Tuttle bags state's
No. 2 sack spot
By Marc Nesseler, Sports editor
November 20, 2002 10:31 PM
Though Rock Island defensive end Chris Tuttle now sits in the No. 2 spot among the
state's all-time Illinois high school sack leaders after last Saturday's Class 6A playoff
success, that accomplishment hasn't always been in the bag.
Tuttle, this week's Metro Pacesetter for The Rock Island Argus, needed 9 1/2 sacks in
his senior season to match the second best-ever career total of 24 1/2 by Bloomington's
Ardel Adams ('00-01). With three games left in the regular season, and up until the Rocks'
first and only loss, he had snared only half of what he needed.
That's when Tuttle, a 6-foot, 195-pounder, came up with his big sack attack. It was
topped by a two-sack performance in Saturday's 14-8 state quarterfinal win over Crystal
Lake South, putting his number at 25 1/2.
No. 2, by the way, is the best Tuttle can be. The state sack record is 39, held by Jon
Kowalshyen, whose prep career at Leyden ended in '99.
Tuttle broke down his surge to the top of the charts into three segments.
First was the Rocks' soft nonconference schedule, in which he and the rest of the Rocky
starters saw action in a half or less. ``Then,'' he said, ``sacks are tough to come by in
the Western Big 6 because teams are more run-oriented. Finally, the stretch run included
the playoffs -- ``I seem to play to the level of better competition,'' he said.
After a junior year in which Tuttle had 12 1/2 sacks, Rock Island coach Vic Boblett is
even more appreciative of his defensive end's senior effort.
``He's really trying to take himself and this team to another level,'' said Boblett,
whose Rocks take on Chicago Mt. Carmel Saturday in the 6A semifinals. ``He's giving
emotional support, he's playing excited and he's intense.
``He's picked up his game. And he's really improved his game from a year ago. Last
year, he'd just go with whatever felt good. The easiest way to get it done was the way he
did it. This year, he's making great plays but he's also doing the things that don't get
you in the limelight but are the things are the responsibilities of team defense on every
down.''
Defensive statistics bear that out. Last year, Tuttle had six tackles-for-losses to go
with his sacks. This year he has nine.
``I feel like I've had a better all-around game this year,'' Tuttle said. ``With this
being my last year in high school, I want us to go as far as we can go. We have a ton of
seniors on the team who play harder and practice harder because it's their last year.''
In fact, for Tuttle, it's down to the last few months of high school.
``I'm graduating early and will be going to Black Hawk College for the second semester
and getting some college credits,'' he said. ``I'm not sure what I'll be doing in the
fall. I've talked to (Wisconsin) Platteville and Knox, nothing too big. There have been
others that want me to visit, but they always want me to visit on Saturdays.''
He and the Rocks are glad those Saturdays for the past month have been booked with
playoff dates.
When it comes to being recruited, though, size may be a factor.
``I'm 5-11 and 190, but I put down 6-foot and 195 on all of my stuff,'' Tuttle said.
``One of the things that I always hear after games from opposing teams is, `I thought
you'd be bigger than that.'|''
Maybe in size, but not in stature. You can't get much better than No. 2 on the all-time
sack list.
Copyright 2001, Moline Dispatch
Publishing Co. |
