Great Article about Zach Dodge in the Kenosha Paper today! WILMOT — If Zach Dodge was a couple of inches taller, there is no doubt in my mind that the Wilmot senior defensive lineman would be a prized recruit for a major college football powerhouse. He is that good — one of the best that I have seen in 19 seasons covering high school football for the Kenosha News. Unfortunately, he stands only 5-foot-10 while weighing 265 pounds. Knowing the answer beforehand, I asked the under-the-radar Dodge earlier this week if he ever wondered what life would be like if he was 6-2 or 6-3 like most NCAA Division I defensive tackles. “I wonder about it all the time,” he said. “It sucks. It’s not something you can work on, obviously.” So, as he continues to pile up impressive numbers while being double and triple teamed play after play, the recruiters keep their distance. Dodge is convinced it is because of his stature. Nothing else. “Oh, absolutely,” he said. “I’ve been told by multiple coaches at multiple camps that I was the best defensive lineman there, but if they were to recruit me they’d get laughed at because of my height. Maybe some schools feel I’m not good enough. I don’t know. I have a feeling it has a lot to do with the height. “I’m hoping one of these schools gives me a shot. I don’t have any offers from any big schools, yet. I just have to wait and see. Obviously, everybody’s dream is to play D-I football, but if it doesn’t happen I’d be more than happy to play D-II. Just to play football is my dream. I feel like I could play at that level.” Known to rock an Afro, Dodge insists he does not sport the hairstyle simply to gain an inch or two. “I wouldn’t say that,” he said with a chuckle. “I just like the ’fro. It does add a few inches on me, though.” High praise Dodge has no bigger fan than sixth-year Wilmot coach Mike Greinke, who has not been shy this season in praising his relentless three-year starter. “He’s a force of nature in the middle. There’s no doubt about that,” Greinke said. “My goal is just for him to get into the best college he can for the least amount of money.” After Wilmot knocked off Badger, 28-14, two weeks ago, Greinke emailed me a Dodge highlight package put together by Jared Franz, the team’s co-defensive coordinator who also coaches the defensive linemen. Wearing No. 63 instead of his usual No. 90 (due to his double duty playing right guard in that game), Dodge was a man among boys. Check out the video that accompanies this column. It’s good stuff. “Did you look at that film?” Greinke gushed. “Oh my God. There’s one play in there where there are three guys blocking him and he’s still moving all three of them.” Impressive numbers Have you ever noticed that the Panthers sport numbers on the back of their helmets? Most are three-digit numbers. Dodge’s helmet has a four-digit number: 1,245. That number — the highest ever by a Wilmot player under Greinke — represents Dodge’s combined max-out numbers in the hang clean (325), bench press (370) and squat (550). Those numbers along with his 4.85 speed in the 40-yard dash are a main reason why he has collected 17 sacks/tackles-for-loss this season. “The strongest part of my game is probably my quickness off the ball,” said Dodge, who has also forced three fumbles. “A lot of coaches compliment me on that.” Since last football season ended, Dodge, who also wrestles for the Panthers, was in constant training either at Wilmot or with Jeremy Happel at A3 Performance Center in Grayslake, Ill. “I was pretty much working out three times a day up until the start of the season,” Dodge said. The hard work has paid off. Here’s hoping that somebody notices.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 13:15:42 +0000
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