Huge offensive line key to ODA's 2023 football season

Can The Out-of-Door Academy football team do it again?

ODA was a surprise in 2022, its first year under Head Coach Rob Hollway, by going 9-1 and reaching the Sunshine State Athletic Conference Class 5A semifinals before losing 21-0 to Saint Stephen's Episcopal.

The Thunder were winless in 2021 and 2020.

The turnaround was led by the Thunder's running game. With a bruising offensive line, ODA ran for 2,960 yards (8.0 yards per rush) and 44 touchdowns. 

The leading rusher Griffin DeRusso, who gained 1,444 yards, has graduated, but the team is confident that it can repeat its success. One reason is that the team's stalwart offensive line is back — and senior Blake Neumann, senior Blaine Bentley, junior Chase Polivchak, junior Marvin Palominos and sophomore Max Polivchak are ready to dominate. 

"We move as a five-man unit," Neumann said. "We're all big, but it doesn't matter unless we do everything together. That's where the strength comes from. We all know our responsibilities. We're getting mental reps and physical reps. We just have to execute." 

Hollway called his offensive line the backbone of the team. All five linemen are 6-foot-2 or taller and 265 pounds or heavier. In the SSAC, linemen of that size are rare, and Hollway said it gives his team an advantage. 

"They're a tight-knit group and they work hard," Hollway said of his offensive linemen. "They were training all summer and they go to camps together. They push each other and they push the line of scrimmage. They're also just a cool group of kids. If I was in high school, I would want to hang out with them." 

While the ODA backfield will feature multiple runners, as it did a season ago, the team's leading likely will be sophomore Allen Clark, who had 44 carries for 391 yards and six touchdowns in 2022. Senior Jack Meyers should also see plenty of action, as he had 18 carries for 153 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. 

As dominant as the running game could be, Hollway expects the Thunder's passing game to play a key role. ODA will feature more of a passing attack than it did last season thanks to the arrival of Jackson Roth, a 6-foot-1 junior quarterback who transferred from Iroquois Ridge High in Ontario, Canada. Hollway called Roth a true pocket passer who will be able to stretch the field with his strong arm. 

Roth said he's still adjusting to the rules of the American version of football, but so far likes it better than the Canadian version he grew up playing. In Canadian high school football, teams use 12 players at a time, which leaves less space to maneuver. Plus, the fields are 110 yards and offenses only get three downs maximum to get a conversion and move the chains. All of those tweaks lead to less scoring, Roth said. In America, things are more offense-friendly. 

"Up there, if you have one bad play, you're pretty much ruined (for a drive)," Roth said. "So you're forced to try for more big plays to move the ball. Here, you can have more consistency. You can have a more varied offense." 

Photo by Ryan Kohn

Roth said he's excited to stand behind an offensive line as big as ODA's when throwing, a luxury he did not have in Canada. 

On the defensive side, Hollway has high hopes for his linebacker corps. The unit is led by senior Charlie Tack, who had 62 tackles in 2022 to lead the team. Hollway said Tack is still talking to Ivy League and Patriot League schools to find the right spot for him in 2023, but he will be playing college ball somewhere. Alongside Tack is senior Brandon Beasley, who had 48 tackles in 2022, and newcomer Chase Taraska, a senior. Taraska's twin brother, senior Jack Taraska, will be the team's starting free safety. The brothers previously played on the school's baseball team. 

Photo by Ryan Kohn

The players are not the only reason Hollway is excited about his defense. The program brought in a new defensive coordinator in Elbert Grim, a veteran of the Georgia high school football scene who has brought a new energy to the program. 

ODA graduated 12 players from last year's roster, many of whom were significant contributors. That could mean the players stepping into those roles have a learning curve early. A third week of the season game against Saint Stephen's on Sept. 8 will be a strong test. But Hollway is confident in the players he has and the system he has implemented.

Looking beyond the 2023 season, Hollway said the program has created a strong pipeline of talent — and passion for the game — that should last into the foreseeable future. 

"I'm excited with where the program is," Hollway said. "We have over 40 participants this year, which I think speaks to the energy and the culture we're building. People want to be a part of this. I think bringing in the baseball kids (in 2022) helped with that. They brought a culture of winning. Now we have a lot of kids who take this seriously and want to play college football somewhere. We're trending in the right direction."