Entering the season, the question mark for El Dorado’s football team was the offensive line. After eight games, the Wildcats are 6-2 and own the 6A East’s top-scoring offense, averaging 43.75 points per game.
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“Overall, they’ve played very well,” El Dorado coach Steven Jones said of the offensive line. “There have not been a lot of teams put pressure on the quarterback. We’re so good out on the edge, people are having to put extra guys outside the box. So, there haven’t been as many hats in there for them to pick up. Our run game has been solid as well. I think we’ve mixed it up enough to help them out. A team can’t sell out to pass rush. They also have to play the run. Offensive line has done a real good job in pass (protection) and also establishing the line of scrimmage and running the football.”
Up front, the Wildcats have usually lined up with senior Jalen Frazier at left tackle, senior Devin Walter at left guard, junior Japhen Baker at center, senior Cameron Davis at right guard, junior Jamaal Green at right tackle and junior Elijah Bivens rotating in.
Jones said El Dorado’s successful offense has been a combination of solid line play up front along with an assortment of weapons on the perimeter. Quarterback Sharmon Rester’s dual threat ability makes defensive coordinators think twice before selling out with pressure.
“It does. People want to make sure those lanes don’t open up. You have a quarterback that can run like that, a lot of times they’d rather have him put it up in the air,” Jones said. “That’s where he’s been making them pay. He’s been really accurate this year, close to 65 percent completion, which is great.
“When you’re able to change the game with runs from the quarterback spot, that makes people very hesitant to get into a big pass rush.”
Of course, all the firepower in the world still needs a fuse or a trigger. El Dorado’s offensive line has played its role and answered all the questions this season.
“I’ve been really pleased with them,” said Jones. “I’ve said it before, they’re our most improved group on the team. In the spring they were a big-time question mark. We’ve had guys step up and a couple young guys rotating in that have helped. I just think they’re one of the better offensive lines in Class 6A.”