ROGERS — After being pushed around in the trenches of the 7A-West Conference a year ago, the Rogers Heritage offensive linemen made a vow to get better for the school’s second season.
Extra time was spent in the weight room and there was plenty of watching film.
There is no question that Heritage (5-2, 2-2 7A-West), which was 0-7 in the West a year ago, is a much improved football team in all phases of the game.
The heart of that resurgence is the Heritage offensive line and center Allen Whitlow is the pulse. Despite Friday’s 21-14 overtime loss to top-ranked Springdale Har-Ber, the War Eagles are on the brink of earning a playoff berth.
Heritage is averaging six yards a play and quarterback Reed Brown has completed 129 of 204 passes (63 percent) for 1,719 yards and 20 touchdowns. The War Eagles’ running game is also improved as Heritage is averaging four yards a carry.
And Whitlow is the unquestioned leader on the Heritage offensive front as the 6-foot-1, 220-pound senior has started every game Heritage has played.
“Whitlow is having a great year,” Heritage coach Perry Escalante said. “The improvement he has made this year is he is just bigger and stronger. He is able to finish blocks. Last year, he would he get good blocks, he would get on them, but he couldn’t finish them because of his lack size and strength.
“(Whitlow) is the leader out there and the driving force on the offensive line. But the whole offensive line has played well this year.”
In two seasons as a starter, Whitlow has never been called for a holding penalty and Escalante said he can count on one hand the number of bad snaps Whitlow has had in 17 games.
Whitlow knows that playing on the offensive line is not the most glamorous position on the field but he said the entire line takes pride in helping make the offense go.
“Before every practice, I snap to make sure my snaps are good,” Whitlow said. “We don’t get very much recognition, but I like it because you get to hit somebody every play. The other four guys next to me are like brothers.”
Whitlow credits not having any holding penalties to a combination of technique and luck.
“I’m a little lucky because I’m sure I hold some of the time but I just try to keep my hands inside instead of wrapping them around,” Whitlow said. “We are all bigger, stronger and faster than last year and we are more confident in our blocks.”
