Football | 9/1/2019 10:00:00 AM

    Bolstered by a pair of collegiate transfers and featuring a good mix of experienced veterans and quality newcomers, West Liberty head football coach Roger Waialae believes this year's offensive line has the depth and talent to be one of the better units in his tenure.
    "We finally have the numbers up to a level where we can rotate guys in and out for a series or two and keep everybody fresh," Waialae said. "We had nine or 10 guys ready to play at a high level coming out of camp and several other guys are coming on. As a result, we think we'll have the ability to run or throw the ball with equal effectiveness this season. That allows us to evaluate where the matchups favor us from week to week and focus our efforts in those areas."
    Eastern Michigan transfer Francisco Pedrozo (6-7, 300) will start at left tackle with sophomore letterman Quinton Williams (6-2, 335) at left guard. Wyatt Gardner (6-1, 295), a 2-year starter at Santa Barbara (Calif.) College, gets the start at center with senior Chance Rucker (6-4, 305) at right guard in his fourth year as a starter. Sophomore Tyler Ely (6-1, 310), who started as a true freshman last year before going down with an injury, returns at right tackle.
    Also in the mix are junior T.J. Lew (6-4, 285), sophomores Austyn Todd (6-5, 285) and Richard Blackwell (6-3, 290), redshirt freshmen Cody Vokes (6-4, 300) and Blake Neely (6-2, 270). True freshman Ryan Creech (6-3, 310) was fighting for a starting job before being injured in camp and will certainly be a factor when he returns.
    Creech is just one of a talented group of freshmen linemen that made a positive impression on the coaches during the dog days of August. He's joined by Shane Hercules (6-5, 320), Trey DelGuzzo (6-5, 285), Ryan McCave (6-5, 330), Domenic Mills (6-3, 315) and Zack Meade (5-11, 255).
    "I think this is one of the better freshman classes we've brought in," Waialae said. "They picked things up fast and competed from Day One in camp. They can be as good as any group we've had."
    The Black and Gold head to Wheeling on Saturday for a 1 p.m. season opener.