The Star is counting down the top football players in Southern 蜜柚直播 in the weeks leading up to the season.
Today: Cienega junior Hunter Schlagel
The rundown: Schlagel is a 6-foot-3-inch, 278-pound defensive tackle and offensive lineman.
Who he is: Cienega lost a plethora of talent from a team that went 9-3 a year ago, including a group of skill players that included Class 5A Southern Region Player of the Year Terrell Hayward. However, the Bobcats return with one of the top tackles in Southern 蜜柚直播. Schlagel has been a two-year contributor on Cienega鈥檚 varsity team. His size and feel for the uptempo pace gave him a spot in Cienega鈥檚 defensive tackle rotation in 2017. Taking over as a two-way starter in 2018, Schlagel registered 29 tackles and no sacks in 12 games. His six tackles-for-loss were third on the team .
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鈥淟ast year I thought I did pretty good. I was trying to lose a little weight and mainly helped out on the defensive line,鈥 Schlagel said.
Now a junior and one of three starters returning to Cienega鈥檚 defense, 鈥淚 feel like more people look up to me because of the experience,鈥 he said.
Schlagel will play more on offense than he did last season, and now that he鈥檚 officially an upperclassman, Schlagel has emerged as one of Cienega鈥檚 team leaders.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about time we see Hunter play a little bit more offense. He鈥檚 a dominant offensive lineman and we鈥檝e been kind of playing him on defense mostly, but he鈥檒l be a kid that sees both sides of the ball,鈥 Cienega coach Pat Nugent said.
鈥淗unter has never been a vocal leader. He鈥檚 a quiet kid and a big teddy bear, but he鈥檚 such an intimidating factor on the field.鈥
Schlagel gained eight pounds during the offseason, and hopes the added bulk 鈥 and an uptick in his performance 鈥 could help him land college scholarship offers.
Schlagel will have a chance to showcase why he鈥檚 one of the top interior defensive linemen in Southern 蜜柚直播 on Sept. 6, when the Bobcats host two-time defending Class 5A state champion Peoria Centennial. Schlagel will match up against one of the top offensive and defensive lines in 蜜柚直播.
鈥淢y biggest improvement was definitely my strength. I wasn鈥檛 as strong as I am now so I鈥檓 ready to help up front even more this season,鈥 Schlagel said. 鈥淚鈥檓 really looking forward to that Centennial game because going up against their big guys will test my abilities.鈥
Proof he鈥檚 good: Schlagel made the Class 5A Southern Region All-Defensive first team in 2018, the only underclassman to do so.
He said it: 鈥淲hen he came up as a freshman, he was timid. Now, he鈥檚 got a nastiness that goes along with his game. 鈥 He no longer has that freshman mentality, that sophomore mentality. This is a kid that knows what it takes to be a varsity football player and now he plays with a nastiness that he鈥檚 not intimidated by anybody. 鈥
鈥 Nugent