SECOND LEVEL COLLECTION: Get to know some of the area's top linebackers

They are the second line of defense, but that’s the only thing second about them.

Linebackers make up the second line of defense and are needed to read the situation and react quickly.

And their jobs are plentiful.

While the defensive linemen tie up the offensive linemen, the linebackers are versatile players who fill holes, stop the running gaps, blitz the quarterback and drop back into pass coverage.

Here’s a lot at five of the top linebackers to watch this high school football season:

ETHAN SUTTAN

Ironton Fighting Tigers

5-10, 205, Senior

IRONTON — There might be a chance that Ethan Sutton gets a job as a CIA or FBI agent who goes undercover. You see, Sutton likes behind the inside man.

The Ironton Fighting Tigers senior linebacker loves being where the action is, which is playing on the inside.

“I love it. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do. That’s what I enjoy doing. I have a great time in there,” said Sutton.

A Southeast Ohio Division 5 All-District special mention selection last season, Sutton finished last season with 47 tackles including 16 solo stops and he had 10 tackles for a loss.

At 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, Sutton might seem a little light to play on the inside, but he said his offseason workouts have kept him in shape to take the grind and punishment.

“This year, I’m a better 200 pounds than I was last year. I pretty much stayed the same weight, but body development through age — I’m a year older so that obviously helps a lot. It’s a leaner 200 pounds. I’m moving better and feeling good,” said Sutton.

Although Sutton had a strong season last year, he is far from satisfied. Sutton said he has been working on plenty of facets in order to improve his game.

“At the end of every year, me and my teammates and our coaching staff, we all look back on the past year on what we did well, what we can improve on, and overall how can we become a better football player,” said Sutton.

“There’s a lot of stuff I’ve got to work on and improve on and better myself for the upcoming season. Also, I have some good stuff to build on. There’s a lot of work to be done. Every year there’s a lot of work to be done.”

Being a senior usually brings the added responsibility of leadership. Sutton takes the added responsibility in stride.

“Older guys, everybody is thinking that,” said Sutton. “As a freshman walking in, you’re watching your seniors. Then as a sophomore you’re watching your seniors again."

“Now you’re a junior and you have to start stepping into (the leadership role). I need to learn how to lead and how to better myself while leading. Once you’re a senior, it all comes to fruition and you’re ready to go out there and do what needs to be done.”

One of the reasons Sutton doesn’t mind taking a leadership role is the fact the entire defense knows his job and the role they play.

“Our safeties and our D-line all know their jobs. They know what they’re doing so I don’t have to do a whole lot,” said Sutton. “Everybody is on the same page. Everybody just works in doing their job. I’m very, very blessed with my teammates doing that. Just teaching communication is the big thing for us. We focus on that.”

Besides football, Sutton did an outstanding job as the Ironton catcher, both defensively and hitting.

Although Sutton is one of the better catchers in the Tri-State area, there’s no hesitation when asked which sport he prefers.

“Football. Definitely,” Sutton said when asked which was his favorite sport. “Obviously, I’m looking to do both sports. I love all my baseball coaching staff. They’re a great staff and they do everything right. They’re very detail-oriented.

“Football is the same way. Ironton is very blessed with their coaching staffs who they put in charge in every sport, boys or girls. It doesn’t matter. Everybody is there for a reason. Everybody knows what they’re doing. I’m very confident in our coaching staff and I’m very excited to finish off on a high note.”

Sutton has simple goals. He wants to play well, win a state championship and he wants to stay healthy for 16 games. However, he knows that the physicality of football makes it difficult to go an entire season unscathed.

“Will that happen? No, it won’t. But am I going to strive for that every week? Of course,” said Sutton.

“We take it one week at a time. To get ahead of ourselves would be a mistake. We want every single week to be as detailed and driven as we possibly can be. Eventually, that’s going to build into something big later on down the line.”

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LUKE KOUNS

Wheelersburg Pirates

6-0, 225, Senior

WHEELERSBURG — Question: Who said, “I’ll be back.”

Answer: Arnold Swarzenegger as The Terminator.

Alternate Answer: Luke Kouns.

The Wheelersburg Pirates senior linebacker enjoyed an excellent season last year as he helped his team to a Division 5 state runner-up. He was a first team Southeast All-District selection and earned All-Ohio honors.

But it’s not been easy for Kouns. In fact, it’s been a battle each season.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Kouns has been a 3-year starter, but injuries have plagued him every season. He said it has been great support and encouragement from others that has helped him rebound each year.

“It’s hard to start back from zero, but somehow I worked my way back up every time. My coaches, my teammates are driving me. My parents helped me a bunch because I get down on myself a bunch. They just keep pushing me and I just keep coming back better each year.”

