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Swiss Army Knife: Saffle's versatility aiding Leopards' strong start
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com
In a shift in thought from its modus operandi, the Lovejoy football team has emphasized keeping players on one side of the ball as opposed to the traditional two-way approach.
There are exceptions to that rule, first and foremost being senior Zach Saffle.
"[Saffle is] a tremendous athlete," said Matt Green, Lovejoy head coach. "He's very skilled and just by watching him, you know there are a lot of things he can do. With him, we had to really evaluate his talents and see how he could be used fully."
It's an endeavor the Leopards' three-year varsity stalwart has embraced.
"I love it," Saffle said. "I think it's a great responsibility for me to have and I'm just trying my best at what they've asked me to do."
Like many players on Lovejoy, Saffle is accustomed to playing two ways, which was standard fare for the Leopards up until this season.
As a junior, Saffle helmed the Lovejoy offense at quarterback where he threw for 1,180 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 13 more scores on the ground with 867 rushing yards. On defense, Saffle was one of several cogs to comprise the team's injury-plagued secondary.
Those roles began to expand over the summer during 7-on-7 when injuries allowed Saffle the chance to expand his repertoire during state qualifying tournaments.
"When I first talked to coach Green about what I was going to play, he said I would be just a quarterback," Saffle said. "But during 7-on-7, we had a couple guys missing for some tournaments and I had to fill a role at safety. I told him to let me play and I'd show him what I could do. After 7-on-7, he basically said I'd be starting both ways.
"I anticipated it and I was ready for it."
Saffle's showings should have come as no surprise since safety is the most tenured of his roles, a defender since he was a kid. Saffle didn't begin taking snaps at quarterback until his freshman year, with his mobility making him an instant threat on the run as well.
Receiver was something that was steadily worked into the fray as well.
"We knew at that point that he could make plays like that," Green said, "as well as catch the ball -- which I had seen him do just messing around -- so we really started contemplating how we could keep him on the field.
"We came to the conclusion that we needed to use him in every phase we could."
That's been very much the case three games into the Leopards' 2012 campaign, with Saffle playing anywhere from 85-100 snaps a game.
Offensively, Saffle's six touchdowns are a team high, tallying four scores via the ground on 68 yards rushing to go along with three receptions for 28 yards and one receiving touchdown, plus throwing eight passes out of Lovejoy's strong package.
At free safety, Saffle has amassed 12 tackles -- eight solo -- plus one interception and one pass breakup.
"With Zach at safety, he roams," Green said. "He has responsibilities that he has to take care of but he's a ballhawk and he does an awesome job finding the ball. We love having him back there roaming around, reading the quarterback and finding the receivers."
Even in special teams -- an avenue Green admits Saffle had minimal experience in entering the season -- the senior has made an impact, most notably with a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown in the Leopards' season-opening 53-14 win over Frisco Heritage.
A taxing workload, to say the least.
"By the fourth quarter, I'm pretty gassed, but that's what you work for," Saffle said. "You work to be ready for the fourth quarter and I'm ready for it."
Thus far, things have gone according to plan for Saffle and the Leopards, who emerge as the lone unbeaten team in 13-4A at 3-0 following non-district play.
A 7:30 p.m. Homecoming tilt against Wylie awaits on Friday, with Lovejoy taking the next step in its inaugural foray into Class 4A.
"[Wylie is] a very good team," Saffle said. "They're 0-3, but they've played some really good teams so far. We just have to execute on defense and stop whatever they have going."
For continued news and coverage on the local sports scene, follow @MWelchSCN on Twitter.
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