East Ridge Offensive Line Has Size, Athleticism

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Their coach calls them The Iron 5.

You can call them a restaurant owner's worst nightmare.

Either way, it's probably a good thing we didn't do this interview over lunch.

At least if I'm buying.

Meet the mass of humanity that is the East Ridge offensive line: Lanre Oshadi, 6'3", 350 pounds, Brock Albrecht, 6'2", 225 pounds, Wesley Sanneman, 6'3", 265 pounds, Carter Dowdle, 6'3", 255 pounds, Jason Kancigor, 6'6", 260 pounds.

Together, that's 1,355 pounds, one of the most massive offensive lines you'll see in high school football.

"Size is always nice," their coach, Mike Pendino, said. "But you've got to be an athlete. You have to have some athleticism. And for as big as they are, they're pretty athletic."

Their job?

Protect one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation, "The Seth Green," they joke, and pave the way for an offense that averages 34 points per game.

"Everything starts up front," Oshadi said.

Pendino believes that too.

"Games are won or lost in the trenches," he said.

They don't measure their success in points. A good game for them?

"Seeing pancakes," Dowdle said.

Pancake blocks, that is.

Although, actual pancakes probably have something to do with their success too.

"We went out to eat multiple times just to get the chemistry going," Dowdle said.

Of course they did.

But no restaurant owner's ever told them they can't come back.

"We cleaned 'em out pretty good though," Sanneman said.