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By Scott Stump – Managing Editor
They are usually the players who toil in
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anonymity paving the way for everyone else ’ s glory H ow ever, this s eas on in the S hor e Con fer ence, a herald ed tr io o f off ens ive linemen w ill be har d to mis s . They are alread y o n the r adar of numerous F o otball Bo w l S ubd ivis io n (F BS ) s choo ls an d among the top recru its in N ew J er s ey in their res pective clas s es . H ow Lacey s enio r Tyrell S mith , Lo ng Br anch s enior Ryan Br o die and M on s ignor D onovan ju n ior Br ad H en s on got to this po in t is diff er en t fo r all three, but the 20 11 s eas o n h as beco me their time to s h in e.
A Steady Progression When Ryan Brodie first ascended to the varsity level as a sophomore, head coach Dan George simply wanted to see if the 6-foot-4, 250-pounder could battle to win a starting spot. Brodie was able to lock
down a position, so the next step in his evolution was playing both ways for the first time as a junior. He got a rude awakening about what kind of conditioning was necessary to be productive while rarely coming off the field. “Sophomore it was, ‘Can he solidify his spot?’’ George said. “Junior year was, ‘Can he play both ways?’ Now it’s, ‘Can he start dominating games?’’ “I’ve just been working hard on my strength, my footwork, everything,’’ Brodie said. “I’ve also been working hard on my conditioning. We had a scrimmage the other day, and I was out there the whole time and felt like it was nothing.’’ Brodie’s progression over the past two years certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed, as he boasts double-digit scholarship offers from a host of BCS programs. He currently has Rutgers, Purdue, Cincinnati, Miami and South Carolina as his top five, but said he will also be looking into Maryland and West Virginia, who offered him during the preseason. Certainly Rutgers has an advantage in that one of Brodie’s best friends is former Long Branch star quarterback Miles Shuler, who is now a freshman wide receiver at Rutgers. Before he can get to all that, however, the senior left tackle will be counted on to be a leader on a young team that does not return any other starters on the offensive line. He
will be a key run blocker for junior tailback Dwight Clark, who also has received FBS interest on the heels of a 1,000-yard season. “Brodie has gotten a lot stronger and his footwork has improved,’’ Clark said. “He also is making his teammates better and showing good leadership.’’ With a young team competing in the highlycompetitive Class B North, George is looking for Brodie to free up some teammates to make plays by being disruptive on defense and forcing defensive coordinators to scheme around him on offense. “I want him to be a force that people have to gameplan against and do things to make sure Ryan Brodie doesn’t really hurt them,’’ George said. “It’s the next step in his progression – being able to take over games.’’
From Raw to Refined While Brodie has made steady progress, Lacey’s Tyrell Smith has made a quantum leap. Smith transferred to Lacey from Lakewood as a sophomore and was a completely raw prospect with only rudimentary skills. However, he also showed great athleticism and agility, as he is a member of the basketball team as well, so the ingredients were there. Lacey’s coaching staff, led by the legendary head man Lou
Vircillo, worked with him tirelessly to mold him into a prospect. “We knew what kind of talent he had, so we just wanted to get him in a routine of working hard and refining his skills,’’ Vircillo said. “I think from junior year to this year, he has really understood how hard he has to work and is doing everything we ask of him.’’ Smith watched from the sidelines as a sophomore, but became a starter on the Shore Conference’s No. 1 team as a junior last year. He was part of a veteran offensive line that paved the way for a dominant offense and played defensive tackle during Lacey’s 12-0 season. Smith has also continued to add size, as the senior left tackle is now up over 300 pounds at 6-foot-5. “I’ve just been working hard, and the coaches have been staying on me,’’ Smith said. “I remember when I first came here (from Lakewood), it was a little tough, but it has only made me better.’’ “We just wanted to make sure that when he got to a Division I-A school that he wouldn’t be in shock when he saw how hard you have to work,’’ Vircillo said. He has offers from
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