2023 Post-Season interview with two-way lineman Cole Estep Wheelersburgh High School

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

Cole Estep

Wheelersburg High School

2024

OT/DE

What was the biggest goal you had set for yourself entering the 2022 season, and did you achieve that goal?
Entering the 2022 season, I was really focused on making myself stronger and faster so I could contribute to the team to the best of my abilities. While I did that and played a good role on a very stout offensive line, I can always get better.

After two A days were completed, what was the biggest goal you had set for the team? Did they achieve the goal?
Of course, when starting every season, we are always focused on Ironton. But the biggest goal for the team at the beginning of every season is to win the SOC. We did not achieve that goal. We lost 14-7 to a good Portsmouth West team. I still believe we should’ve won this game. I'm not taking anything away from the Senators; they were a good team, but I feel we were better. We just did not show up ready to play. They showed up to play, and we thought showing up would win us the game.

What will you remember the most from the 2022 season or class?
The 2022 season was very successful but also filled with failures. We lost to all three of the teams we consider our biggest rivals (Ironton, Jackson, and Portsmouth West) of the season and lost our conference. But one thing I will remember about this team is how we always showed up and fought. It didn’t matter where I was going. We traveled two hours to Archbishop McNicholas and won 42-35 in overtime. We traveled three and a half hours to Barneville in the second round of the playoffs, played a good team in front of a very loud crowd, and left with a 55-31 victory. Even in the games we lost, we never lost by more than 9 points.

What were the high and low points of the season?
The low point has to be losing the West. Winning our conference is the biggest goal we have, and we didn’t accomplish it. I guess the high point of the season would be the momentum we had coming into harvest prep week. We start our playoff run with Heath. Most people were starting to question us coming off the loss to West. But we beat Heath 59-0. Then we travel three and a half hours to Barnesville and defeat them by 24 points. While the Harvest Prep game did not end how we wanted it to, it was a really good and hard-fought game that ended in a 25-21 loss.

Who was the best player Wheelersburg faced last season, and which team did he play for?
I have to say #4 Marchello Cox Jr. from Harvest Prep. He was a really good running back and a force at linebacker. We played a lot of other very good players, but I’m going to go with him as the best we faced.

Who was the best team the Pirates played against in 2022? What made them so tough?
We played multiple teams that were very good. It’s between Ironton, Jackson, and Harvest Prep, and when I sit and think about it, I have to say that Jackson is the best team that we played. They checked all of the boxes. They were strong and physical on the line of scrimmage. The most physical team we faced Their strong suit on offense was running the ball, but they could pass the ball very well too. They were also a very good team. They played for their community and each other.

What are your thoughts on 16 teams from each region qualifying for the playoffs?
I feel like it is just so more teams can experience the playoffs. When you have a 1 seed playing a 16 seed, it’s kind of set against the teams that are being allowed to play in the playoffs now. I know anything can happen, but I liked the eight-team playoff better.

What did you learn about yourself during the 2022 season that you can use to be a better player this season?
I learned that I have potential in this awesome sport. But I learned that for myself to maximize on that potential, I have a lot of things to improve on that will take a lot of hard work. things like my hip flexibility and speed. I also need to make my mindset more aggressive in order to play football to the best of my abilities. The 2022 season showed me that right now I am just a good offensive tackle. I want to be done with my career and known as a great offensive tackle.

As far as road games went last season, which stadium did you enjoy playing at the most? Why?
Playing at Barnesville was a very good experience. It was a very old-school place, and they packed that place full of fans. Where the town is located is closer to the mountain, and they had a big hill on one side of their field. This was where their home stands were located. To the left of them was a house on the hill that had bleachers they had built in their backyard to watch the game every Friday night. They also had crowds lining the backs of both end zones. You could just tell how much they cared about their team and how passionate they were. We made some mistakes because we couldn't hear our quarterback because of how loud the crowd was. It was a very fun game.

Offensive tackle or defensive end. Which is the harder of the two positions to play? Explain.
Offensive tackle. As a defensive tackle, you don’t really have to worry about much besides where to line up, where to stunt, and taking on blocks. As an offensive tackle, you have to think about a lot. starting with run plays. You have to look before the play to see where the defensive linemen are lined up and where the linebackers are lined up. You have to know where the guy next to you is going and where you need to go. After that, you have to worry about the defensive linemen stunting and the linebackers blitzing. If it's a pass, you must determine whether you're zone blocking or man-to-man. You have to be able to tell where the defensive linemen are lined up and which linebackers pose a threat to your side. You also need to know whether you will have help from the guard beside you. Then again, once the ball is snapped, you have to worry about what stunts the defense is running.

[VetteMan]

As far as I'm concerned, Cole gave one of the best individual interviews that I have read. He seemed to give a lot of thought to the questions, and gave some very honest answers also. Having had the opportunity to watch Wheelersburg play numerous times in the past few years, I could relate to a lot of his answers, especially when it concerned certain teams that he had played against. He also seemed to feel as if he had not yet reached his potential as to how good of a player that he can become.

[LICKING COUNTY FAN]

VetteMan, here is a link that has the interview I was able to do with the head coach from Wheelersburg along with some older interviews that you might enjoy.
https://thegruelingtruth.com/?s=high+school+football

[VetteMan]

VetteMan, here is a link that has the interview I was able to do with the head coach from Wheelersburg along with some older interviews that you might enjoy.
https://thegruelingtruth.com/?s=high+school+football

Thanks for the link. Being that I have had the opportunity to watch Wheelersburg over the years, I would have to agree with Jake Gregg when he was talking about being able to play at the Burg, and how you are perceived and treated by the fans and supporters of the Athletic Teams at Wheelersburg. You will probably not find any other School, especially in or around SEO that has supporters and fans that are as loyal as what Wheelersburg has. I know we're talking football, but this goes for every other sport as well, and the Girls teams are supported just as much. Good interview as always.