News

It would be difficult to miss a member of the Richmond Hill offensive line if you passed him in the grocery aisle. With an average weight of 303 pounds, any of the RHHS O-Line starters would stand out. But despite the big-men standing out -- especially on any RHHS game film from the last two seasons -- this year’s starting five could actually be getting overlooked heading into the 2020 season.

The Wildcats (9-4, Region 2-6A champions, GHSA Class 6A Final Four appearance in 2019) enter this season with one of the state’s most impressive offensive fronts. On paper, and on film, Richmond Hill’s expected starting-five is as intimidating as they come on the high school level. Coached by fourth-year coach Josh Davis and Zac Sheets, the offensive line unit returns four starters, and Davis says his group is ready for a season-long challenge.

“As an offense, I think we’re going to take another step (in 2020). And with the guys returning on (the offensive line), I think that’ll be a strength for us again,” said Davis in an August phone conversation with PSR. “These guys have grown up together in the last three or four years … they won’t be caught off guard by anything we throw at them.”

From left tackle to right, Joe Fusile (6’6”, 315, Sr.); Bodee Truax (6’0”, 275, Sr.); Corey Rowley 5’8”, 290, Sr.); Jae Kollman (6’0”, 355, Sr.) and Christian Hubbard (6’1”, 280, Jr.) make up the projected starters entering the Sept. 4 season opener versus Camden County. 

At right tackle, Hubbard is the lone newcomer to the starting five but he is plenty experienced with meaningful game reps already under his belt.

Fusile is a preseason All-State (Class 6A) selection at left tackle and Kollman anchors the right guard position alongside the center Rowley. Combined, Fusile, Kollman and  Truax (left guard) have started over 70 prep games in their careers.

“We’ve come together even more this year as linemen and it’s a pretty great feeling when you can get young guys to work as hard as us older guys because that means we’re setting the right example,” said Fusile in August during a joint phone call with PSR and teammate Kollman. 

“It’s our responsibility to make sure we meet the standards at Richmond Hill.”

A 2009 graduate of Richmond Hill, Davis credits much of his O-line’s collective growth to its daily practice opponent. Versus one of the state’s best defensive fronts led by preseason All-State selection Nathan Vickers (Sr., DE), the RHHS offensive line has had to compete daily against a defensive group which features 11 senior contributors returning for this season. 

That’s no easy task. Still, guys like Kollman look forward to the challenge of going first-string versus first-string during the off-season camps and even in-season practices.

“I’m not going to lie, it can be difficult going up against those guys on our defense sometimes” said Kollman during a phone call with PSR. “But I think it’s a good thing, because it just lets me know how I need to improve and what we can fix as a line.”

Last year, the RHHS offense was unapologetically focused around star senior running back Jalen Rouse (1,754 rushing yards, 24 TDs in 2019). After starting the season 1-3, the Wildcats ripped off eight straight wins thanks to a revamped line, a dominating defense and an increasingly electric Rouse. As a team, the 2019 Wildcats rushed for 34 scores and averaged over 200 yards per game.

“(Rouse) was dominant for us once we started getting him going,” said Davis. “Our guys on the offensive line really respond to that kind of thing -- a guy who runs his tail off makes our guys want to block their tails off.”

Even with Rouse now graduated and playing at Tennessee State, this year’s RHHS squad will lean on the running game. 

That’s music to a lineman’s ears.

“We take immense pride in being part of this offensive line leading a run-focused offense,” Fusile said. “You can’t have a successful running game without us being successful on the line.

“We know it starts with us.”

Kollman concurs.

“There’s nothing better than getting a pancake (block),” he said. “Honestly, that’s the best feeling, when you can dominate your opponent like that in the ground game.”

Head coach Matt LeZotte has built one of the area’s better programs in recent years by fielding a consistently great defense and riding a few stars to carry the load on offense. This year may be no different, and perhaps it’s the O-Line’s chance to be the 2020 star  in The Hill.

Fame or not, the line knows the deal, Davis says.

“The offensive line is the only position in sports where your only job is to serve and protect someone else,” said Davis. “Our guys don’t take breaks on the line and we don’t have off-seasons...it’s all about sacrifice.

“We think those sacrifices pay off through the course of a season.”