Ruston O-line's selfless approach key to run identity

A jet can’t take off without a runway.

In traditional aviation, an aircraft wouldn’t go wheels up unless its path is 100% clear. However, that’s rarely the case in football. But the good news for the Bearcats is their “Jet” — junior running back Jordan Hayes — doesn’t need much of a lane to take off.

Clear or not, he never takes off for his long touchdown runs and 100-yard performances without an offensive line in front of him. This unit has paved the way for Ruston’s powerful running attack over the last three seasons, including this year as the Bearcats try to win their first state title since 1990 on Saturday in the Caesars Superdome.

“Those guys know the job they signed up for,” Ruston offensive line coach Bryan Beck said. “We’re not here to get the praise, and if we have a bad game we’re getting beat up. My message to them since really fall camp is, ‘We’re here to serve our team. We’re here to be a service for our football team and our playmakers, for Josh, Jordan, and Dylone.’ Those guys want nothing more than to get them in the endzone and let them get the attention like they deserve.”

The unit is led by two returning starters in Sam Nations and Kylon Bradley, with Nations moving from guard to center this season and Bradley starting at right guard.

Nations said he’s more than happy to live by the mission to serve.

“We know as the offensive line unit that we are always the last to fame but the first to blame. It all revolves around us,” Nations said. “If we do our job then the athletes in the back field can do theirs, which allows us to win.”

Outside of the returners, Chamarion Williams is starting at left tackle, Demario Nash at right tackle, and a platoon of Cameron Venzant and Cedric Rhone at left guard –— each with an ability to rotate across the line when asked. And the new faces have done more than what you might expect, considering Williams took a year off from football last season before seamlessly returning as a full-time starter, while Dash never played varsity football until now.

That versatility and willingness to adjust is a key in the Bearcats’ design. And it’s why Beck gives his group credit for embracing change before and during the season.

“None of them are like, ‘No, sorry coach, I only play guard and I can’t play this or that.’ Every one of them has been willing to step up or move and do what’s best for the team,” Beck said. “ All those kids have really matured and come a long way since the spring and fall. It was rough at the start with a brand-new unit getting to play with each other. But guys showed up, and I really can’t give them enough credit.”

Since the start of the 2021 season, the Bearcats have had 1,000yard rushers in Dyson Fields (2021, 2022), and Jordan Hayes ( 2022, 2023) sprinting by defenders and into endzones across the state to lead Ruston’s offensive identity.

It’s that identity that’s been the bread and butter of turning the Bearcats from a good Class 5A program into a state championship contender. And 2023 is no exception.

This season, Ruston has 525 rush attempts for 3,230 yards (6.2 yards per carry) this season. The Bearcats have averaged at least 5 yards per carry in 11 of 13 games.

Individually, Hayes heads to the state championship with 215 carries, 1,749 yards, and 20 touchdowns, headlined by a career-best 249 yards against West Monroe on Nov. 3.

“They’re very tough guys,” Hayes said. “You can talk a bunch of stuff to get in their head, but they will always find a way to get through it and play their game of football.”

Dylone Brooks could be contending with Hayes’ numbers but was forced to miss a month due to injury. Still, the junior tailback has 84 carries for 426 yards and 5 touchdowns. Lander Smith, the Bearcats’ fullback, has 197 yards and 3 touchdowns on the season as well.

Quarterback Josh Brantley’s legs have also been an effective weapon in the offense, racking up 732 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Rather than take credit for the Bearcats’ development up front, Beck said the mid-season addition of former West Monroe and Ouachita head coach Todd Garvin on the staff was a big boost.

“Since Todd Garvin has been here, he’s been a spark for us in the room and the kids. Just to be able to add his value and his coaching experience, he’s been crucial in our development,” Beck said.

It also doesn’t hurt when the offensive line goes up against future Division I athletes daily.

“Without a doubt, we see the best front seven in the state every single day at practice,” Beck said. “ And it’s really been something that’s made our O-line tougher and more competitive.”

Nations, a 2022 All-District selection, describes his offensive line as a band of brothers, all willing to do the dirty work and make the sausage no one else wants to see.

But that’s how championships are won, and Nations and his teammates love that they set the table for Hayes, Brantley, and Brooks to do their thing.

“The one thing that makes us play well is knowing that the team will go as far as we can go to win,” Nations said. “That is our driving factor for us to compete and to complete our goals so the whole team can prosper from it.”