PREP FOOTBALL: Cohesive Auburn High offensive line paving way for potent offense

Auburn High left guard Kirk Harrison had the offensive line’s role on the Tigers down to a soundbite at practice Thursday.

“Give our talent the time to shine,” Harrison said. “That’s all we have to do.”

“You’ve been thinking of that one,” right tackle Wesley Talley replied, breaking he, Harrison, center John Hix, right guard Will Dake and left tackle Taylor Peterson into laughter.

On the eve of the No. 1 Tigers’ quarterfinal date at Daphne tonight, that episode was emblematic of this group’s character this season: Focused, driven and tight-knit.

Auburn lost two starters from its offensive line after last season, a group that included current Auburn University lineman John Sullen and helped pave the way for a program-record 442 points.

This year’s group, with Talley and Peterson joining holdovers Hix, Harrison and Dake in the starting five, has already eclipsed that mark in one fewer game, helping amass 460 points and almost 4500 yards of offense through 12 games.

Even though Peterson transferred in from Peachtree City, Ga., right before the season, he has become part of the whole.

That’s what you call a seamless transition.

“Coach told us from the beginning of the season: ‘This is where it all starts,’” Hix said. “We’ve got to be strong. We’ve got to be leaders.”

Head coach Tim Carter and line coach Mike Glisson said they knew what they were getting in this group of five seniors.

They just didn’t know how good they could be.

“They have met expectations and are also even starting to go beyond what our expectations were,” Glisson said. “They have been a special group.”

The Tigers’ line has given 1000-yard rusher Augustus Brooks and the rest of Auburn’s backs room to roam, as the Tigers are averaging 241 rushing yards per game this season.

“The one consistency on this football team has been our ability to run the football,” Carter said. “And that starts with that group.”

Most of the times Calvin Jenkins has had to run this season, it’s been by choice.

Only five of the senior quarterback’s 105 carries this season have come by virtue of a sack.

And most of that comes down to his five teammates standing in front of him.

“When he doesn’t have to worry about someone hitting him in the back every play, he can go out there and perform,” Hix said.

“Calvin can be Calvin,” Harrison added.

The linemen said quality time spent away from the football field has helped them become more familiar with each other’s tendencies when it is time to suit up.

All their time on the field belongs to Glisson, who they said keeps them striving to get better.

“We win, 41-15, against Opelika and we still had a bad game,” Harrison said.

“We never have a good game,” Talley joined in.

Glisson acknowledged that he can be hard on them at times.

But he also said it comes with the territory. And his players know there’s a rhyme to his reasons.

“If you go to practice at any level, the offensive line and defensive line coaches are the ones screaming and hollering and fussing,” Glisson said. “I am tough on them. But they also know that I love them, care about what happens to them and will do anything for them.

“That’s just part of making them as good as they can be, is to push them when they really don’t want to.”

A knee injury has limited Dake toward the end of the year, with sophomore Caleb Peterson — Taylor’s younger brother — and junior Trevor Howard filling his shoes.

But that doesn’t change the fact that Auburn’s most experienced group is also one of the ones that has been most instrumental to its success.

“We’ve got to be leaders. Even with Taylor moving in, being a senior, he stepped into that leadership role quickly,” Dake said. “If your front line is strong, then ...”

“Everything else comes easy,” Peterson finished.

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No. 1 Auburn (12-0) at Daphne (6-6)
Auburn Key Players: RB Augustus Brooks (Sr., 5-10, 175); CB Dequavious “Pee Wee” Cobb (Sr., 6-0, 175); QB Calvin Jenkins (Sr., 6-0, 180)

Daphne Key Players: WR Justin Jackson (Jr., 6-3, 180); QB Russ Moseley (Jr., 6-0, 190); RB T.J. Yelding (So., 6-0, 180)

Stat Pack: Auburn is averaging a program-record 38.3 points per game ... Brooks has rushed for 1071 yards and 19 scores ... Jenkins has accounted for 2272 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Series Information: Daphne beat the Tigers, 56-20, in the first round in 2003. The teams have split four meetings.