Prosper football riding sturdy O-line into Texas high school football playoffs: Buck's Ballpark
McKINNEY, TEXAS - Only two starters returned on the offensive line for a Prosper team coming off a semifinal appearance last season.
So those returning two starters knew what had to be done in the offseason.
Ellis Davis and Tyler Mercer, both seniors, made sure the remainder of the line - mainly comprised of underclassmen - knew what to expect.
“Spring ball; spring ball was a fun time,” Davis said. “Zaden (Krempin) and Sean Stover, we pulled them up as little baby freshmen. Basically, they got it knocked into them.
“They had to learn how to adjust real quick, so I honestly give that one to our defense for getting them on par.”
But Davis and Mercer also helped lead by example to the new linemen.
“Our (responsibilities) are every day, we’re working hard, so we took them under our wing,” Mercer said. “It’s all about making the team better. Everyone’s working hard every day.”
And for another new starter up front, junior Logan Cahill, he didn’t quite get the rude awakening as the then-freshmen received. Being familiar with Davis and Mercer didn’t hurt, either.
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“I’ve looked up to these guys since I was a freshman,” Cahill said. “I always learned from Tyler, and he really just shows me and keeps my chin up.
“Ellis, Ellis is my best friend. … Ellis teaches me a lot. He teaches me about hand placements and stuff like that, really just the technical aspects of the game. I go to him for knowledge.”
They’ve helped a Prosper squad to even greater heights this season. The Eagles’ line has helped the offense average 39 points and 401 total yards a game this season.
Up front, Krempin plays left tackle and Davis - a Texas Tech commit - lines up at the other tackle. Cahill plays left guard and another junior, Connor Carty, is at right guard, with Stover also seeing action at guard. Then snapping the ball at center is Mercer, who has committed to Tulane.
“I think we’re good on the o-line because of the chemistry we have,” Mercer said. “A good o-line comes from the unity; you have to work as one unit, one body. It’s not about one person, one person’s game.
“We all work together and communicate good, and we have a good bond. We work hard together each week.”
Prosper's Tyler Mercer by GridironFootballUSA.com
Across the board, the Eagle o-line averages at least 270 pounds and have size to match, with Davis coming in at 6-foot-7. Mercer stands at 6-5 and Cahill 6-4.
“I think first and foremost, it’s our bond,” Davis said. “I just think we communicate and work really well together, and the second (reason) is probably the most obvious - we’re freaking huge and just athletic.
“We’re definitely not the big powerhouses and we’re not real strong, but I think all of us can move real good.”
Athleticism is something else which defines the Eagles’ line.
"I think we can run just wide-zone and mid-zone real well,” Davis said. “Our pass (protection), we keep up with speed rushes like nothing. And then pure size and length; we just have that reach advantage.”
The Eagles finished the regular season 9-1, highlighted by their first-ever win against Denton Guyer. In their regular-season finale on Nov. 2, they won at McKinney, 24-12, for the District 5-6A championship.
Even better, they’ll get to open up the 6A Division I playoffs at home on Friday, playing host to Plano East.
“This is our first-ever 6A district championship,” Davis said following the win at McKinney. “Having a new head coach (Tyler Moore) this year, we’ve done a lot of great milestones.
“We beat Denton Guyer for the first time, we’re undisputed district champs and we’ve got our second-ever playoff game at home, so every achievement and every step means the world. We’ve got a new coach, new things happening around here, it’s all good stuff.”
But the offensive line wasn’t the only thing on the Eagles’ offense undergoing a transition. They also had to help break in a new quarterback in senior Nathan TenBarge, a converted receiver.
“He’s a really good guy and I appreciate the stuff that he does, especially behind the scenes and the work that he puts in,” Cahill said of TenBarge. “It’s astonishing and it’s impressive.”
Prosper guard Logan Cahill
TenBarge has proven his worth behind his line, completing 57 percent of his passes for 1,524 yards and 15 touchdowns.
“Our sophomore year, he ended up having to get thrown into a game against McKinney Boyd because our quarterback went down, so that was really his first experience on varsity at quarterback,” Davis said. “I’m not going to lie, it didn’t go too good, but he’s been working hard.
“His junior year, just in the background, getting in some work, and then this offseason and coming into his senior year, he’s worked real hard, learning everything about the position.”
Prosper quarterback Nathan TenBarge
Prosper also has a balanced rushing attack, with four players gaining at least 400 yards. The top rusher is junior tailback Leo Anguiano, who has 764 yards and 12 TDs.
In last week’s win at McKinney, Anguiano had 164 of the team’s 227 rushing yards and scored two TDs, covering 67 and 20 yards.
“Leo is the hardest worker we know,” Mercer said. “Always in the weight room, always working hard. He’s like a little Deuce Vaughn (the former Kansas State standout who is now with the Dallas Cowboys).
“We’ll do anything for him and fight for him, so we work together good. It’s about the relationship.”
Prosper running back Leo Anguiano
And it’s also about the relationship when it comes to Mercer and his fellow linemen.
“We work together as a unit, work hard every day and it makes games easy,” Mercer said. “So practice is hard, games are easy.”
The easy part resumes again on Friday. Prosper’s line hopes it continues to be easy the rest of the postseason, a year after the Eagles made it to the 6A Division I semifinals.
For the Eagles to break through and play in Arlington for a championship, the linemen remarked it is just staying the course and doing what they’ve done through their first 10 games.
Mercer summed up that philosophy he and his fellow linemen have utilized all season in three simple words.
“Iron sharpens iron,” he said.
Photo of Prosper senior offensive tackle Ellis Davis
-- Buck Ringgold | buck@scorebooklive.com | @SBLiveTX
