just less than 50 points per game this year (48.2).
“Playing O-line is all about communication,” Hoglund said.
“Without all the talk we wouldn’t have the holes for these skill players to make all these tremendous plays.”
And all that chatter along the team’s senior-dominated line serves a purpose.
“It’s a whole other language when I hear them calling out the blocking schemes,” Port Townsend captain David Sua said.
“They will yell out everything on the line, but it’s like this whole little brotherhood, this bond that makes the team stronger.”
That O-Line brotherhood is referenced positively after every Redhawks game when the team gathers to debrief the contest with Snyder and Port Townsend’s assistant coaches.
“Offensive linemen typically don’t get a lot of the credit, but we stick together as brothers and we know when we deserve the credit,” Hoglund said.
“The O-Line brotherhood, it’s a family.”
Foster echoed that sentiment.
“I love my linemen to death because I depend on them and they are my brothers,” Foster said.
“I’m working with them every play.
“O-Line brotherhood is the down and dirty. All our skill players give us the credit. They are amazing skill players and make us want to push that much more. And they appreciate us maybe more than the average team.”
Khile, the lineman with the highest motor, said it’s all about besting the opponent across from him.
“Just getting pancakes,” Khile said, referring to a block that leaves a defender flat on his back.
Snyder said that the offensive line’s bond is strong off the field as well.
“It’s just a very unified group,” Snyder said.
“I know they go and eat pizza after watching film and the JV games on Mondays, and the core group is always hanging out with each other.”
Pizza, pancakes and now a playoff run, as Port Townsend opens what Snyder and his linemen hope is a lengthy stay in the postseason with a district game against Bellevue Christian (4-5) Friday at 7 p.m. at Memorial Field.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-452-2345, ext. 5250 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
