Center of attention

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Frontiersman Sports Editor

PALMER - Each time Paul Eckman stepped to the line of scrimmage during his senior year, he separated himself from every other center in the state of Alaska.

Rather than having the quarterback line up right behind Eckman, Palmer's signal caller was yards back in the shotgun formation. In the spread out shotgun offense the Moose ran, Eckman was forced to make a perfect long snap on every play. And he did.

Now Eckman is officially separated from every other center in the state of Alaska. On Sunday, the PHS senior was named first-team all-state by the Alaska State Football Coaches Association.

Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen said Eckman's ability to snap the ball consistently from a distance helped him earn the prestigious postseason honor.

&#8220His first chore is to make the snap, and his next is to block,” Christiansen said.

Throughout the year, Palmer's opponents altered the defense to put pressure on Eckman, and he continued to be effective.

&#8220A lot of people put nose guards on him to try to disrupt the snap. That wasn't effective for anyone,” Christiansen said. &#8220The other coaches around the state recognized that.”

At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Eckman also earned the honor despite being one of the smaller centers in the state. Eckman doesn't possess the size, but he has the quickness.

&#8220Paul is fast for a center,” Christiansen said. &#8220He gets his hands where they're supposed to be. He gets downfield.”

Eckman was part of a Palmer offensive line considered small when compared to some of the units the Moose have had in the past. Guards Tory Johnson (6-2, 270 pounds) and Slade Owens (5-9, 250) had size. But Eckman and tackles Aaron Kohring (6-2, 210 pounds) and Waylon Sieler (5-5, 213 pounds) are smaller.

But regardless of size the Moose line powered the Palmer offense to well more than 3,000 total yards and nine wins.

&#8220It's all about blocking correctly, and being quick,” Christiansen said. &#8220A lot of it is the mental part, and communicating with each other.”

Going into the 2005 season, Christiansen said the offensive line was Palmer's biggest question mark. Everyone in the backfield returned, but Eckman was the only starter to see varsity time in 2004 - and that was at guard. Sieler was on junior varsity last year, and Kohring, Johnson and Owens did not play football last year.

&#8220We had a pretty green line,” Christiansen said. &#8220But physically, we knew these guys could do it.”

Sieler worked his way into the varsity starting lineup, and earned second-team All-Railbelt Conference honors last week. Johnson missed the entire 2004 season due to injury, but returned to be named a second-team all-conference lineman on both sides of the ball. Owens missed his junior campaign, but returned to start on both offense and defense. Saturday Owens was named to the all-state tournament team. Kohring, in his first season of football since the eighth grade, started at left tackle and earned second-team all-conference honors at long snapper.

&#8220He's just really smart and so quick on his feet,” Christiansen said. &#8220He's got the potential to play more football, if he wants.”

Christiansen also noted the presence of junior Kelly Devon (6-0, 250 pounds), who added size to both sides of the line.

There may have been questions early, but the unit helped the Moose have a tremendous amount of success offensively.