Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
Caleb Reinhart never shies away from contact.
That’s what makes the 5’9″, 195-pound senior running back on the Montrose football team so good.
“When I hit people, it pumps up the team and makes us play a little harder,” Reinhart said. “I like hitting people, it’s fun. I just like playing football.”
Reinhart has run over and around nine defenses this year to the tune of over 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns, distinguishing him as one of the top backs in the state.
He has helped lead the Rams to an 8-1 record and a Genesee Area Conference championship after an exciting 22-21 win over Lake Fenton in week nine.
His father, Montrose coach Dennis Reinhart, loves having him on his team. “Everyone knows he is going to carry the ball for us, yet he still comes up with these stats,” Coach Reinhart said. “His success is a combination of good line play and his running style. Obviously our line has done a good job of getting him holes, but Caleb does a great job of [yards after contact.] We’ve watched film on him, and the yards he gets after contact are amazing.”
Caleb attributes his style of running to a strong work ethic in the weight room and in the off-season. A powerlifter at the school, he squats 575 pounds, benches 335, and power cleans 245.
“Power lifting has helped a lot,” he said. “It has helped improve my speed and strength. And I do yoga after lifting, and that has helped my body with flexibility and to stay pretty much injury free.”
Caleb will try to power the Rams to a Division 6 state championship this year. They host Vassar in week one of the playoffs.
“Last year we lost to Ithaca in the district finals,” he said. “I think this year we can make it to Ford Field. We have a lot of talent on this team; we just need to stay away from injuries.”
Injuries hurt Montrose last year. “We had a very good team, but we had Ithaca in districts, and we had six starters out for that game,” Coach Reinhart said. “And three of those were on the offensive line. So going into this, you need to stay healthy, but sometimes that’s tough.
“Division 6 is going to be tough again this year,” he added. “We have a tough district, and it won’t get easier after that. If we do get by our district, then we’ll probably have to play an Ithaca or a Montague.”