Leechburg searching for right combination at middle linebacker

By: William Whalen
Sunday, August 18, 2019 | 5:27 PM

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The human heart has two ventricles. One side pumps blood into the lungs, and the other pumps blood into the aorta.

With expectations running high after the Blue Devils’ most successful season in almost three decades, and the team returning all but three starters on defense, there’s a gaping hole in the heart of Leechburg’s defense: right and left middle linebacker.

“That’s the heart of our team,” Leechburg linebackers coach Troy Wilson said. “That’s what we’re trying to find. We got to find two guys that can run and two guys that can hit and can tackle. We’re looking for the heart of our team.”

The hole in the middle of the defense was left when Bret Kardos and Nico Venanzio graduated.

“What (Kardos and Venanzio) had was the attitude and aggression,” Wilson said. “They were the heart of our team.”

The standard is high, to say the least. Wilson and Leechburg coach Mark George aren’t just looking for a few good men to fill a spot. They are looking for a few good men who want to be great.

The competition to start at middle linebacker is the most hotly contested position battle in camp, as most every other spot is set.

“I told them it is an open competition because we don’t give anything to anyone,” Wilson said. “They can say it’s just two linebackers, but it’s two guys that dictate the calls and shifting guys around.”

Near the top of the list are senior Alex Stramaski and sophomore Jacob Reinke.

At 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, Stramaski feels comfortable in the position. He closed the final two games of the regular season at middle linebacker filling in for an injured Venanzio.

“Our coaches say that every day is audition,” Stramaski said.

After getting a taste of middle linebacker, Stramaski knew he had to bulk up if he wanted to start. He put on 20 pounds, hit the weight room and did speed training.

“Last year I wasn’t very big,” Stramaski said. “I got pushed around, and I’ve been starting since my freshman year here and there.”

While Stramaski’s strength might be dropping into pass coverage, Reinke isn’t shy about making contact and filling holes. Reinke, who started three games last season when Kardos went down with an injury, is a key part of the team’s future.

“He’s physical, and he reminds me of (Venanzio),” Wilson said. “Reinke does not mind running into someone. His biggest asset is his strength and physicality.”

Reinke stands at 5-11, 205.

“I think there’s a lot of eyes on the middle linebackers right now because there’s is a big question as to who is going to play those positions this year,” Reinke said.

The wild card in camp is 5-7, 170-pound senior Trace Ensley. He transferred into the district from Wichita Falls, Texas, in May. A three-year starter at middle linebacker at his previous school, Ensley recorded eight sacks his junior season.

“He’s new, and he’s showing spurts of stuff,” Wilson said. “He flies around and makes plays. He’s athletic.”

Ensley also competed in powerlifting at his previous school. His max bench is 235 pounds, and his top deadlift is 405.

“There’s a lot of competition, and I’m trying to prove myself,” Ensley said. “I feel like my strength is to drop back (into pass coverage) because I’m pretty quick, or blitzing. Blitzing is what I did a lot of in Texas.”

Also in the mix are seniors William Harvey and Jeff Wadsworth, along with freshman Braylon Lovelace.

Lovelace has been described as a generational player whose talent is untapped and is going to turn heads once he learns the system.

“There’s four or five of us competing for the starting middle linebacker spots,” Reinke said. “In my opinion, everyone is about even. I think we’ll have multiple players switching in and out until we find our top two.”

William Whalen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Leechburg