Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

WEST BRANCH – Name a characteristic desired in a good defensive lineman.

Chances are pretty good Logan Wright has it.

Strength. Size. Athleticism. Aggression. Technique.

The West Branch senior defensive tackle possesses all of those traits.

“He is a beast,” West Branch senior linebacker Reese Trepanier said. “He’s so strong it’s insane but he’s fast for his size. He does everything well.”

West Branch senior Max Lodge has been lining up next to Wright in football pads since elementary school.

Even after years of playing together Lodge still has a hard time describing some of the things that Wright can do on the field.

“Logan and I have played together, right next to each other, since fifth grade,” Lodge said. “He’s incredible.”

Over the past two seasons Wright has amazed teammates and coaches while emerging as one of the top linemen in Class 1A and an intriguing college prospect.

Entering his final prep season Wright is focused on finishing strong and helping West Branch to a second consecutive trip to the UNI-Dome and the Class 1A semifinals.

“We’re a family and when you go through things with each other and that just makes you stronger and better,” Wright said of last season’s semifinal loss to Van Meter. “After going through that with your teammates it makes you train even harder.”

Wright is a big reason West Branch believes it can repeat the success of last season when it went 11-1 and advanced to the 1A semifinals for the first time since 2011.

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Wright is coming off a dominant junior season in which he earned all-state honors for the first time after leading the Bears in tackles for loss and sacks.

Over the last two seasons Wright has been among the most disruptive defensive linemen in the state racking up 60 tackles including 23 for loss and 9.5 sacks from his defensive tackle spot.

His 18 tackles for loss ranked seventh in 1A last season, his 6.5 sacks were the 11^th most in 1A.

“I think I’ve gotten a lot better at using my hands,” Wright said. “My sophomore year I was just trying to blow through gaps with my hands down and that didn’t really work for me. Last year I got better at that and hopefully this year I’m even better.”

Better technique combined with an already impressive combination of size, strength for Wright creates a scary potential matchup for opponents.

A state medalist wrestler, Wright also has excellent agility and says he is in the best physical shape of his career entering his final season.

“He’s a wrestler so he understands leverage,” West Branch assistant coach John Hierseman said. “He knows how to use his size and use leverage and it’s a good combination that way. He’s an aggressive kid and he really gets after it.”

A two-way starter since his sophomore season Wright is more than just a disruptor on the defensive line.

He has started at right tackle the past two seasons and is one of four returning starters on a West Branch offensive line that should be among the best in 1A.

“It’s just his length, his arms are just so dang long,” Lodge said. “He anchors himself well.”

The physical tools have been there and Wright has improved his technique.

Among the final additions for the senior all-stater was a leadership component which Hierseman has seen this fall.

“He started as a sophomore and he was always leaning on somebody next to him to help him and now he’s realized that he knows as much as anybody out there he doesn’t need to do that any more,” Hierseman said. “Now he has become a leader for other guys.”

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.