Kouns suffered a knee injury but refused to have surgery until after the season. Although he was in pain and had some limitations, Kouns fought through everything to help the Pirates reach the title game. Woodward expects Kouns to return ready to play yet again.

“Luke’s been just a typical linebacker who can play downhill,” said Woodward. “Luke’s coming off a tough knee injury from last year that he waited until the end of the season to get cleared up, He’s done a good job in the weight room and gotten ready to go back out there this fall.

“He still has that downhill aggression, but he’s working to communicate with some of the other guys repping in there with him.”

As a senior, Kouns knows he has to become a leader, but he also knows that it becomes easier to play the game with three years of experience under his belt.

“It’s constantly fast when you’re a freshman. When you come up as a sophomore you realize it more, and a junior it slows down a notch. Your senior year it seems like you just now where the ball is going constantly,” said Kouns.

“(Last year’s seniors) showed me how to be a leader. I execute that and I push these guys. There’s going to be a bunch of juniors stepping up. I have faith in them. They’ve put the work in. I’ve seen a bunch of improvement. I think we’re going to be solid this year.”

Woodward said Kouns fits the mold of the type of linebacker the defensive scheme utilizes.

“Last year he was part of such a great duo with Brady Doss. That’s the kind of thing we’ve always tried to utilize here at Wheelersburg is a downhill, tough, take on that strong side and that lead blocker that comes at you and then a guy who can swoop in behind you and kind of clean up things behind that,” said Woodward.

Having put in the work and recovered from his injury, Kouns said his focus is strictly on the team goals that the Pirates set for themselves every season.

“Our goals are to win the SOC first, then the regional championship. Those are our goals every year. Doesn’t matter if we have a good team or bad team. We’re just going to play football the best we can and we’ll let the chips fall where they will,” said Kouns.

It’s safe to say, Luke Kouns is back.

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MAX KLAIBER

Coal Grove Hornets

6-0, 220, Junior

COAL GROVE — In the idiom “When push comes to shove,” you can count on Max Klaiber to be in the thick of things pushing.

The Coal Grove Hornets junior linebacker believes that pushing himself and pushing others to be better is the only way for his team to give its best performance.

After stepping into a starting role as a sophomore, Klaiber earned Southeast Ohio Division 5 All-District first team honors.

The pushing has only begun.

“I even think that last year I was still helping push guys around. I was pushing them in the weight room. This year, I stepped up and I’m getting the freshmen ready,” said Klaiber. “And we’ll go in there and keep pushing with the others we’ve got back and play some snot-knocker football.”

Coal Grove head coach Jay Lucas said that Klaiber is a self-motivated player who carries himself well on and off the field.

“Max is an excellent football player. But I have to be honest with you. He’s an even better kid. He’s a fantastic kid,” said Lucas.

“He works his tail off. He’s the definition of a leader. We’re going to rely on him very heavily on the defensive side of the ball.”

The Hornets suffered some key losses from last year’s 8-3 team that won its first Ohio Valley Conference title since 2017.

Klaiber said he knows the team faces a tougher schedule but he’s going to use his year of experience to help the Hornets match or improve on last season.

“It’s a real big deal. We’re going to come into practice and I’m going to have to make these boys push themselves. I think they’ll be ready for Russell and Nelsonville-York,” said Klaiber. “I’ll be looking to step out for my junior season. And I think a lot of the boys on the team want to come out and play.

“I feel like this is a good defense even though we did lose Kaden Murphy, Caden Turner, Rylan Smith, Logan Roberts, and a lot of key people, I still think we have a good group of kids coming up. A lot of people are going to step up, especially in the junior class and play to our responsibilities we had last year.”

Lucas said that despite being a junior, Klaiber has been a leader for a team that has only a handful of seniors.

“Max is a great team player. He has a great football IQ. He will be a factor on both sides of the ball,” said Lucas. “But the thing he does that you can’t coach is his ability to lead and help the other players. He’s had to step up his role and add that responsibility and he does it without any hesitation.”

Although Klaiber’s emergence as a solid linebacker despite only being a sophomore was a key factor in an improved defense, he said it’s all part of the maturity process.

“My freshman year, I just remember getting smack all the time. My sophomore year, I sped up and played a lot of big games,” said Klaiber. “This junior year, it was slow when I first came up. I think I can play at a high level.”

When Klaiber says he can play at a high level, he’s not pushing it.

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AARON WORKMAN

Rock Hill Redmen

6-1, 215, Senior

PEDRO — Aaron Workman might be able to get an endorsement deal with the Kellogg’s morning breakfast cereal Rice Krispies. Workman likes to led his actions speak for him and his actions end up going “snap, crackle, pop.”

