Published: August 23, 2008 11:18 pm         

Allen playing large role in Black Bear morale

With many teams, the standout leader is the quarterback.

That isn’t the case with Pawnee. Senior nose guard Zach Allen is setting the standard for the Black Bears this year. Coach Todd Beer said Allen has been a great kid from Day 1.

“I just met him this summer,” Beer said. “He was one of the first kids I met when I came in. He seemed excited to get football started. He was our leader every day during the summer. He was here when I got here, came in every day and set the tone for leadership.

“He’s been a great morale-setter from the get-go. He’s been real positive. He comes out, leads the stretching, has them lined up. He’s done the things I've asked him to do. The stretches and the warm-up are all in his hands.”

Senior Gavin Pierce said Allen is vital to the team.

“He’s always making jokes, playing around, being loud, trying to get everybody pumped up,” Pierce said. “He’s breaking the ice before games.”

Allen said the leadership kind of slowly worked out on its own when he came on as a sophomore.

“It was kind of weird because I just showed up, and the kids just listened to me,” he said. “I guess they see me as a leader, but I don’t really see myself as one.”

Allen said he would like to play football at the University of Central Oklahoma after he graduates.

He added that tradition and “being able to come out here on a Friday night with the crowd and everything” are what he has enjoyed most about Pawnee football.

Aside from football, Allen said he likes to play golf and just ride around town.

“Small town — you gotta find something to do,” he added.

Allen said all his work and determination are for one thing this season: winning State.

“That’s what my expectations out of this football team are, and we have the kids that can do it, we really do,” he said. “I think everyone’s kind of underestimated us because we lost our coach and we're trying to adapt to a new coach.”

Allen and the Black Bears are out to prove those people wrong.

     

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