Return game pays dividends for Line Mountain

MANDATA - Trailing 33-0 at halftime, Montgomery head coach Randy Boone opened the second half against Line Mountain last Friday in very strange fashion, with an onside kick.

Line Mountain recovered at midfield, and with the help of a personal foul against Montgomery, started its first possession of the second half at the Red Raiders' 36. Four plays later, Chris Moore scored on a two-yard run to give the Eagles a 39-0 lead.

Obviously, Boone didn't expect to rally from a 33-point deficit, but why give a team as good as Line Mountain a short field at that point?

Three reasons - 1) there was nothing to lose; 2) Tyler Klinger; and 3) Jordan Welker.

Klinger, a 5-10, 160-pound senior, and Welker, a 5-10, 165-pound junior, have given Line Mountain a one-two punch on kickoff returns that few teams can match, and Boone, as well as a lot of other coaches lately, decided it was probably just as safe giving Line Mountain field position if they couldn't recover the kick as kicking to Klinger or Welker.

The two Eagles have combined for 780 yards in kickoff returns, and have combined to take four kicks back for touchdowns. Klinger has 13 returns for 447 yards (a 34.4-yard average) and three TDs, and Welker has 12 returns for 333 yards (a 27.8 average) and one score.

Klinger had touchdown returns in three consecutive games against Newport, Millersburg and Tri-Valley, and when opposing teams shied away from him, Welker took one back against Halifax.

Lately, opponents have taken to squib kicking or kicking the ball out of bounds.

"Yeah, actually we haven't had very many deep kicks lately," said Line Mountain coach Mike Carson, adding that that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"I think it's a blessing either way. If people are hesitant to kick deep and we have an opportunity to take the ball with good field position, or if people do kick to us, I think it's something we need to take advantage of in either case. If they don't kick deep, we can usually set up our offense in reasonable field position."

Klinger is almost certainly the fastest player on the Eagles' roster, but with Chris Moore and Joey Hukill locking up the starting running back spots, the question was how to get Klinger enough chances with the ball. That was obviously going to be on kick and punt returns, and Klinger worked hard in the offseason to make that his role.

"His speed was a known quality; the rest of it we weren't sure about," said Carson. "He worked very hard in the offseason in trying to improve his cutting ability and patience in setting up blocks, that in previous years he might have struggled to do. He also worked on his agility and some of those kind of things."

Welker is perhaps the best all-round athlete on the team. He was a starter in football and baseball as a sophomore last season, and has also played basketball and wrestled.

"He's not as fast as Tyler but he's probably got more experience in changing directions from the other sports he's played," Carson said.

Carson said the Eagles don't have any unusual schemes for returns.

"We do two things primarily. We either try to develop a wedge, and develop a crack somewhere so the deep guy without the ball can lead the way through the crack, or we set up a couple of sideline type returns," Carson said. "We make those decisions based on the coverage unit of the other team and how they're kicking. (Assistant coach) Lance Adams handles the special teams and does a good job."

Both Klinger and Welker contribute in other ways as well. Despite his backup role at running back, Klinger has parlayed his speed into 245 yards rushing, four touchdowns and a gaudy 10.2 yard-per-carry average, and he has 18 tackles on defense. Welker has caught 12 passes for 296 yards and four touchdowns, and has 23 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup from his defensive back post.

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