Warriors’ O-line takes pride in clearing paths
By Christian Knox
MDJ Sports Writer
The North Cobb offensive line was an
inexperienced unit on a 10-win team last
season.
Now, right tackle RJ Grigsby, right
guard Marselle Felton, center Blake
Ellsworth, left guard Josh Bagley and
left tackle Aiden Williams make up one
of North Cobb’s strongest units, thanks
in part to offensive line and strength
coach Robert Ingram.
“When we went into the fall last year,
they were unproven. We had some growing
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pains. They kept learning, they kept
playing hard,” Ingram said. “Then this
offseason, they’ve kinda been the strength
of our team I think. Their attitudes have
been great, their work ethic has been unparalleled.”
Ingram and his younger brother, current
Navy offensive line coach Ashley Ingram,
knew they wanted to be coaches
since before their days playing at Miller
County High School and the University
of North Alabama. Now, Robert Ingram
leads one of the best O-lines in Georgia
at the same school his younger brother
coached at in 1998.
“He inspires us every day. He’s a
great coach, he knows what he’s talking
about and he has the experience to
back it up,” Bagley said of his offensive
line coach.
As O-line and strength coach, Ingram
is able to watch over his linemen
on the field and in the weight room.
Felton said he pushes the offensive
line harder than other positions in the
weight room, but Ingram said these
linemen do not need pushing when it
is time to work.
“They’re the nucleus of our weight training
program. We don’t have to check behind
them to make sure they’re doing the
correct weight and the correct reps. They
kind of set the tone in the weight room
and give us the effort we’re looking for,”
Ingram said.
The l inemen may not have statist
ics of their own, but North Cobb’s
offensive production has been hard
f o r c o l l e g e s t o miss. Felton and
Grigsby each received offers f rom
Middle Tennessee and Tennessee
Tech a f ter blocking for five di f ferent
100-yard rushers l a s t season,
including Malachi Singleton, who
threw for 1 ,619 yards and 15 touchdowns
and rushed for 1 ,091 yards
and 17 more scores.
“He makes us right when we’re wrong,”
Ellsworth said of Singleton. “He’ll step
up (to avoid edge rushers) and he can
move around the pocket really easily.
Especially in the running game, it’s
one less guy to block because he does
it with his legs. Ben Hall is going to
make it a lot easier for us this year too.
He’s just going to make a guy miss or
run him over and get an extra three or
four yards.”
The Warriors’ line will pave the way,
but they are going to have to go through
some of the best defensive linemen in
the state in Class AAAAAAA. North
Cobb coach Shane Queen tests his players
with a difficult schedule every season,
and this year is no different. They
open the season with defending Class
AAAAAA state champion Buford and
four other recent state champions in
North Gwinnett, Milton, Marietta and
Harrison.
“It kind of sets the standard, especially
going into the playoffs, that’s what
we’re going to see,” Ellsworth said. “If
we’re going to get the Bufords and the
Miltons out of the way, if we’re going
to see those guys, then we’re not shell
shocked when we get to the playoffs.
We’re ready for it.”