Ponderosa offensive tackle Chris Fox, headed for Michigan, is rated No. 11 at his position nationally by MaxPreps.
File photo by Paul DiSalvo
When it comes to football recruiting, Colorado is no California. It is no Texas.
But year after year, the state seems to produce a solid handful of top-tier linemen, Division-I athletes who make Colorado more of a hotbed than an afterthought on the recruiting landscape.
This season is no different, with
Chris Fox of
Ponderosa (Parker) perhaps the biggest blue-chipper. He will play at Michigan next season.
He is rated as the No. 11 tackle nationally by MaxPreps.
"There are obviously other states that are better than us when it comes to football, but when it comes to O-line, we're definitely right up there with everyone else," Fox said. "I guess they just grow us big and strong and fast out here."
Monstrous
Dan Skipper of
Ralston Valley (Arvada) is bound for Tennessee,
Columbine's (Littleton) John Lisella to Colorado, and just this week,
Taylor Knestis of
Lakewood. committed to Wyoming. A trio of players are headed to Colorado State:
Jake Bennett (Bear Creek (Lakewood),
Zack Golditch of
Gateway (Aurora) and
Blake Nowland (Douglas County (Castle Rock).
Of note,
Golditch was among the wounded in the Aurora theater shootings last month, but is in camp now.
These players are helping Colorado increase its reputation for producing deft, gargantuan blockers who excel at the next level. The most popular in-state lineman in recent seasons was former Columbine athlete Ryan Miller, who played at Colorado and currently is in camp with the Cleveland Browns.
Chris Fox, Ponderosa
File photo by Paul DiSalvo
Fox, who begins his senior season at 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds, grasps this concept. Last season, he watched players such as Chaparral's Shane Callahan and Valor Christian's Alex Kozan, both freshmen at Auburn this season.
"Shane was one I really knew about because we always threw shot put and discus together, so I always saw him at all those events," said Fox, who says he is comfortable at tackle and guard. "And Kozan, every camp I went to, he was there. I looked up to them."
As with any lineman, work ethic can be just as key as any technical skill, with a game in the trenches often a test of perseverance. Fox seems to have the entire package.
"He has great feet, moves well and takes pride in finishing his blocks," Ponderosa coach Jamie Woodruff said.
During his sophomore year, Fox understood his trait could equate to previously unforeseen goals. The letters began piling up. He began to realize that few defensive ends could get past him.
Next was the process of selecting which school was right. What might have been a challenging process to some was simple for Fox. The Wolverines were a slam dunk, or better put in lineman's terms, a pancake.
"First of all, I've always had a lot of family out there and I've always been a fan of them," Fox said. "They were my team growing up. I went to their camp, I went to the campus and I loved everything about it. The coaches, everything."
Golditch, of course, had the most compelling offseason story. Most harrowing, actually. He was in the adjacent theater on July 20 when a gunman went on a shooting spree, claiming 12 lives and injuring 59. Golditch was struck in the side of the neck from a bullet that went through the theater walls.
Golditch told various media outlets that he initially thought someone had set off firecrackers in the theater. He fled the theater, eventually realizing a bullet had grazed him. In the chaos, he ran to a nearby intersection where construction workers came to his aid.
He tweeted that night: "Thank you god for saving me tonight! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
On Monday's first day of official practice at Gateway, he tweeted: "Just being back in the huddle was enough."
Once he is out of the huddle, the 6-5, 260-pound Golditch is one of the most impressive blockers in the state. He has a 32-inch vertical leap and has been timed at 4.8 seconds and below in the shuttle.
"He moves like a 225-pound lineman," Olympians coach Justin Hoffman said. "He separates himself from the pack by doing all of the little things right. He pays attention to detail and works his butt off to make it better. He is a very physical player and loves to make contact first."
