They’re at the first line of attack and always at the ready to protect what means the most on the football field.
To a man, the members of the Metea Valley offensive line – led by Penn State-bound left tackle Bryce Effner – have connected with senior quarterback Garrett Despot.
“I feel like he’s going to be way more comfortable than someone else coming into that situation because he trusts all of us,” Effner said prior to the season. “He knows our abilities and he knows we can get the job done.”
Through two games, Despot has shown the ability to be a quick study and what Mustangs’ coach Ben Kleinhans has been raving about all summer – a sponge.
Despot recorded four touchdown passes and added in a touchdown run in Metea Valley’s loss to Naperville North last week.
“He got into a good rhythm (against the Huskies) and he’s just getting more and more comfortable in the offense and just playing the position,” Kleinhans said.
In two games, Despot owns five touchdown passes to go with just one interception and has completed 65 percent of his throws.
He hit sophomore tight end Austin Frederick for a pair of TDs against the Huskies while senior Michael Brown went over 100 yards receiving.
For two-way senior Adam Nicodemus, Despot’s development hasn’t been a surprise.
“The bottom line is Garrett’s a team player,” Nicodemus said. “He’s always there. He’s always trying to make the team better around him and improving his own craft. I consider him a pocket passer, but he can run, as well.”
Metea Valley (0-2, 0-2) enters Friday night opposite highly-regarded Naperville Central with no lack of motivation.
The transfers of quarterback Payton Thorne and Western Michigan-bound wide receiver Jayden Reed to the Redhawks have been much talked about.
And don’t think the Mustangs don’t realize that.
“I’ll tell you what – most exciting game for Metea this year isn’t even Waubonsie or Neuqua. It’s Naperville Central by far,” Effner said.
Effner has missed Metea Valley’s first two games with an illness and his status for Friday is unclear.
But as one of his mates on the offensive line – Robert Finch – puts it, it’s about the whole.
“We’re trying to create a culture and it starts from the team first,” Finch said. “So when Payton and Jayden are leaving, it’s like we don’t worry about that anymore. That’s all outside noise and I think the biggest aspect of football is playing for your brothers. If they’re not going to be there on the team, then I have no problem not playing for them. I’ll stick with my 11 and go to battle any day.”
With the Redhawks (2-0, 2-0) firing on all cylinders after wins over Glenbard North and Neuqua Valley to start the season, the challenge is considerable.
Thorne has thrown five touchdown passes and completed 71 percent of his passes while Reed has caught 15 passes for 236 yards.
As Metea Valley hopes to get a marquee victory by upsetting Naperville Central, Kleinhans’ message to his team is simple.
Stay in the moment.
“You can’t really escape it,” he said. “(Thorne and Reed) are off to a good start and playing well. They’re two really good players and you know that. You don’t have to tell us that. But, yeah, I’m hoping that it sparks our team – to be honest with you – and gives us a little boost that we need to get going in the right direction and hopefully we go out and play really well against them.”
