Published: January 23, 2009 09:29 am

Redman, Morris area’s top defenders
Keyser linebacker, Fort Hill tackle co-Defensive Player of the Year winners

Mike Burke
Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — A pair of all-state defenders, Keyser linebacker Taige Redman and Fort Hill tackle Caleb Morris, will be the co-recipients of the Pepsi-Cola Area High School Football Defensive Player of the Year Saturday, Jan. 31 during the 61st annual Dapper Dan Awards Banquet at the Ali Ghan Shrine Club.

Both players were at the core of their teams’ successful seasons as Keyser went 9-0 in the regular season to win the Times-News Area championship, before finishing 10-1 after falling in the second round of the West Virginia playoffs. Fort Hill finished the season at 11-2, winning the Maryland Class 1A West Region title and advancing to the state championship game, where the Sentinels fell to Dunbar, 20-19.

Redman was a first-team all-state selection and was runner-up in the voting for the Sam Huff Award that goes to West Virginia’s top linebacker. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound senior was credited with 119 tackles (56 solo, 41 assists, 12 for loss and 8 sacks). He had one interception for a touchdown, forced four fumbles and ran back one of his four fumble recoveries for a touchdown.

“I think his speed to the football and his ability to run plays down separates him from most players,” said Keyser coach Sean Biser.

“He’s been a four-year starter for us, so number one, he brings leadership on defense, and on offense and in the weight room,” Biser said in describing Redman’s role in Keyser’s success. “In every aspect of our program he led by example and has been a tremendous worker for us.

“He makes plays and when he does he does it with force. You have what’s known as the run-hit factor. He could get there fast, and when he got there, he hit. He led the way for us and gave an attitude to our team, too.”

As for his college plays, Redman has received offers from Marshall and Ohio University, but West Virginia is still in the picture.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” Biser said. “I would say Ohio is in the lead right now, but if West Virginia comes along, that would be his dream to be there, I think.”

Biser believes Redman will remain at linebacker in college, although he believes there are other options.

“I think he’s an outside backer type of kid,” said Biser. “He can cover backs out of the backfield. He’s a tweener. He’s not an inside linebacker, he’s more of a tweener because he can run with backs out of the backfield.

“He could play safety, but everybody we talk to likes him as an outside linebacker, where they can bring him off the edge. He’s an excellent pass rusher; his speed is amazing. And I believe he’ll fill out and be about 220 pounds when all’s said and done.

“Those kind of kids like him don’t come around all the time. He was a special one to coach and will definitely be missed next year.”

Morris was honored as a first-team all-State selection as well. The 6-2, 241-pound senior tackle had a team-high 48 solo tackles as well as 45 assists. He also had four quarterback sacks, two blocked kicks and a fumble recovery.

Morris and Allegany’s Justin Hymes were selected to play in the 2008 Maryland Crab Bowl, Maryland’s only statewide high school football all-star game, and Morris was named a captain of the Baltimore team.

“His tenaciousness and his willingness to play hard all the time would be his strength,” said Fort Hill coach Todd Appel. “Caleb’s a pretty mean football player on the field. He has a killer instinct within the rules of play. He’s a big kid, and he gets to the ball. He runs a 4.85 40, so for 242 pounds, he can run. Obviously, his strength helps him. He’s a very strong kid.”

In the offseason, Morris bettered Josh Root’s total record in the Fort Hill weight room, setting the leg press and squat records.

“He had a great offseason,” Appel said. “He lost 20 pounds of what I would call bad weight, got himself down to 240 and became stronger and faster.”

Morris’ team lost the Crab Bowl, but the tackle did all he could, finishing with four tackles, four assists, a sack and a tackle for loss.

“He held his own,” Appel said. “He missed just one defensive down, so they had faith in him. They named him a captain for his performance in practice that week and, obviously, for his performance in the Dunbar game (the coaches of the Baltimore team Morris played on were the Dunbar coaches).

“What will probably cost him a scholarship at a bigger Division I school will be his height. He was a head shorter than most of those kids, who looked 6-4 or better to me. His height not withstanding, he more than held his own. He did a great job.”

Morris is still exploring college opportunities, Appel said, but the Sentinel tackle certainly made sure his teammates made the most of their opportunities this past season.

“He was very team oriented from the beginning,” Appel said. “The kids knew he had been through the battles and the wars. He was very strong in the weight room and I think the other kids felt, ‘We can do this also,’ and followed suit. They followed by his example.

“Plus, he gets after it. He’s not a bully, but maybe the other kids felt a little threatened by his example and his physicality and followed suit. He’s a quiet leader. He’s not rah-rah. We needed kids to step up to his level, and through the year they did that. Almost to his level, anyway. We had a pretty good offensive line and pretty good defense led by him.”

For Dapper Dan banquet ticket information, call The Original Sports Shoppe at (301) 722-5490.