We break down 10 Dana Hills football players who are primed for big seasons
Photos and text by Steve Breazeale
As the football season draws closer, get up to speed on which Dana Hills football players are slated to be big time contributors in 2013.
OFFENSE
Mac Vail
QB (No. 12), Sr.
Vail returns to lead the Dolphins offense this season after guiding them to their first league title in 2012. Vail threw for 1,428 yards as a junior with a touchdown to interception ratio of 13:8. Vail isn’t afraid to stand tall in the pocket or toss a long ball downfield and has put on 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason.
Brian Scott
RB (No. 26), Jr.
Brian Scott is a powerful and quick running back who had a breakout sophomore season. Scott proved last year that he is tough to bring down and has the footwork and football IQ to make the correct cuts on the field. Coach Todd Rusinkovich has said that Scott is among the smartest players he’s coached.
Andrew Dunn
FB (No. 32), Sr.
Leading the way for Brian Scott will be fullback Andrew Dunn.
The Dolphins coaching staff has adjusted some running schemes to better suit Scott’s game and Dunn’s blocking will be crucial to the ground game’s success. Dunn will provide strength and size as he checks in at 6 feet tall and 200 pounds his senior year.
Kyle Strickland
OL (No. 65), Sr.
Kyle Strickland will look to lead a veteran offensive line at left guard in the upcoming season. Strickland is the only member of the Dolphins 1,100 pound weight lifting club and is as big and strong as they come. Strickland likes what he sees from the line in the early going. “It’s a brotherhood. We got some big boys with experience,” he said.
Jacob Harbin
OL (No. 72), Sr.
The offensive line will be a strength this season and with Strickland on the left side, Jacob Harbin will look to sure up the right guard position. Rusinkovich considers the one-two guard combo of Harbin and Strickland as one of the best in the county. Harbin had the second highest bench press, power clean and squat lifts on the team this offseason.
DEFENSE
Justin Scott
LB (No. 22), Sr.
Justin Scott helped anchor the Dana Hills defense in 2012, earning first-team All Sea View League honors, and will be crucial to their success again as an outside linebacker and team captain. Scott’s 83 total tackles in 2012 lead all returning players. At 6 feet tall and 185 pounds, Scott has the ability to cover a lot of ground quickly and still hit hard.
Hank White
LB (No. 4), Sr.
Hank White is one of three Dana Hills captains and will play outside linebacker in the Dolphins 4-3 defensive look. White saw a considerable amount of time on the field last year and was able to rack up 41 total tackles in nine games. Aside from his physical abilities Rusinkovich likes White’s football IQ and ability to read offenses.
Ivan Saguilan
DE (No. 11), Sr.
After switching to a 4-3 defense and putting Ivan Saguilan at the defensive end position, the Dolphins defense thrived. Saguilan moved to the spot along with several other impact players and Dana Hills rode their defense to the title. Saguilan will now have a full season at the spot and will help anchor a big defensive front.
Justin Stafford
DE (No. 84), Sr.
Justin Stafford played in only five games last year but will be another big body for the Dolphins defense at defensive end. When trying to sum up Stafford, Rusinkovich says it best. “He’s a monster-sized kid. Stafford is 6-6, 225 so it’s good to have those big tall guys up front,” he said.
Michael Vogeler
SS (No. 5), Sr.
The Dolphins defense is experienced up front but not so much in the secondary, which makes Michael Vogeler’s presence at strong safety huge. Rusinkovich pegged Vogeler as the catalyst for the defense, based on his ability and experience. Vogeler ran a team-best 4.59 40-yard dash in the offseason.
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