As he enters his senior season, Andover High School offensive lineman Zane Tucker is focused on more than individual recognition. His primary goal is helping the Trojans continue their climb and return to postseason success.
“The thing I’m most excited about this upcoming season is success as a team,” Tucker said. “The past few years the team has been climbing back up the rankings and getting better as we go. Most of the team is very experienced and has been playing football for a while. I’m sure everyone is probably just as excited as me to see our team do well and succeed.”
Tucker believes the team’s experience and chemistry could be key ingredients this fall. He said the commitment players have shown throughout the offseason has helped lay the foundation for what they hope will be a breakthrough season.
During the offseason, Tucker has dedicated much of his time to strength training and attending team workouts.
“I’ve been working a lot in the weight room,” he said. “Showing up is a big thing for me, so I try to be there as often as possible to get the best out of mine and everyone else’s time.”
He also credits summer workouts with helping players reconnect with their coaches and strengthen relationships with teammates.
“I’ve been able to continue to show up for my team during the offseason,” Tucker said. “Throughout the summer we have a lot of time to get together and reconnect with our position coaches, and it has been a major factor in mine and everyone on my team’s level of success.”
Despite earning honorable mention All-AVCTL II honors on the offensive line last season, Tucker said he still sees room for improvement.
“One area I want to improve this season is most likely my technique on the offensive line and the ability to learn as I go,” he said. “Many times this offseason I’ve found myself not doing the most I can in certain situations, and I need to get into a mindset of a pursuit of success. The only thing that can help me in that area is my willingness to show up with the idea of getting better.”
Last season, Tucker helped anchor an offensive line that paved the way for a productive rushing attack. The Trojans earned recognition for their physical running game and aggressive play up front, and Tucker hopes that unit can take another step forward this season.
His goals extend beyond wins and losses. Tucker wants to continue developing physically while becoming a stronger leader during his final year in the program.
“My main goals as an individual and as a team are to obviously win and dominate, but I also want for myself to get better,” he said. “I would like to get stronger in the weight room, better with footwork and technique, and definitely get better as a leader for my team.”
As one of the team’s seniors, Tucker hopes to help change the perception of Andover football by ending a lengthy playoff drought.
“Coming into my last season at Andover High School, I want people to notice our team as one of the best and that we have worked for it, not having it handed to us,” he said. “We haven’t won a playoff game in years, and it’s finally time to kick it up and make people see us.”
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