Sudo
PLYMOUTH – Dave Sudo tries to take care of the middle of the line on defense and run through it on offense.
The 6-foot, 230-pound junior established himself as one of Pittston Area’s leaders on both sides of the ball last season with his play at fullback and nose guard.
Sudo led the team in rushing, giving the Patriots a needed inside running force.
While doing so, he showed some flexibility. Originally tried at linebacker, he moved into the line and the starting lineup.
Sudo ran so effectively from the fullback position that he also gained time at tailback with more of the offense built around his running.
“He’s one of those guys who’s tough enough and good enough at blocking to be a fullback, but athletic enough to be a tailback,” said 21-year Pittston Area line coach Jason Mills, who is happy to have Sudo as “one of the guys in the trenches” on one side of the ball.
Sudo averaged 4.8 yards per carry while running for 276 yards in five games. He showed what he could do from the tailback position in Pittston Area’s closest game, a last-second, 31-28 loss to Dallas when he carried 28 times for 148 yards and three touchdowns.
“If I’m playing fullback, I’ll be more of a brute with the ball, be more forceful,” Sudo said. “If I’m playing tailback, I’ll try to use more finesse and watch more where I need to run.”
The difference in the plays called for the two positions can be the difference between slamming into the line and reading before reacting.
In his first year of varsity football, Sudo showed he is capable of either approach.
