Avon defensive lineman a big reason for the Eagles success

When you're starting from scratch on defense it's understood you'll need some big performers to help get things moving in a positive direction. They don't get much bigger than the seven defensive linemen who have been instrumental in making Avon's defense one of the best in the state — an impressive feat as the Eagles only had one starter returning on that side of the ball this season. "You have to give a lot of credit to the defensive coaches, especially Coach (Jared) Cecchetti," defensive end Jack Hricovec said. "He said last year we struggled with an identity on the defensive side of the football. With a lot of new guys on the defense this year, he wanted to create that identity so that we would believe it as a whole. The (defensive) leaders did a really good job of getting that identity to the entire defense and that's really been a big part of (our success). We believe in each other and we're going to fight all four quarters no matter what the situation is." Hricovec and Hayden Diedrich start at defensive end — although Diedrich is what coach Mike Elder calls the Jack position, which means he either rushes the edge as a defensive end or drops back in coverage like a linebacker — Jason Gillespie is the defensive tackle and Jeremiah Kelly is the nose guard. The other three linemen who rotate in frequently are Sam Toniolo, Trent Jeske and Ethan Eibel. The seven big men are nearly interchangeable and play so many snaps during a game that Elder had to call Cecchetti before being interviewed to find out which four players are actually considered the starters. "And that's not counting Luke Hamilton and Matt Muir, who do play some but just not as much as those other guys," Elder said. "So we have seven guys that I consider rotational guys that play the bulk of the game." The unit's strength is clearly the pass rush and the season stats would suggest the linemen's favorite pastime is making opposing quarterbacks miserable. The group has compiled 19.5 sacks, 46.5 tackles for loss and 89 quarterback pressures. Leading the way with a team-high six sacks and 23 QB pressures is Toniolo, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 217 pounds. "In the (Southwestern Conference) you have teams that like to pass and you have some pretty fast quarterbacks," Toniolo said. "So we work on that every day in practice, trying to sharpen our skills because you have to have the ability to stop the run and the pass. It's not just a matter of being disciplined and having speed and strength — that all helps — but it's ultimately about doing your assignment right … you have to be smart, too." Diedrich is the tallest of the linemen at 6-5 and weighs 195 pounds, using his versatility to make plays all over the field as the Jack. "The Jack plays in the standup position and sometimes lines up off the ball," Elder said. "That way he can drop off in coverage, so it's definitely a hybrid position." The biggest of the group is Kelly, who comes in at 6-2 and 275 pounds. Hricovec said Kelly is "a freak in the interior" of the line and nearly shuts down most opponents' interior ground attack. "My job as nose guard is to stop the run as best as I can," Kelly said. "And if I bully some lineman while I'm at it, that's fine. As long as I'm doing everything I can to stop the run." While the defensive line stands out during the pass rush, it's the linebackers and defensive backs who've racked up the bulk of the tackles against the run. That's by design as the defensive line is tasked with breaking up the blocking scheme and allowing the other positions to fly in and finish. "We don't make the biggest plays but we make the plays when no one is watching," said Hricovec, who is 5-9 and 240. "We fill the gaps, we deceive eyes so the linebackers and safeties get free, and that's kind of our identity on defense." While Avon's defensive linemen have size and strength, they believe it's that intangible of heart that allows them to stand out. "One of our biggest weapons is our hustle and pursuit to the ball," Kelly said. "I think every player on our D-line always gives 100 percent. That's why we're able to make the big plays — the sacks, the TFLs, all those pressures — because we all understand what it takes to win at this level and how much work we have to put in to be successful." Eibel (6-3, 215), Jeske (6-1, 233) and Diedrich are seniors, while Gillespie (6-1, 241), Hricovec, Kelly and Toniolo are juniors. The Avon defense is enjoying a successful season but with four defensive linemen returning next year, there's excitement about the future, too. "Yeah, I'm excited for that because look at us right now," Toniolo said. "This is our first year playing with each other and we didn't know how it was going to go. Everybody was saying this was an inexperienced defense and we only had the one returning starter … and look at us. Next year, it could truly be special." Contact Shaun Bennett at (440) 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @ShaunBennettct on X.