The Rock Hill Redmen senior linebacker admits he isn’t a screamer or a yeller, but he still wants to make some noise when he’s on the field to show his leadership ability.

“I’m definitely not the most vocal person for sure. But I try to lead by example. I try to do the little things. When we’re doing drills in practice, no stopping even when I’m tired to show my teammates,” said Workman.

“I’ve never been a speech giver. I’m kind of quiet and I lead by example. I let my play speak for me.”

Rock Hill head coach Trey Wilds said Workman has a great attitude and work ethic that is infectious with the other players.

“He’s been great for me. I’ve been on the staff for three years. He’s the hardest worker in the room every time. He goes until he throws up if he has to. He doesn’t stop. He was pretty sick one week and only missed a day,” said Wilds.

“He’s not very vocal, but everybody sees what he does. If you’re a young guy, you see how he works. You see that nothing in this program is handed to you. He’s a returning all-district guy, 100 plus tackles, and he’s still busting his hind end to be the best guy out here and the young guys see that. He helps elevate them in practice, in the weight room. He’s not saying much, but if he’s doing that, then I should be doing that. I think that’s really rubbed off on some of these young guys.”

Workman led the Redmen in tackles last season as he earned first team Southeast All-District Division 6 honors. But he said playing linebacker has only become a position for him in the past couple of seasons.

Workman played on the line as a center when he was growing up in the fourth and fifth grade. He didn’t play in the sixth and seventh grade but played in the eighth grade.

“I played more of a skilled position. I was moved to running back by coach Greg Damron and I played defensive end on defense,” Workman said.

But once again he opted out of playing when he entered high school and then returned as a sophomore when Tony Love took over the program the past two seasons.

“That’s when I initially started at outside backer,” said Workman. “I like defense better. One hundred percent.”

Wilds said he’s been fortunate to have spent the past five years coaching Workman either in track or football.

“Aaron is one of those kids who I’m the closest with on the team. I’ve coached Aaron since the eighth grade in track. He was a hurdler,” said Wilds.

“He didn’t play football as a freshman. I coached him his freshman year in hurdles. So, I’ve been with Aaron a long time. He’s a tremendous kid. If you look at him physically, he passes the eye test. He’s 6-2, 220 now and he was the district champion in hurdles two years ago, so it's not like he can’t move.”

There was a void on the defense for an inside linebacker his junior season and Workman was moved there. And again, Workman had to adjust to another position.

“Outside is more like speed and containing the edge way more so I had to be fast for those running backs and slot receivers. I was more responsible for the flats,” said Workman.

“The middle linebacker is more of hit and fill. You might go man to man there, but stopping the run is the main goal.”

Workman noted the differences and showed that his linebacker style was more suited to the inside.

“Stop the run is the number one rule for me. And then it’s aggressiveness. You play with aggression and you can see it in the film. You can tell if you see a good linebacker on film that he jams receivers, guards. The physical part is my favorite,” said Workman.

Currently, Workman is 6-foot-1, 215-pounds. He runs a true 4.85 second time in the 40-yard dash and said the added weight this season hasn’t affected him.

“I’d like to get up to around 220 because I know I’m going to lose a couple by the end (of the season). Last year, I was around 200 and ended up 195,” said Workman.

Not only is Workman making a position change on defense, he is also taking on a new role on the offensive side.

“I’ll have to step up, but we have players for sure. I think we can be really good this year. This year they’ve got me playing more of a halfback. Last year, I played a lot of tight end. This year, sometimes I’m a tight end but I’m more like an H-back,” said Workman.

Rock Hill was 8-4 last season and qualified for the Division 6 playoffs. Workman said the team really has only one simple goal set for this season.

“I think this year our goal is to play as one team. No star player. None of that. Just have a goal and go out there and reach that goal,” Workman said. “Defensively, I want to have a big year. Next year, I definitely want to play college football for sure.”

If Aaron Workman can sound like Rice Krispies this season, he might get a chance to endorse Wheaties, the breakfast of champions.

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WYATT HUDSON

Russell Red Devils

5-11, 195, Senior

FLATWOODS, Ky. — Wyatt Hudson could be considered a medical miracle. If you cut him he doesn’t bleed red or even Russell Red Devils maroon.

If it is possible, he bleeds linebacker.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior comes from a linebacker background that is filled with linebackers. Even when he was assigned a different position, he always found himself back in the heart of the defense.

Besides playing linebacker, Hudson has been a running back, a tight end and even a quarterback. He said all of that has helped him learn the game and make him a better player.

“I’ve always tried to learn everything I can about football. Learning has never been my problem with it. I’ve just got to get out there and get all the practice I can and learn everything I can to help this team win,” said Hudson.

