Tech Likes Eliades’ Toughness, Athleticsm

Lou Eliades (pronounced Eel-ee-ah-des) is one of the key components on an Ocean Township (Oakhurst, N.J.) squad that went 7-4 last season and expects to compete for a state championship in 2005. Eliades mans the left tackle position and helps protect another very important player – rising senior quarterback Keith McPherson.

“We put him at left tackle because our quarterback is also highly recruited and, we feel, with a lot of the speed rushers off the edge that Lou does a good job of neutralizing them,” Ocean Township assistant coach Don Klein said. Ocean runs a wing-T offense and uses some spread formations as well. “He’s 6-4, 280. He runs under a 5 flat in the 40. He’s just a tremendous athlete. He’s got a 360-pound bench press, a 450-pound squat and he’s not done growing up or maturing either. He sets the tone for us. If Keith’s the guy who makes everything go, Lou’s the guy who sets the physical tone we want. He gets after people downfield with the best of them. He never gives up on a play. He’s always looking to knock somebody over and be involved in some capacity.”

Eliades, who has been offered officially by Rutgers, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech and verbally by Duke, Maryland and Syracuse, projects as an offensive lineman on the next level. But tackle may not be the position he plays.

“At the next level he projects more as a guard because he is 6-4,” Klein said. “I think a lot of major Division 1-A teams wonder if their tackles need to be 6-6 or 6-7 at this point. But he’s 6-4 and he’s a mauler. He mauls people and could be more effective inside pushing people around.”

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