This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Grant Marett isn't going to say many words.
He's not going to lead a team with a rousing speech. And he by no means is a chatter box. So when he speaks, people would be wise to listen.
"Why are offensive linemen so important?," Marett shot back when asked. "Because without us, running backs wouldn't get anywhere."
With that, let's take a look at Duchesne and the way the Eagles ran the ball this season. Braiden Despain, one of the best players in Class 1A, rushed for over 1,400 yards and 16 touchdowns. He averaged almost 11 yards per carry.
Jerry Ginn ran for seven touchdowns. Devin Fabrizio ran for six scores. Shiana Allen? Another five touchdowns.
All of those statistics largely came because Marett was a rock in the middle of the offensive line at center. And because of that, Marett is The Tribune's Class 1A MVP.
"I thought it was a team effort for us," Marett said. "We worked hard as offensive linemen, and we had a really good group of guys running the ball. We needed each other."
Marett's as soft-spoken as he is strong in the trenches. But he's as mean as they come from play to play. Time and again he opened holes the size of trucks for his running backs to scoot through. Time and again he penetrated the line of scrimmage and blew plays up in the backfield from his nose tackle position.
Time and again, he made plays that will never show up in the stat sheet. Time and again he showed that statistics didn't matter.
Duchesne won a state title this season, and Marett was at the forefront of that effort. In the process, he proved that quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers can be flashy and they can put up gaudy statistics.
But it means nothing without some in there doing the grunt work. 1A, 2A All-State Football Teams: http://bit.ly/igzYsT 3A, 4A, 5A All-State Football Teams: http://bit.ly/frAHUq