SCSU's big men on campus

With four returning starters, the Huskies' offensive line is considered by many to not only be the best in the NCC, but also the best SCSU has had in over a decade

Media Credit: Ryan Henry Matt Henry, Jim McCarville, Cory McLouden, Jon Scovill, and Andrew Kaczor (not pictured) make up the most talented line head coach Randy Hedberg has coached in his career at SCSU.

The elevator shook as it made its way up only one floor of the Miller Learning Center Monday night.  

Considering 1,110 pounds were on board between SCSU offensive linemen Matt Henry (325 lbs.), Jon Scovill (295 lbs.), Cory McLouden (315 lbs.), and the incomparably meager reporter who would follow them to a conference interview, it's safe to say there was nothing wrong with the elevator. Try to imagine the chaotic accident that would have taken place that evening if Jim McCarville (310 lbs.) and Andrew Kaczor (305 lbs.) had been present in that elevator.

It wouldn't be the first time the SCSU offensive line has stood out from a crowd.

A breed of their own  
"It's weird, you'll see all the other position groups together," said Henry, SCSU's junior right tackle. "You'll get some wide outs hanging with some defensive backs, linebackers and defensive linemen and they're all mixed together. Then you see the offensive line and it's a big herd of us."

To make things even more awkward, throw the smallest coach on the team in offensive line coach Paul Rudolph in the huddle. He tends to resemble a ping pong ball squeezed among five bowling balls on weekday afternoon practices at Selke field.

"He's about the size of my pinky," McLouden laughed. "It's pretty funny to watch him demonstrate things in practice."

Rudolph is in his fourth year as O-line coach for the Huskies and is a big reason why the Huskies' offense led the NCC last season in total offense with 4,858 yards. According to head coach Randy Hedberg, the offensive line has more talent than he's seen in his five seasons at SCSU.

"Coach Rudolph has done a very good job of mixing different aspects between our pass and run game," Hedberg said. "The running game is pretty consistent but the pass protection is so different week to week because we see so many defensive books."

In a way, the Husky O-line operates a lot like a family, with Rudolf as their mentor. They all have different roles socially and athletically, they are constantly around each other (especially at the lunch table) and they bicker endlessly.

"Our meetings are never boring," said Scovill, who's the newest addition to the O-line in his first year as a starter. "We've got a bunch of jokesters and there is some carnage going on."

Scovill, last season's Ed Johnson Award winner for most commitment to excellence, is the third left tackle the Huskies have had in three years, and looks to be the most promising one yet. While also contributing as a right guard at times, Scovill played in all 11 games as a back-up last season.

"It's definitely an interesting experience because they've all been jelling together for so long," Scovill said. "You know that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link and you never want to be that weak link.  You've always got to work yourself harder but it helps to have experienced guys that can help you out and save your butt once in a while."  

Although the sophomore's dedication and hard work has earned the praise of nearly every player and coach on the field, he still gets endless amounts of flack from his cohorts on the line.

"He's like our son," McLouden said. "Once in a while we've gotta slap him around. Do I yell at him once in a while? Yeah."

However, McLouden tends to do a lot of yelling.     "He's a warrior," Scovill said. "(Rudolph) says he's a pitbull in a phone booth at times because he knows how to get after people and motivate them."

McLouden hasn't missed a game yet in his three year career with the Huskies and the sometimes ill-tempered left guard has learned a lot in his career at SCSU.

"Different people take criticism differently and that's something that I've had to learn in my time here," McLouden said. "You just can't go off the handle all the time. We all have different approaches but it's all going toward the same goal."

McCarville is the fun-loving goofball of the group off the field, but is all business on the field with an NCC Honorable Mention honor last season to add to his resume as a two year starting right guard.

Henry is the most laid-back of the bunch as far as his personality is concerned, but is also the biggest player on the team weighing in at 325 lbs. The Eau Claire native has also played in every game in the past three seasons and started last year for the first time.

Kaczor is the leader of the group, and the four-year starting center and two-year captain acts like it.    

"Papa 'Kacz' is the general out there," McLouden said. "He speaks and everyone listens. He's the most well-spoken and articulate football player of us all too."

Kaczor has a St. Cloud football family. His brother Dan is the team's backup sophomore quarterback and his father Ron is the head football coach at St. Cloud Tech, where both Andrew and Dan attended and played.

Andrew was a Second Team Offense All-NCC selection even though he missed four games due to a torn medial collateral ligament and was an Academic All-NCC Honorable Mention pick as well.  

Healthy competition
There aren't many things that the Husky offensive line doesn't make into a competition. There's the endless John Madden football video game battles that they claim to play mainly because it's the only way they get to move or control where the ball is going.

Then there's the on-going verbal spats between Cory, a Hopkins native, and Jon, a Wayzata native, between which high school team is better. The conference rivalry was split down the middle the only year the two played against each other in 2000, when Wayzata took the first victory of the season in the Hopkins home coming game, only to lose to Hopkins later in sections.

"It's been an ongoing battle since Jonny got here," McLouden said. "As ashamed as I am to admit it I don't think Hopkins has beaten them since I left."  

 Of all the competitions in the world, wide out Ed DeShazer picked the wrong one to get involved in. The 180 lb. sophomore literally bit off more than he could chew in the team's trip to Washington two weeks ago when he challenged Henry to an eating contest at a hotel buffet.

"We'd be very generous to say that (Ed) ate even a third of what 'Matty' had," Scovill said.  "(Henry) can really pack it down.  It's unbelievable how much he can eat."  

A strange bond
So how do you motivate five 300 lb. guys that take an elevator to avoid walking up one flight of stairs?

Keith Heckendorf found the key ingredient in 2001 when McCarville and McLouden treated the sophomore QB to his first win.

"Heckendorf came and threw us a candy bar and we're like 'what the heck is this for?'" McLouden said. "Heckendorf said 'you win, you get a candy bar.' We're like 'heh, alright!' He's done it ever since. There is no bigger bond than feeding a bunch of fat guys."

It's obviously worked as Heckendorf has set numerous SCSU passing records (Most TD passes: 79, Most completions, 585, Most passing yards, 7,596) and has a great chance at winning the Harlon Hill award for the Division II College Football Player of the Year, while McLouden and McCarville are potential All-NCC selections this season.

Running back Matt Birkel has even tried the "feeding" by taking the linemen out for meals last season, but is now treating them to Gatorade.

"There's a sense of respect between us (and Heckendorf) so we don't ever want to give up a sack," Scovill said. "We don't ever want anyone to touch our QB or our running back and we know we have to get better everyday to protect them."

Although the Huskies stumbled in a 46-14 loss to the seventh-ranked Pittsburg State Gorillas last week, the offensive line remains positive of their nationally-hyped season.

"As far as this year goes, we've got a lot of the pieces in place," McLouden said. "We stumbled a little last week, but as (coach Rudolf) would say, sometimes you need a little piece of humble pie to get you back into place and ready to go again."

Whether it's pie or candy bars, the Husky offensive line needs to continue their strong play, the Husky offense shouldn't have much of a problem finishing at the top of the NCC conference once again.