Carson Connolly is the center of attention in more ways than one for the Dexter varsity football team. A three-year starter at center, the senior anchors an offensive line that has been dominant at times whether opening up huge holes for running back Cole Cabana or protecting the right arm of quarterback Reeves Taylor.
An offense goes only as far as the line will allow it, and this Dexter offensive line has helped taken the Dreadnaughts on an undefeated ride all the way to the Final Four in Division 2. And at the center of it all is Carson Connolly.
“I thought we had a good team last year and we started off 2-0 before we lost a game,” Connolly says. “This year we started off 2-0 and I thought well let’s get to 3-0. And then to 4-0 and 5-0. It’s a little surprising that we haven’t lost but super rewarding and nice to see after all the hard work I’ve put in and my teammates have put in.”
That hard work, experience, determination and talent has taken the Dreadnaughts to the Division 2 semifinals on Saturday afternoon. Dexter will play Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at Portage Northern High School (1 p.m. kickoff). Forest Hills, who defeated East Lansing 21-17 in their quarterfinal game, also are a perfect 12-0 on the season.
Connolly, who was named to the All-SEC team this season, started at offensive guard his first two games on varsity during his sophomore season. But when the starting center went down with an injury, he became front and center on that offensive line.
“Our senior center got hurt so they were looking for a new center, not only for the rest of that year but in the future as well and coach came up to me and said I was his choice to take over,” Connolly said. “I had never played center before. I got the news on a Tuesday so I only had a few days to practice before we had a game. It was pretty nerve-wracking but I got through it OK.”
Connolly is now a seasoned veteran and a leader on and off the field. But those early days were focused on learning a new position on the fly while not screwing up.
“My sophomore year we had a lot of juniors on the line so it was pretty nerve-wracking at the time for me,” he said. “But by the time I was a junior and they were seniors, I had jelled with them and we had become a great offensive line. I think we had one of the best offensive lines in the state last year.
“This year we have a much younger offensive line with a couple sophomores but I think we were able to get that chemistry you need and we’ve been very good and have gotten better during the course of the season.”
Connolly has centered three outstanding quarterbacks during his three years on varsity. “My sophomore year was with Colin Parachek and he was a little intimidating because he was a senior and really good and I was just a sophomore learning a new position at the time,” Connolly said. “My goal was to not mess anything up for him.”
During his junior year, Cal Bavineau was the Dexter senior quarterback.
“Colin was more of a pocket passer where Cal liked to move around and he wasn’t afraid to take off and run,” Connolly said. “It was a bit of an adjustment and transition from Colin to Cal. You had to try and figure out when he was going to pass and when he was going to run and how you could best block for him.”
Taylor, a senior, took over the quarterback duties this year and Connolly compares him more to Parachek. “Yeah, he pretty much stays in the pocket so we just have to keep our guys were blocking in front of us and not worry too much about him running,” he says.
Connolly has known Cabana “for a long time” and certainly enjoys helping “the best running back in the state” do his thing. “I think what he likes about having me at center is he knows he can always run behind me and someone he can trust to get the job done,” Connolly says. “We’ve been friends for years. And a lot of the guys on the team, we have grown up together. We have over 20 seniors on the team and I have known most of them for as long as I can remember. And I think that friendship has created trust and chemistry and has helped us achieve everything we have so far this year.”
Being a member of a strong offensive line is more than lifting weights, blocking and knocking people around. There is some studying involved and when the offensive line gets in the film room to watch their next opponent, Connolly says they are looking for “tendencies.”
“If we are in a certain formation we want to see how they are going to line up against what we’re doing,” he said. “We want to control the line of scrimmage and get the looks we want, anything to give us an advantage. We look at what stunts and blitzes they like to do and how they might try to confuse us. We look at how far back the linebackers are, whether it’s six yards or closer at three yards where they might be blitzing. It’s all about picking up their tendencies.”
And when asked about what he has seen on film with regards to Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central he says what his teammates have been saying all year. The only team that can beat Dexter is Dexter. If they play their game the way they are capable, they have two more wins in them.
Connolly says his football days are coming to an end with the Dreadnaughts. He would love to end it with an undefeated season and a state title.
“I am looking at a trade school and will probably do that and go into the work force,” he says of his future. “If the opportunity presents itself and I get a really good offer from a good college, I might consider it. But I’ve loved playing football and I will definitely miss it.”
