Here's why Greenville High School's football offensive line is one of best in state
Just across the street and down a left-field foul line from Greenville High School is a Green Monster.
It’s caged inside Fluor Field, home of the Boston Red Sox minor league baseball affiliate Greenville Drive, and is a replica of the bigger Monster at Fenway Park.
The high school football team nearby, the Red Raiders, has its own wall deserving of a scary nickname.
It's a Red Monster.
Greenville opened practice Friday and unleashed an offensive line that returns all five starters, including two Division I commitments. The Red Raiders went 5-0 in Region I-AAAA last season, 10-4 overall, and are contenders for a state championship.
“I’m very excited. We’re strong,” Greenville offensive line coach Amos Lamb said. “This is the most comfortable I've been going into a season. When you have five veteran guys who played every game together the previous season, you know the communication is good. They understand what to do.”
The Red Raiders aren’t back-peddling away from statements, their own and also from the outside, about which team has the best wall of protection.
“We’re the best offensive line in the state of South Carolina,” said senior Blake Franks, who plays left tackle and has committed to the University of South Carolina. “... We have to go out there and show them exactly what we’re talking about, exactly what we mean. We’re coming out here to work ourselves into what we feel like a state championship should have.”
Next to Franks (6-foot-5, 315 pounds) at left guard is senior Julius Tate (6-3, 310). He was committed to Northwestern until a recent coaching change there. Tate had an offer from Boston College among others, but is sure to get plenty of attention now that he’s available again.
Greenville’s right side of the offensive line is junior guard Hunter Taylor (6-6, 285) and senior tackle Mason Owens. The center is senior and three-year starter Zane Spence (5-11, 220). He might seem undersized compared to the double bookends on both sides, but he’s equally as important.
“He’s the smallest,” Lamb said. “But he’s probably our most consistent guy, our toughest guy.”
The one who seems next in line to receive offers from Power Five programs is Taylor.
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“I’m looking for Hunter to have a breakout season,” Lamb said.
“Big Red. That’s what we call him because of his red hair,” Franks said. “We also like to call him Leprechaun, but he sure isn’t small.”
As far as the playful confidence of the offensive linemen, Greenville head coach Greg Porter has no problem with any of that.
“If you don’t think highly of yourself, then why do we do what we do?” Porter said. “It doesn’t mean we’re not humble. It doesn’t mean there’s no humility. It just means there is belief.
“The offensive line is the rock of our program this year. They should feel that way.”
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: South Carolina high school football: Greenville OL could be best in state
