Moniteau’s Campbell will be busy on both sides of the ball
CHERRY TWP — Logan Campbell used to play guard.
He’s much happier to be positioned where he is now.
The Moniteau senior is penciled in as the Warrior’s primary ball carrier, a season after escorting Hunter Stalker through holes — an ability at fullback that he sharpened on the offensive line the two years prior.
“I played running back my whole youth, so I loved it,” Campbell said of his switch to the backfield after his sophomore go-round. “I still like playing guard, but I like running back so much better.”
His blocking adeptness is what stands out to Moniteau coach Bob Rottman when he thinks about a big play.
“More so than running the ball, I think about him kicking an end out and pancake blocking an end,” Rottman said. “Or going out to meet the linebacker and making good blocks on those guys. That’s what he was asked to do last year and he did it.
“He was one of those kids — kind of like the fullbacks we’ve had in the past — that relish the opportunity to hit kids as a blocker, too.”
Campbell echoed that sentiment.
“I just like playing physical,” Campbell said. “I like hitting people, I like blocking. It doesn’t matter. As long as we’re getting yards, I’ll do whatever needs to be done.”
He’ll be at the defense’s forefront, too, calling the defensive plays that are relayed in from the sideline. He’s the team’s leading returning tackler, having totaled 39 stops a year ago.
“Unfortunately, the only break he’s probably going to get on a Friday night might be a couple snaps on offense,” Rottman said. “He might miss a couple carries that way, because we can’t afford to lose him on the defensive side of the ball.”
With limited roster numbers, Campbell is the type of player a coach at a smaller school calls his best friend.
“He was effective running the ball,” Rottman said. “He was probably our best receiver. He very easily could’ve got all the carries that Hunter did last year and probably been just as successful.”
Campbell had 63 carries for 281 yards and five scores in 2022. He also paced the crew in receiving, pulling in 17 passes for 181 yards.
“He’s an athlete, No. 1,” Rottman said. “Logan has good speed, he has good vision. He’s quick. He’s a workhorse, he’ll give you everything he’s got — every rep in practice and every play in a game.
“He has that blocking ability, he has that running back ability, and he can be a receiver. He has the entire skill set that you’d want out of a running back.”
And all the expectations and attention that follow.
“I really look for Logan to have one of those years that stands out, not only at Moniteau but across the league,” Rottman said. “I think most teams, when they’re scheming for us, are thinking, ‘I’ve got to stop Logan Campbell for us to win the game.’”
On top of a desire to reach the postseason, Campbell does have a certain number in mind.
“On offense, I’d like to have 1,000 rushing yards,” he said. “That’s just a little extra.”
If the need presents itself, maybe — just maybe — he’d jump back to the offensive line.
“We always toss it around,” Rottman said. “If we need a guard, you’ve got to be strong up front before you’re strong in the backfield. He was willing to accept that role to win football games. That’s the kind of kid he is.”
