By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The true heartbeat of a football team is always the offensive line.

They are the unsung heroes.

They are the warriors who are not afraid to get dirty, placing themselves in front of bruising work play after play.

Snap after snap.

Game after game.

And always there, ready to line up to do it again.

For the team.

Unfortunately, they can oftentimes drift out of memory because they are not included in record books, where coaches and skill players typically own the statistical categories tracked each year.

Welcome to the life of an offensive linemen.

Teams can’t win without them, but yet the spotlight rarely shines directly on them.

That is part of what makes an offensive linemen so special.

It takes a special person to do the grunt work already knowing that they will probably only be noticed on plays that they make a mistake.

Talk about an ultimate team player.

Make no mistake about it, though, the offensive line are the winners of football games.

Even if they are the quiet workers and the silent leaders.

Not today, though.

Today is their day.

The day that all the spotlight shines brightly on them.

This feature has now published for 12 years and its sole purpose is to celebrate the linemen in the trenches.

I proudly present the Class of 2025.

GRANT COURTNAGE

AURORA

Senior tackle, 6-foot-2, 275 pounds

Coach Bob Mihalik: “Grant is our only senior linemen on the field. He provides great leadership to our younger, inexperienced players and has worked hard to recover from injuries in his career. He has become a force on the line for us.”

JAKE EYERMAN

CRESTWOOD

Senior Guard, 6-foot-1, 225 pounds

Coach Jack D’Amato: “Jake has been a force to deal with on our offensive line for four years. He is typically smaller than the guys on the D-Line who he is blocking, but he does a great job using his speed and strength to drive people off the ball. He has really stepped into a leadership role this season for us and is holding our line accountable for mistakes and missed alignments. He is a hard-nosed guy who we also put in the space on pulls, where his athleticism can shine.”

DAN STROLLO

FIELD

Junior tackle, 6-foot-2, 265 pounds

Coach James Dutched: “Dan is a hard working student-athlete. He grinds in everything he does: Life, football and school. He is an old-school linemen, who puts his hand in the dirt and does his job extremely well. I am looking forward to Dan coming back next year and leading our O-Line group.”

GAVIN MASON

GARFIELD

Senior tackle, 6-foot-4, 320 pounds

Coach Mike Moser: “Gavin is a punishing run-blocker and a staple of our line. His footwork is vastly improved this year as is his overall knowledge of the game.”

MAX FROMAN

KENT ROOSEVELT

Junior center/guard, 6-foot-1, 245 pounds

Coach Kardell Jackson: “Max is a two-year starter and each year he has made huge improvements on the field. He is a dedicated three-sport athlete (football, swimming and track) and takes the weight room seriously year round. He continues to grow as a leader for us. He can play all five positions on the line and is one of most reliable players. Pound for pound, Max is probably our best all-around athlete. His determination, coachability and passion make him a very fun player to coach and see grow each year.”

JAMES POLLOCK

MOGADORE

Senior guard, 6-foot, 190 pounds

Coach Matt Adorni: “James is a captain and a two-year starter at guard and linebacker, and he has played both ways since his sophomore year. He is outstanding in our pull and trap schemes.”

BRADLEY DAVIS

RAVENNA

Junior tackle, 6-foot-1, 215 pounds

Coach Brian Coman: “Bradley is the cornerstone of the line, especially playing both sides of the ball. Having a reliable lineman like that, who can anchor the offense when you need a big play, is invaluable. He’s a wrestler and it is evident in how he uses his leverage to move people.”

BRADEN WRIGHT

ROOTSTOWN

Senior tackle, 6-foot-4, 285 pounds

Coach Tom Hannah: “Braden is a captain and silent leader, who leads by example. He is a student of the game and our strongest player on the team. We love to run our counter behind him, because he is a dominant run blocker and is our highest-graded linemen every week.”

LANDON DURSTINE

SOUTHEAST

Senior tackle, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds

Coach Patrick Youel: “Landon has grown tremendously as a football player in his four-year career. He is our outside tackle in our single-wing offense, which is the most demanding position to play for us up front. He has accepted the challenge and is physical. He is also a multiple-time all-league and district qualifier for wrestling — and most importantly an honor-roll student. His personality is infectious, and he is one of the leaders of our team. He is a heck of a football player, but more importantly, he is an incredible young man. It is an honor and blessing to coach him.”

ARTHUR SCOTT

STREETSBORO

Senior tackle, 6-foot-3, 305 pounds

Coach Pete Thompson: “Arthur is a four-year starter on both sides of the ball. He is committed to the University of Wisconsin as a defensive linemen and is a two-time All-Ohio player. His rare combination of size, speed, power and agility make him a special player. His athleticism is what separates him as an offensive lineman. It is very rare at the high-school level to see an offensive lineman who moves as well as he does.”

COOPER RICHMOND

STREETSBORO

Senior tackle, 6-foot-5, 295 pounds

Coach Pete Thompson: “Cooper is a three-year starter at left tackle and also plays defensive end. He has committed to Columbia University. He has become the leader of our offensive line, making all of our line calls. His size, strength and aptitude are his greatest assets.”

DOMINIC HAROUFF

WATERLOO

Senior guard, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds

Coach Nathan Brode: “Dominic is a tough kid, and he is respectful, hard working, coachable and a good leader.”

DEVIN SHERMAN

WINDHAM

Sophomore, guard, 6-foot, 225 pounds

Coach Jake Eye: “Devin is a two-year starter for us and has really progressed into a very solid lineman. Through his work ethic and ability to be extremely coachable, he has become very steady and consistent up front for us. The sky is the limit for him and I believe he can be an all state type of player for us in the future.”