Thursday, August 26, 2004
Bob Fortuna
Plain Dealer Reporter
Glenville football coach Ted Ginn Sr. is often referred to as "The Mayor of St. Clair."
Senior Freddie Lenix has done so many good things on the football field the past two years, he has become the perfect write-in candidate.
The 6-0, 200-pounder is rated one of the top linebackers in the country by Ohio High Magazine. He'll have a chance to show he belongs when the Tarblooders play tradition-rich Buchtel in Week 4.
"It'll be fun because both teams rely on speed," said Lenix, whose hitting and 4.3-second time in the 40-yard dash have caught the attention of almost every major college program in the nation. "We know Buchtel is a good team, but we think we're pretty good, too.
"This game isn't about trying to show up anybody because our season is about taking one game at a time and playing as one. If we do that, we'll make it to the 15th game."
Lenix's speed also makes him an offensive threat as a powerful, slashing tailback. But his skills on offense used to work against him where he excels the most: defense.
"Because of his quickness and anticipation, Freddie used to over-run plays," said Glenville defensive coordinator Robert Andrews, a former assistant at Warren Harding. "So we moved him about 7 yards back to give him more reaction time. We did it with (all-state linebacker) Prescott Burgess when I was at Harding, and it helped him to get in on more plays."
Lenix enjoys running with the ball, but he's infatuated with defense.
"I love dishing out pain head-on, but I'm just as effective running sideline to sideline," said Lenix, also a standout sprinter on the track team. "Being a running back has helped me on defense. I think like a running back, so it helps me read plays better on defense."
"Freddie's dangerous," Ginn said. "He's dangerous because he runs through people."
