FOOTBALL: Vander Laan draws the line for Minutemen

By Scott Galetti, Staff Writer

PASADENA - In a perfect world, Maranatha High School senior David Vander Laan would be playing tight end for the Minutemen football team.
When Maranatha coach Joel Murphy, then JV coach, asked Vander Laan to move to left tackle on the offensive line, the young freshman didn't hesitate to oblige.
Every season since, Murphy has hoped to insert Vander Laan into the tight end spot, but to no avail.
In his third season on varsity, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound senior has gotten over not being able to play his dream position on the high school level.
At the same time, having Vander Laan at left tackle and defensive end has been a dream come true.
"He's one of those natural leaders that just gets things done," Murphy said.
Vander Laan is the anchor of Maranatha's offensive line, where his main job is to open up holes for running backs Mark Love and Robert Sharpe.
It's a job Vander Laan enjoys.
"It's always fun to pull, Vander Laan said.
The team even has a play named after him - "David screen left."
"It's when I pull out and Mark kind of runs behind me," Vander Laan said. "It's just a lot of fun."
Another part of Vander Laan's responsibility is to protect his quarterback - a job he takes quite seriously.
"I take a lot of pride playing left tackle, he said. "I am in charge of the quarterback's safety and I do my best to protect him," he said.
Vander Laan painfully remembers Sept. 14 when quarterback Matt Shilz suffered a season-ending injury.
"I took it real hard. It was like a freak accident and I just remember him rolling out and seeing him get hit and I couldn't tell if it was bad or not," Vander Laan said. "I just felt so bad for him because he put so much work into the summer."
Offense is not the only area where Vander Laan enjoys success.
As a defensive end, he has been a terror for opposing quarterbacks.
He collected 16 sacks last season and already has eight this year.
He returned two fumbles for touchdowns a year ago, including an 80-yard romp.
"It was really cool to have that 80-yard touchdown," he said. "By the time I got to the 10, I thought, `I'm actually going to score."
Vander Laan has earned his share of awards since jumping to varsity. He was second-team All-Alpha League as a sophomore and a first-team selection last year.
He also was named to the first-team All-CIF team and was the Alpha League Lineman of the Year.
During the football offseason, Vander Laan keeps himself busy as a member of the Minutemen's basketball team, as well as the track and field team where he competes in the 110-meter hurdles, discus, shot put and the high jump.
Off the field and court, he will officially become an Eagle Scout when he receives his code of honor on Nov. 25.
But football has a special spot in his heart.
"I like the contact and the team dynamics," he said. "Every one of these guys is like a brother to me."
Known for being a quiet competitor, Vander Laan has learned to become a more vocal leader this season.
"This year, I just felt I needed to step up because there weren't too many people that were stepping up," Vander Laan said. "I kind of like being able to lead, and it feels good to know that all the guys on the team have my back because I sure have theirs."
Maranatha reached the CIF-Southern Section Northeast Division championship game last season, suffering a 21-20 loss to St. Margaret's.
Although the Minutemen (6-2, 3-0) have won four consecutive games heading into Thursday night's contest against Brentwood with first place on the line, Vander Laan expects the road to the championship game to be much tougher this season.
"Last year, we put quite a bit of work to get to the championship," he said. "This year, I think it's going to take a lot of work, and I know all the guys are still ready to put that work in though, so I'm excited."
An Advanced Placement Student, Vander Laan is looking into attending either Occidental College or Wheaton College in the Chicago area.
"I really want to play football in college, but I need to think about education first," he said.