Shiloh Christian lining up for big future
Posted on Wednesday, September 5, 2007
SPRINGDALE — The “Tub Club” is working on a new identity for Shiloh Christian.
The Saints’ starting offensive linemen are big and strong and should be around for some time. The group ranges from 227 pounds to 267 pounds and is made up of two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior.
The Tub Club — right tackle Nick O’Quinn, right guard Samuel Harvill, center Josh Salsbury, left guard Justin Young and left tackle Travis Bodenstein — made an impressive debut Friday in Shiloh Christian’s 42-14 victory over Prestonwood Christian.
It was a welcome sign for Coach Josh Floyd, who plans to build his Spread offense around the massive group for the next several years.
“They’re pretty physical with good size,” Floyd said. “Our line is where the talent is this year.” Shortly after he was hired in the spring of 2004, Floyd brought in former Arkansas Razorback Caleb Perry to coach the Saints’ linemen. The sight of Perry hovering over his band of husky linemen at one end of the field during practices earned the Tub Club its nickname.
None of the linemen compares physically to Nolan Hankins, last season’s 6-7, 350-pound leader on the line who is now playing at Missouri State. But the Saints are much bigger across the line from tackle to tackle this year.
The most experienced member of the group is O’Quinn, a 6-2, 242-pound junior.
“He’s just a strong kid, and he’s athletic for his size,” Floyd said. “He’s been through a lot of battles. That’s why you can definitely say he’s our leader up front.” The Saints waited until the playoffs to call up O’Quinn from the junior high team two years ago, but Perry said he was capable of starting before that. O’Quinn’s performance in the playoffs that year and throughout last season gave the Saints enough confidence to bring up Salsbury, Harvill and Bodenstein to start their freshman seasons.
“We should’ve done it with Nick,” Perry said. “We lost to Prairie Grove that year, and we kind of learned our lesson with that. The next year, we figured Salsbury could be the guy Nick would’ve been.” Salsbury, a 5-11, 240-pound sophomore, started every game last year and is using the experience to help this year’s freshmen.
“We kind of share the role as the leader,” O’Quinn said of Salsbury. “He’s really motivating with his words. He’ll be a good leader when I’m gone.” Harvill, 6-1, 240, and Bodenstein, 6-4, 267, are freshmen, but neither look anything like ninth-graders.
Harvill appeared in Sports Illustrated over the summer after bench pressing 405 pounds and has since increased his maximum lift to 455. Bodenstein, who knocked down his opponent on his first play Friday, is closest in size and ability to Hankins at this stage.
“We still have a lot to learn,” said Harvill, known as “Spike” to teammates. “We’ve got to look up to the older guys, but I think, physically, me and Travis are fine now.” Young, a 5-10, 227-pound sophomore, is the only one who didn’t start as a freshman, but his natural instincts and mobility have helped him catch on quickly. Junior Derek Dellinger, 6-1, 230, and sophomore Isaac Foley, 5-10, 215, rotate in frequently to add depth.
Teaching freshmen the skills he learned with the Razorbacks has been Perry’s toughest challenge in his four years at Shiloh Christian.
“You’d better make it understandable, because if you do it the wrong way, you’ll have a bunch of big guys out there who don’t know what they’re doing,” Perry said. “You’ve got to make it simple.” The rewards make it all worthwhile, especially why you have a group like this.
“Their potential is endless,” Perry said. “It’s going to be a great group to transition after this year into [Class ] 4 A. We may have some changes at the skill positions, but we’ll basically have the same group on the line.
“ It doesn’t get any better for me as a coach.” Up next Shiloh Christian at Gravette WHEN 7 p.m. Friday RECORDS Shiloh Christian 1-0, Gravette 0-1 RADIO KAYH-FM, 89. 3
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