The football program at River Ridge High School has definitely featured an abundance of speed over the years. This season, however, the Hawks have plenty of thunder to go with that lightning – courtesy of senior Max Eder and sophomore Elijah Iosefo.
While others rely on blazing quickness to get the job done, these two play a different brand of ball, one of physicality.
“We run a 5-2 (on defense) and you have to have two inside linebackers that can flat our play,” River Ridge head coach Steve Schultz said. “We’re a power run team and you have to have a fullback and a guard that can out there and lead (block) for us and these guys do that. They bring their lunch pail every day and put in the work. They’re just going to get it done.”
And they’ve been doing just that all season long for the Hawks despite being first-year starters at linebackers.
Eder has been the team’s starting fullback the past three years and has not shied away from contact ever since he arrived on varsity.
“I came from C team and I was terrible,” Eder said about his freshman year, “but I got in the weight room over the summer and stepped it up the next year. I remember one of our home games my sophomore year. One of the first offensive plays I went outside and hit this kid and Brian Melloy ran 60 yards for a touchdown.”
As Eder picked himself up off the South Sound Stadium turf following his big block three years ago, he knew the physical style of play was for him.
“I think that was the moment. That first game playing fullback my heart was racing, but once I knew I was out there with my brothers I got comfortable,” Eder said. “After that I never wanted to leave the field.”
Eder has pretty much received his wish, especially in his final season with the Hawks. Offense, defense, special teams, the kid does it all.
“Max has been a program guy for us,” Schultz said. “He’s developed over the years. You have to physically be ready to play both ways and he just got it done in the offseason. Max is very unselfish. He just wants to win.”
Whatever it takes has been Eder’s approach with River Ridge football. Last year, the Hawks were short staffed at defensive line and he stepped up despite tipping the scales at an undersized 180 pounds.
“I just want to be on that field playing,” Eder said. “I really love it out here at River Ridge. It’s a family. I’ll play wherever they need me. I love putting my hand down in the sand and getting down with the other team.”
Iosefo also shares a similar mindset.
The 5-foot-10, 225-pound sophomore came into the season as a fullback on offense, but that position was already filled by his linebacker mate. The Hawks were looking to fill a void at one of the guard positions.
Without hesitation, Iosefo stepped right up.
“I just told them to I’d play anywhere,” Iosefo said. “At the beginning of the season it was hard (playing guard). It was something new. Now, it really just feels natural to me.”
Midway through the season and the tandem have turned into one of the better middle linebacking duos in the 2A South Puget Sound League with Eder mentoring his younger counterpart every step of the way.
“Max is just really a great leader to me,” Iosefo said. “He tells me all the time how to improve and I just take notes. I just want to take advantage of it. I’ve always been physical. I always want to take the intensity up for the team with a big hit.”
“He’s the hammer,” Eder said about Iosefo. “He’s been learning and now it’s starting to click for him. We hype each other up other there. We just like to play for each other and it’s amazing when everything clicks for us out there.”
While blocking is his primary responsibility, Eder has put up strong numbers during his few rushing attempts on offense. Through the first seven games of the season, he has carried the ball nine times for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns, averaging a team-best 12.7 yards a carry.
On the defensive side of the ball, Eder leads the squad in tackles with 44, including a team-high 31 solo stops with 4 tackles for loss.
“Max does a great job for us,” Schultz said. “He runs the show out there for us. He lets everyone know where they need to be. They’re both just great kids. They practice hard. They lift hard. They’re dedicated. They are really the type of players you want in your program.”
