One is a late-blooming, shoot-from-the-hip jokester who has great footwork and enough self-confidence to proudly rock his on-point “Dad Bod.” The other is a naturally big-boned, polished-speaking veteran who manhandles defenders with brute strength.
Left guard Hunter Rinard and left tackle Hunter Meacham are the Highland football team’s version of the odd couple. Sure, they both are offensive linemen named “Hunter” and immensely talented in the classroom — the odds of that three-pronged combination are slim — but that’s where the similarities end.
Without their contrasts, however, the Hornets (6-4) probably wouldn’t be in position to play at Avon (9-1) Friday in a Division II, Region 4 playoff game.
All-Ohio center Tyler Frederick couldn’t stop smiling when asked to summarize his fellow seniors.
“Meacham, he really got whipped into shape by (former offensive line coach Nate) Howard last year,” Frederick said. “(Howard) destroyed him any chance he got. (Meacham) could be doing something right and he’d get yelled at because he was ‘doing it too soft.’
“Rinard, if you watch the Aurora game on TV, they talked about his ‘athleticism’ on his forward roll — I’m putting athleticism in quotes — but he’s just a goof. … We call him ‘The Freckled Monster.’”
If those quotes sound like a Comedy Central roast, they should. That’s the type of camaraderie offensive linemen have had at Highland, whose hogmollies have been the driving force of the offense since the Hornets switched to a read-option scheme in 2011.
Just don’t underestimate their intelligence — they hate that — because Rinard takes 13 credit hours at the University of Akron and Meacham hits the books hard in Advanced Placement literature, biology, language and government at Highland High.
“We know who the real geniuses on the team are,” a smirking Meacham said.
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Similar to quarterback Tyler Zelinski, safety Taran Treb, linebacker Ethan Suran and tight end/defensive end Zach Filips, Rinard has emerged from relative obscurity to become a key player as a senior first-year starter.
Highland’s Hunter Rinard. (RON SCHWANE / GAZETTE)
There was a time when no one was real sure how to project Rinard. He likely was going to start as a senior regardless, but playing on the scout team and getting smacked around by All-Ohioans Myles Houska and Frederick the last two years has made Friday nights a breeze.
Blessed with solid coordination — a virtual requirement to play guard for Highland — the 6-foot, 250-pounder stands out with carioca-drill-inspired footwork on pulls when the Hornets’ run their power option to the right side.
The little brother of Westminster College softball player Abby Rinard can be a mauler when needed, too, as Zelinski’s most successful off-tackle runs have oftentimes been behind Rinard and Meacham.
The adapting ability of Rinard, who also sees minutes at defensive tackle against run-heavy teams like Tallmadge and Barberton, can be traced to his past.
“When I was little — this is actually a really funny story — Sam Jenkins, our running back, he was the center and I was the fullback,” Rinard said. “So from my time playing fullback, I know what a hole looks like — what A-gap, B-gap, all that fun stuff is. I know where the play is going, so it’s easy for me to lower my shoulder and get in there.”
Despite his new role as starter, the constant ribbing of Rinard hasn’t slowed because he takes the verbal punishment like a man, and no topic is discussed more than Rinard’s absolute refusal to wear a T-shirt during practice.
“For me, it’s always been that way,” he said. “I don’t really mind. If they’re making fun of me, they’ve got to pay attention to me, so it’s OK.
“I just don’t like wearing shirts. There’s no other way to explain it. Everyone knows I’m fat, so why hide it? I’m proud. I like having a breeze on my tummy.”
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Highland’s Hunter Meacham. (RON SCHWANE / GAZETTE)
Meacham admits he doesn’t have Rinard’s comfort level with being the center of attention. That’s totally fine with him because he’s more introverted and loves using his brain to assess a situation.
Meacham is a country-strong tackle with broad shoulders and a body type that likely can support more than 6-2, 240-pound measurables. The mind factors in by always asking head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Gibbons how to be a better technician on a certain play.
The overall package is why Meacham’s a two-year starter and de-facto O-line lieutenant general under Frederick. Simply put, Meacham’s been a known quantity within the program since he, Frederick and Adam Spiros, now the starting goalie for the soccer team, started as seventh-graders for the undefeated middle school team in 2010.
“Meacham has good feet, but he’s just a real big, solid kid,” Gibbons said. “He’s hard to get around and he covers up well. Once he gets locked on with somebody, he can take them for a ride.”
Meacham’s proud of that compliment, mainly because of the adversity he’s overcome. His freshman year was lost to a torn ACL in his right knee, and that rebuilt ligament failed again the next year.
Two years and 21 starts later, Meacham’s resolve can’t be understated.
“It was really strange because everyone kept asking me, ‘Why do you want to come back after all that?’ ” Meacham said. “I just love everybody on this team, (Rinard) included, and I really couldn’t see any other way to go out. I’m really glad to make it through last season and make it through this season so I can say I’m stronger than I ever was before.”
Rinard and Meacham aren’t BFFs but still have a unique bond. They must play off each other to be successful, especially when they double-team an opposing tackle and Rinard peels off to get a linebacker, and have developed tremendous chemistry along the way.
The respect is mutual, as the only time the two were truly serious prior to practice Thursday was when they were talking about each other.
“When we get on the football field, me and him, we connect in some way,” Rinard said. “We have flow. Since the first day of practice, we’ve always said, ‘left side, strong side,’ as a joke. When we know we have a big play coming, we say it to boost our confidence a little bit so we can get some movement on people.”
“We really play well off each other,” Meacham said, “and there’s really no one else I’d rather have on the left side with me.”