“And it all comes kind of natural. My older brother (Josh) played linebacker growing up. I’ve watched him play linebacker my entire life, so seeing that, growing up near football, Russell football especially, has helped me to see things and recognize things and react to them.”

Hudson credits his growth as a linebacker to his coaches and to players such as Ian Lother and Brayden Schmidt.

“They’ve been giving me pointers and helping me out whenever they can and overall makes me better and makes the team better when we help each other,” said Hudson.

While Hudson is one of the area’s best linebackers, his success didn’t come overnight. He said it has been a learning process.

“The first year was rough. I hadn’t seen a game at that level and that speed. It definitely gets easier as you go, the more you learn, the more you see. It definitely slows down. In your brain, you can process everything better. It makes you a better player,” said Hudson.

Now that Hudson has played for three seasons and honed his craft, he’s anxious to play his senior season for the Red Devils who were 10-3 last year as they won the district championship.

“It’s exciting. This is what I’ve waited 10 years of my life for and it’s definitely the culmination of a lot of years of effort and to get out there and play and have a great year,” said Hudson.

Not only was last season very successful for the Red Devils, it was an outstanding year for Hudson who racked up 134 total tackles with 87 being solo stops. He also had 6 tackles for a loss with 3 quarterback sacks and an interception.

Hudson said that his love of the game and playing linebacker are what drives him and gives him the most satisfaction.

“I’ve always liked the run game. I like to read, go fill a gap. I’ve found that’s always what’s been best. Nobody really throws in the middle, so pass coverage I really don’t do much. In the run game I can really get heavily involved, help my team win, and that’s all that matters,” said Hudson.

Still, the Russell linebacker said he attributes his game success to not just repetition but also to watching a lot of game film.

“It’s a little of both, especially games like East Carter. I watched a lot of film. I watched every single game they played. I try to break it down, see what plays they run, see what formations they like. What makes it easy for me, I’m not going out there and try to react to what’s happening. I’m trying to see how they line up, predict what might happen in that formation, and be ready for that to happen.”

Maybe Wyatt Hudson isn’t a medical miracle, but he certainly is a good linebacker.

After all, it’s in his blood. 

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BRODY SIMPKINS

Ashland Tomcats

6-2, 215, Senior

ASHLAND, Ky. — Brody Simpkins is a linebacker. His job is to tackle opposing players. But as he enters his senior season, he realizes he has to tackle a lot of other things.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Ashland Tomcats senior runs a 4.8 time in the 40-yard dash. He has seven college offers on the table, which is a decision he’ll probably have to tackle after the season.

But as a senior, Simpkins knows he has to be more of a leader if he wants to help his team.

“Last season I wasn’t very vocal. I didn’t know how to raise my voice. But I’m the Mike (middle linebacker) so I’m the captain of the defense so I’ve got to be able to raise my voice,” said Simpkins.

“Coach (Chad) Tackett always encourages me after practice or texted me that I can be a big leader on his team. He helped me for sure.”

Okay, that’s two issues Simpkins has tackled.

One thing that the Ashland coaches and players spoke about was the team chemistry wasn’t what it had been in the past.

“Obviously, last year was not one of our best seasons. I really feel like the team we have right now is a special team,” said Simpkins.

“I’m very excited. I think everyone on our team is on the same accord. We’ve all been outside with each other every day, even if it’s outside of football. I think the bond this team has and the speed and the talent this team has is just amazing.”

While the team is preparing for the season as a unit and  looking to improve on last year’s 7-5 record, Simpkins has been working to improve himself individually. He said he has been training six days a week as he looks to finish his high school career with his best season yet.

“As a freshman, playing a little varsity, it was nerve racking. I was always scared to make a mistake. Since my freshman year, the game’s slowed down and I’ve gained more confidence. My freshman year I was playing against bigger guys and D1 commits. The game has really slowed down and helped me with my confidence,” said Simpkins.

“My biggest change is speed for sure and attacking downhill. My freshman year I was really slow filling the gap and really attacking. This year and my junior year, I really noticed that I can really strike going downhill, playing with a lot of speed and aggression. My favorite thing about the defensive side of the ball is being aggressive. I love being violent and playing downhill. It’s really about attacking people.

Oh yeah. There’s one more issue Simpkins wants to tackle this season and it’s very simple. Tackling.

Simpkins had a little more than 100 tackles last season to lead the Tomcats’ defense. He has set a goal to improve upon that number.

“It is a big deal. I won’t say I have pressure on my back, but I want to try and exceed my expectations I had last year. I’m hoping I can get up there in the 120 range and prove myself more than I did last year,” said Simpkins.

It appears that Brody Simpkins can tackle just about anything, including tackling.