Brownstown Central senior left guard a key component to offensive production

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Dane Darlage feels many offensive linemen overcomplicate their methods of opening running lanes and staying solid in pass coverage.

He boils it down to the basics.

“It is all about not letting people get past you,” Darlage said. “A lot of people like to try doing all these different techniques on the offensive line. The bottom line is you can’t let them past you. It’s that simple.”

Darlage is entering his second year as the starting left guard for the Brownstown Central football team. He moved up to the No. 2 team on varsity his sophomore year after making huge improvements as a freshman.

“I think the most I’ve improved is from my freshman to sophomore year,” Darlage said. “The whole high school environment was a lot different than middle school. I didn’t really process that much in middle school, but I had some great players and coaches that helped me out my freshman year.”

Darlage has helped the Braves average 48.8 points per game so far this season. The Braves have 671 yards and four touchdowns through the air and 1,151 rushing yards (22 TDs) on the ground through four games.

The senior said he enjoys multiple facets of the game.

“It is great for stress relief, and I love the routine,” Darlage said. “I like waking up early, going to film and weights and having a workout. What made me stay (playing football) are the Friday nights. There is just nothing like it. I will miss the Friday nights the most. The crowd cheering and getting (wins) is a great feeling.”

Darlage has high expectations for the Braves the remainder of the season.

“I don’t want to get too cocky, but I think we are going to go pretty far,” he said. “I think we are going to do really well. In the summer, I was a little worried. Now that it’s the season, I think it has become clear that we will do pretty well.”

Outside of football, Darlage’s other love is music. He said his mother was the choir director at his church, and once he picked up a guitar, he couldn’t put it down.

“I love playing music. I play a lot of live music,” Darlage said. “I’m going to play the beer and wine festival on (Sept.) 22. I am also playing Fort Vallonia Days. I have a small group of three people, but we don’t play much because they are in college. We played the Freetown festival and it really well. A lot of people liked that. I have a YouTube channel where I upload music.”

Darlage has enjoyed his time at BCHS.

“I love it here, especially because of the football program,” he said. “I feel like we do it a lot different than some other programs. I love the commitment we have.”

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Name: Dane Darlage

School: Brownstown Central High School

Parents: Stan and Emily Darlage

Sibling: Carson Darlage

Sport: Football, four years

Athletic highlights: Three varsity letters, sectional and regional champions

Organization: Lettermen’s Club

Plans after high school: Attend college

Favorite food: Pizza

Favorite TV show: "The Office"

Favorite singer/musician: Bob Dylan

Favorite movie: "The Breakfast Club"

Favorite team: Indiana Hoosiers

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The Brownstown Central High School varsity football coaches have announced awards for Friday’s 48-13 win at Salem.

Earning honors are Hayden Kinsler, Offensive Back MVP; Jalen Tiemeyer, Offensive Line MVP; Luke Shelton, Defensive Line/Inside Linebacker MVP; Seth Borden, Defensive Back/Dime MVP; Lucas Hines, Special Teams MVP; Joseph Wayt, Scout Team MVP; Matthew Bell, Shelton, black jersey winners.

Brownstown’s junior varsity (3-1) defeated Salem 28-22 on Monday. Justin Brewer was offensive MVP, Jayden Steinkamp was the defensive MVP and Nicholas Robbins was the special teams MVP.

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