Demon offensive line loaded with returners

Last season, the goal was 400 rushing yards per game.

As the Washington football season grows closer, the Demon offensive line hasn?t seen that goal get any smaller in 2016.

?The coaches like to set our goals high,? Washington senior Seth Townsend said. ?It will be that or more this year.?

Just like the goal, the offensive line didn?t get any smaller, either, this season.

Washington?s offense will be fueled by talented players in the ?skill? positions,  with a returning all-state quarterback and multiple running backs and receivers looking to find the end zone multiple times this year, but they won?t go anywhere without the play of the offensive line.

That Demon line returns five athletes who started at least five games, losing only one senior from the 2015 team.

Having a talented group that is familiar with each other in the trenches, the Demons are excited about their prospects.

?We return five guys who started at least four games, because Mitchell (Huisenga) stepped in for us (last year),? Washington football head coach Garrison Carter said. ?Having those guys with experience is absolutely huge. We?ve moved a few around to different positions, but the chemistry of working together is huge. We are going to go as far as this group takes us.?

Helping anchor the line on the left side will be a pair of seniors currently marked in as the starters with Townsend, a third-team All-Stater in 2015, and Aaron Vittetoe, an honorable mention All-District left guard, set in those spots.

Returning All-District honorable mention tackle Mark Engelken leads a crew of juniors who will help out on the line as well, with Gabe Greiner and Mitchell Huisenga also returning.

?We had a lot of sophomores starting last year and they all did really well,? Townsend said. ?Having them all come back with another year of experience really helps.?

While the Demon offensive line didn?t quite achieve the lofty goal of 400 rushing yards per game (they finished the year averaging 248 rushing yards and 390 passing yards per game), the ability to work with pretty much the same crew they did a year ago only helps the line.

?When we are in the middle of a game, it?s important that you work as a team and we keep that in mind in practice every day,? Townsend said. ?We are getting to know each other outside of football too, and that helps us be a team.?

Carter said if the group stays healthy this season, they should be a catalyst for a fun offense to watch.

?They are a talented group and more importantly, they are a hard-working group,? Carter said. ?They like working together and take pride in what they do. We are excited to have them back this year.?

Behind the group of five that is scheduled to lead the charge, Carter said that picture is still a little cloudy, as they are looking for those key backups that would be able to fill in during an emergency situation.

?Our biggest issue is trying to figure out who guy No. 6, 7 or 8 will be in that offensive line group,? Carter said. ?We?ve had guys who have come in from different positions and guys who haven?t played offensive line much in the past but are talented. We are pretty happy with where we are now.?

The Demons will travel to Muscatine on Friday for a scrimmage against a tough Class 4A team, before opening their season at Class 2A Albia on Aug. 26.