Published: November 20, 2009 09:44 pm      

HS FOOTBALL: NT's line ready for Baldwinsville

When North Tonawanda lines up against the Baldwinsville Bees in tonight’s Class AA state semifinal, the Lumberjacks will be looking square into the eyes of the biggest linemen they’ve seen all year.

Casey Shreve says bring it on.

“I think they’re big and slow and we’re just going to beat them off the ball,” Shreve, a senior offensive lineman for the Jacks, said after practice this week.

That about sums up how ready NT’s big guys are for their battle in the trenches. With two teams that rely heavily on the run, the battle up front is going to go a long way toward determining who moves on to the state finals.

Kickoff for tonight’s game is at 6 p.m. at Rochester’s Marina Auto Stadium. It will be broadcast live on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel 13.

The Bees’ starting line features the following numbers: 6-foot-4, 245-pounds; 6-2, 275; 6-6, 275; 6-1, 210; 5-11, 210; they’ve also got a 6-foot, 230-pound tight end. The Jacks are a bit smaller, but that doesn’t matter, they say. “Size is a factor, but our line is smart,” quarterback Mike Tuzzo said.

“They know who they’re hitting, they know who to lead. They bring the intensity every single time,” Tuzzo added. “Kyle (Shreve) is unbelievable at center. It doesn’t matter who’s across from him, he’s going to beat them down until they don’t want to come back any more. They’re a physical group of guys.”

North Tonawanda coach Eric Jantzi has no qualms about his line’s ability to contain Baldwinsville senior tailback Malik Burks, who has rushed for over 2,800 yards this season. He’s equally as confident in the O-line’s ability to create space for running backs Joe Montesanti, Steve Kijowski and Tom Sell. The Shreve brothers, along with Collin O’Donnell, Clayton Schmidt and Ben Kanaley, have opened plenty of holes for the ground game, allowing NT to rush for more than 300 yards per game.

“I would put our line up against anybody’s,” Jantzi said, adding that size helps, but it’s not everything. “It’s how you get off the ball, fill your gap responsibilities on offense and move people on defense.”

“They’ve got three really big kids. Other than that, we’re pretty evenly sized,” Jantzi said.

For Kyle Shreve, Baldwinsville’s size means he and his NT linemates will simply need to get off the ball faster and be more physical, something they’re ready to do.

“It’s a challenge to see if you got better through the season,” said Casey Shreve. “We’ve gotten a lot better since Day One. We improve every week.”

That’s because they’re playing for each other rather than for themselves. “None of us are individuals,” he said. “We’re all a team. Trust your teammates — they do their job, you do your job and everything’s good.”

Things will be good for NT if the line plays as tough as it talks. It’s evident they’re up to the challenge.

“It’s just another fight,” said Casey Shreve. “We’ve got to come out swinging.”

Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.