Misfits deliver as Bird defenders

When players put their dreams on hold, good things can happen. They certainly do at L.C. Bird.

The Skyhawks, No. 2 in the Times-Dispatch Top 10, put their best 11 players on defense, even if they don't exactly fit the mold of the position.

This mismatch is best exemplified by senior Xavier Myles, who weighs 190 pounds. He plays defensive end, which at the Division I level is often manned by 270or 280-pound giants. Not surprisingly, Myles had to deal with growing pains at his new position.

Bird coach David Bedwell said "a 190-pound defensive end is probably not going home every night excited" by the punishment he takes from a 300-pound tackle.

Like Myles, junior linebacker James Santiago wanted to be a running back early in his football career, but his abilities took him elsewhere. Last year, as a sophomore, Santiago was called up from the JV team at midseason and moved from running back to linebacker.

"I'm sure James had dreams of being a tailback," Bedwell said. "The next thing you know your whole career kind of changes and you're a linebacker for the next two years."

That's life. But at least the strategy works. Bedwell's two misfits are his two best defenders.

"They might be playing out of position sometimes, but since they're such good football players, it's hard to get them off the field," Bedwell said. "They can help us in a lot of different places."

Santiago leads the team with 41 sacks. He's also rung up 13 tackles for losses and 4.5 sacks. Myles has 34 tackles and leads the team in tackles for loss (15). He has 8.5 sacks.

And though Myles might lack the size and power of a typical defensive end, his speed often puts quarterbacks on the ground.

Myles runs a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, meaning he brings cornerback speed to the line of scrimmage.

"You take that [speed] and put his hand on the ground going against a 300-pound high school offensive lineman who runs a 6.8," Bedwell said. "There's a big difference there. . . . There are not a lot of people who can block him."

Myles looks for ways past his sizable obstacles. "If I see a gigantic lineman in front of me, and it's third and long, I'm just going to take off," Myles said. "That's my first instinct, to just run around him. Because I know he's not going to catch me."

Santiago brings plenty of speed, too. But he's a bit more closely sized for his position, weighing 200 pounds. On offense, he uses his speed at wide receiver.

The biggest downside, however, to playing out of position is that college coaches look for players to be a certain size when recruiting them. It's much more likely Myles will play linebacker in college than defensive end.

"People are going to miss the boat on Xavier," Bedwell said. "A lot of times, we don't move kids because of recruiting and sometimes it hurts them."

But coaches look for talent wherever they can find it. Positions can be taught; speed can't. In the long run, Bedwell believes colleges will recognize his overall talent and devotion to his team, making up for what he loses playing out of position.

"They'll find a place for him," Bedwell said, whether it's at defensive end, linebacker, strong safety or fullback.

It's a little more difficult to predict what Santiago is capable of doing in college. Only a junior, the 6-0 linebacker said he hasn't hit his growth spurt yet -- and his father is 6-6.

But there's plenty left for these two to accomplish before college. The Skyhawks, who will visit Manchester tomorrow night, have a clear lead in the Dominion District and are on the doorstep of another district title. If Myles and Santiago can take L.C. Bird to the region championship, their sacrifices might help them realize a more satisfying dream.