Strohl anchors Pirates offense from center spot

PERKINS TWP. — Vinny Strohl is the starting center for one of the best football teams in the state. He stands 5-foot-10 and weighs 200 pounds and knows what he's up against night in and night out. "I know I can use my speed and athleticism to put me in better positions," he said. "I keep my head level because there will be plays when I do get beat. I can't fear the guy across from me. I have to approach it like I can beat them with my technique." Strohl will be the man in the middle of the Perkins offense when the Pirates clash with two-time defending state champion Glenville in a Division IV state semifinal Friday night in Clyde. The Tarblooders roster includes 17 players who weigh 250 pounds or more. The Pirates don't seem to care. "I just focus on my technique," Strohl said. "I'm not the biggest guy; Glenville's got some dudes and a linebacker (Cincere Johnson) who has offers from Oregon and Ohio State." Strohl, who is in his second season as a starter, is the anchor of an offensive line that has helped the Pirates pile up more than 5,000 total yards on their way to a 13-1 record. "I have to ID the (defensive) front. Sometimes teams will shift," Strohl said. "I've seen mostly odd fronts this year, honestly I think because I am smaller. They'll put a guy over top of me. I don't care." The Pirates have two offensive linemen who weigh less than Strohl — senior left guard Kameron Frazier (177 pounds) and senior right tackle Reagan Kaufman (189), who slid into a starting role when 295-pound Joey Ziegler suffered a knee injury midway through the season. All-Ohio senior left tackle Haiden Bollini weighs in at 222 pounds and junior right guard Eli Sanchez, who is getting plenty of Division I interest, is the big guy at 6-4 and 295 pounds. "I think we all blend together," Strohl said. "Obviously we lost Joey, but we had Reagan, who played right tackle all last year, so he just kind of slid in there and we didn't take a step back. You usually see big kids across the board, but it makes us better because our offensive line coach (Zach Coe) schemes to help with our strengths." Strohl has been playing center for years. "It can be hard sometimes, but I've been playing center since fourth grade. I love it so much," he said. "It comes naturally after a couple years. I was fully confident coming into this season, knowing that I could take my game up a level." Strohl prefers running plays to passes. He was front and center for Isaac Bunts' last-minute touchdown run that clinched the Pirates' 28-21 win over Ontario in a regional final last Friday. "I snapped it and looked around. Their whole D-line cut," Strohl said. "Bollini got up and took my guy, the middle linebacker. I looked behind me and IB's right there. I picked up a block on the safety and the next thing I know IB's falling into the end zone. That was fun. One of my favorite plays. "I like the outside zone when I get pull and loop around from the back. Honestly my favorite game was last week. I was pulling pretty much every play. I love getting out there and blocking with IB behind me." Head coach Jalen Santoro knows he can count on Strohl to do the little and big things. "He's very good, very consistent," Santoro said. "He has a high IQ; he understands where he needs to be. He has a lower center of gravity. If you don't have that mass to you, you have to be able to play low, use your leverage and get to the second level. Our guys who are undersized do a great job with that." Strohl said playing Glenville last year in a regional final (36-26 loss) might be a plus this time around for the Pirates. "Don't fear anybody," he said about the team's mindset. "I feel like last year we came in timid, didn't really know what was gonna hit us. We have a lot of guys who played in that game so I think we're prepared. "We're not gonna come in with this shock when they hit us first. We're gonna deliver the first punch and keep our foot on the gas pedal the whole game." When the football season ends, Strohl will join the basketball team. Yes, a 5-10 lineman who plays basketball. An assistant basketball coach sent out a text recently to football players who might want to get up some shots during the lunch period. Strohl didn't get that text. "I heard about it and asked why I wasn't on it. He forgot my name," Strohl said. "He was like, 'Yeah, I usually go over the football roster and I never have to look at the line.' I love basketball so much. I love being out there with my friends, shooting some 3s."