Document text
37 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, November 26, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 25, 2004 South Medford tailback Ryan Odell (33), shown dragging a McNary defender on a run last Friday, has been a key performer on both sides of the ball. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli The secret’s slipping out Panther tailback Ryan Odell is among the state’s best By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Ryan Odell might be the best-kept secret in the state when it comes to high school running backs. Since opening night, the South Medford High junior has plugged along at a steady pace, and he surpassed the coveted 1,000-yard rushing plateau last Friday during the Panthers’ 49-16 victory over McNary in the second round of the Class 4A state football playoffs. "He’s gained the tough yards and gotten the key first downs for us all season," says South Medford coach Bill Singler, whose fourth-ranked Panthers travel to seventh-ranked Lake Oswego on Friday. "He’s not a breakaway back, but he’s a physical kid who gains a lot of yards after contact, and he has a knack for making people miss. "For our offense, which relies heavily on ball control, he’s the perfect fit." The 6-foot, 185-pound Odell has been especially productive over the past five games, in which he’s churned out 571 yards and four touchdowns. Advertisement He had a career-high 164 yards on 31 carries and two touchdowns when the Panthers beat Eagle Point 38-28 on Oct. 29 to secure a state playoff berth. The previous week, he had 153 yards on 26 carries in a 17-7 win over Ashland. Those in the South Medford camp feel Odell deserved to be named first-team, all-league in the Southern Oregon Conference. He settled for second-team honors at both running back and linebacker. "I don’t get caught up in that stuff," he says. "I’m just out there trying to help this team win football games. How the team does is a lot more important than what I do individually." Odell’s unselfish perspective extends to fellow running back Logan Boyd, whose crushing blocks often clear the way for Odell. Boyd, a 6-1, 195-pound senior fullback, is having a big season of his own with 359 yards rushing, 360 yards receiving and a team-leading 15 touchdowns. Each topped 100 yards rushing in the win over McNary. "When we run our blast play, I cut off Logan’s block and it’s an automatic 4 or 5 yards," Odell says. "We take pride in blocking for each other." Adds Singler: "Right now, I’m not sure there’s a better running back tandem in the state than Ryan and Logan. They’re playing at a very high level." Odell also excels on defense, joining SOC defensive player of the year Justin Meyer and Jon Lang to form one of the premier linebacking corps in the state. Odell didn’t join the defense until Game 5, but he had an immediate impact on that side of the ball when the Panthers posted a 28-21 win over cross- town rival North Medford. "I played some linebacker in the eighth and ninth grades, but it was a lot less complicated than what we’re doing now," Odell says. "But Justin (Meyer) has helped me out a lot. He’s been my linebacker mentor. If I have a question out on the field, I can just ask him." Odell’s emergence at linebacker helped South Medford’s defense in two ways because it allowed junior Ben Koziol, who had been at Odell’s spot, to move to the defensive line, where he’s been dominant. "The thing that Odell does so well on defense is take the right lane and then explode to the football," Singler says. "He’s one of the best open-field tacklers on the team." Odell probably could have made significant contributions to last season’s team, but as a sophomore, he was content to play on the JV squad and build his confidence. "Honestly, I don’t think I was ready," he admits. "Plus, they had Andy Narus at tailback, and I didn’t want to jump in there and take his spot." Singler talked Odell into joining the varsity in Week 7 of last season, and he immediately responded with 69 yards rushing and two touchdowns in a win over Ashland. Three weeks later, he found himself in a starting role against Canby in the first round of the playoffs after Narus was suspended for disciplinary reasons. South Medford fans scoured their programs to see who No. 33 was. Lake Oswego fans will likely be doing the same thing Friday. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities