Maples to lean on Adam Hein

Football is full of trends. Doesn’t matter the level of football or which side of the ball, everything is always changing and you must be able to adapt.
From the winged-T to the no-huddle to the zone read, offenses have been mixing it up as of late.
But despite the changes, it will forever be a fact that a hard-nosed, physical running style will always breed success.
And in 2014, the Mapletown Maples hope that statement is true, as they will rely heavily on senior tailback/fullback Adam Hein.
Hein, who is 5-9 and 205 pounds, is a two-year starter and has caught the eye of many teams around the Tri-County South Conference for not only being a punishing blocker, but a reliable runner as well.
“Adam Hein had a solid season for us last year and he is our horse,” veteran coach George Messich said. “He’s a physical runner and a very intelligent back. We expect big things from him and our other runners this season. The running game will dictate our success this season.”
Hein lined up mostly as a fullback two years ago, but made the shift to running back in 2013.
As teams are passing more and relying on one-back sets, the fullback position is slowly going by the wayside.
“Offenses are always changing and I think just over time the value of the fullback has dropped,” Messich said. “A lot of teams just go in the shotgun and do the zone read thing. It seems like back in the day every team had that strong, physical blocker in the backfield, but nowadays the speed of the game has picked up and you need faster runners in your backfield.”
According to Messich, a good fullback must possess a couple of notable qualities.
“A good fullback has to have a good mix of speed, strength and quickness,” Messich stated. “Being a fullback isn’t the most glamorous position, but you need that hammer on offense. You have to be unselfish and also be very tough in the trenches.”
Toughness defines Hein in Mapletown’s backfield, as one game his sophomore year he played with a cast after suffering a hand injury the prior week.
“I can’t remember who we played, but one game his sophomore season he started for us with a cast on his hand,” Messich remembered. “That just shows you how tough Adam is and how much he loves his teammates and the game. You have to have a level of toughness to be a strong fullback.”
Hein was a dual threat for the Maples’ offense last year, compiling 541 yards on 101 carries (5.4 average) and 200 yards on 10 receptions for a total of 11 touchdowns.
Mapletown, who will run multiple formations on offense, will look to feed Hein the ball and establish a solid running game in hopes of making it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2005.
The Maples will open the season up on Aug. 29 at home versus Beth-Center.