High school football: Wadsworth's defensive line undersized, but disruptive

Senior defensive linemen Zach Wise, Troy Myers and Bryce Polczak will be at a huge weight disadvantage when the fifth-seeded Wadsworth football team (10-1) plays at No. 4 North Ridgeville (9-2) tonight in a Division II, Region 6 quarterfinal, but that's nothing new to them. At 220, 195 and 195 pounds, the Grizzlies' three-man front is used to taking on offensive linemen who sometimes outweigh them by more than 100 pounds. "We're all pretty athletic up front," said the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Polczak, who has used his length and great leaping ability to knock down three passes while compiling 35 tackles, 9½ tackles for loss, five sacks and a forced fumble. "We might be smaller than other defensive lines, but we make up for it with skill, technique and speed." Against the run-heavy Rangers, the Grizzlies will face on offensive line that goes 315, 270, 250, 260 and 300 pounds from left tackle to right tackle. They will be respectful of that size, but not intimidated by it. "It starts in the weight room. That's the biggest piece," said the 5-11, 220-pound Wise, who has 36 tackles, six tackles for loss, 3½ sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. "We're not going to be as big as you, but if we're strong enough we can move you and do what we want to do. Technique is a big part of it, keeping their hands off you and being fundamentally sound." Wise, who usually plays end and lines up against the left tackle, will sometimes flip positions with nose guard Myers. Regardless, the primary job of the front three is to keep O-linemen off strong-side linebacker Brady O'Connor (or Boden Ballinger), middle linebacker Jacob Earnest and weak-side backer Shawn Kincaid (or Brad Watson). "We're very interchangeable," Wise said. "Each of us can play each position. During the week we get reps at each of them. You don't really see that with a lot of D-lines. We can change and go wherever we need to be. "We'll make plays, but our main job is to let the linebackers make plays. That's a running joke between us. They're the pretty boys and we do the dirty work." At 6-0, 195, Myers is one of the smaller nose guards in D-II, but he doesn't mind. "We combine our different strengths," he said. "I'm not what a usual nose guard would be, so usually I'm using my speed or taking on a couple of blockers. (Wise) is a really good run stuffer from the end position and (Polczak) is really good at creating pressure. I don't know anybody else who bats balls down in the passing game so easily. He doesn't even have to jump." Myers' athleticism is such that not only does he have 64 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble, he also returns kicks and punts for the Grizzlies, which might make him the only player in Northeast Ohio who legitimately can have his positions listed as WR/NG/KR on the roster. "He's a fighter," Wise said. "His motor just never stops. He's always going. He could be taking on a center and a guard on a double team, but he'll make plays and do what Troy does." Wadsworth coach Justin Todd summed up Myers' ability in a different way. "Troy is so fast, he's our kick returner, for crying out loud," he said. "That's a unique combination." The long-limbed Polczak and tough-as-nails Wise are unique in their own right, which is why Todd didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the scale when he decided to put them on the D-line. Not only that, the Wadsworth coach expects his D-linemen to make more plays than in previous seasons, which they have. "Pound for pound they're the strongest kids on our team," Todd said. "We have to take advantage of what our kids do well, so we'll move our defensive linemen around and allow them to create some havoc. "They're three of our most explosive kids and they are athletic and difficult to deal with one on one. That allows them to be successful." The Grizzlies expect that success to continue tonight, though the Rangers' size up front will pose a stern test. "It's always a little bit of a struggle getting used to how strong they are," Myers said of O-linemen in general, "but I don't think I've ever been really out-strengthed by someone. I can usually get around them." "We're going to have to definitely stop the run game," Polczak added. "That means we have to be physical up front." In addition to being physical, Wadsworth will likely use a few stunts and move people around in an attempt to confuse North Ridgeville O-linemen. "They're a lot bigger than us, so it's going to be a challenge to keep control of their tackles, but we are quicker," Wise said. "We'll do some stunts to counteract what they do." Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @RickNoland on X.