By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
How Williams measures up at the line of scrimmage is what will matter most to what has been described as an undersized group.
This version of Bulldogs might not look as imposing at first glance, but that doesn’t faze a team with big aspirations.
“We’re short on stature and we’re big in heart,” linebacker Charlie Smith said. “They go hard every single play.”
During past Williams heydays, offensive linemen created menacing foundations. Those teams were often defined by linemen moving opponents out of the way.
Size doesn’t matter to this year’s Bulldogs.
“It doesn’t scare me one bit. I love those guys. I know they would die for me,” quarterback Dan Mahan said. “I would do anything for them. It’s not about the size of the dogs, but the size of the fight in the dog. Of course, they’ve been told how small they are. Whatever, who cares?”
Yes, the Bulldogs have heard the size topic in connection to their season’s prospects.
“We know how big we are,” center Pierce Fussell said. “We know what to do and when to do it. Everyone has good chemistry.”
For coach Patrick Stokes, the linemen are motivated by all this.
“We’ve got a mantra: They love being linemen,” he said. “They embrace that.”
The offensive line isn’t devoid of size. Senior tackles Armani Williamson, a returning starter, and Grayson Brady are listed at 200 and 240 pounds, respectively. Fussell, a 215-pounder, is a three-year starter on the line, while the Bulldogs have juniors Porter Faucette at left guard and Cassidy Gray at right guard.
Yet there’s something to prove.
“I think that would show more if we can take the stereotype out of the small line,” Mahan said. “Those guys, they work so hard every day. They all feel like they have to work extra and they do. I really think that’s going to help. They have really good chemistry. All best friends.”
The Bulldogs won’t be nixing the idea of a productive rushing attack to complement Mahan’s passing. There might be tweaks in style.
“We’re not going to run you over, per se,” Stokes said.
Some seeds for these size conversations might be coming from within the Bulldogs camp.
“These are my guys who I’ve been playing with my whole high school career,” Mahan said. “I’m really excited to see how they perform this year and kind of turn out the noise.”
Where’s this noise coming from? “Maybe just our coaches,” the quarterback said. “It might just be our coaches.”
