Columbus North’s Evan Saevre tries to bring down Columbus East’s Kyson Villarreal, left, during the annual rivalry football game between the two schools Aug. 30 at Columbus North.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Evan Saevre was one of Columbus North’s top substitutes at linebacker last year, but with all four starting linebackers returning this season, Bull Dog coaches looked for another way to get him on the field for his senior year.
Head coach Logan Haston and defensive coordinator Luke Teague found a spot for Saevre at defensive end, and through the first half of the season, Saevre has flourished. He is tied for the state lead in sacks and has wreaked havoc on opposing offenses.
“It was coach Teague’s idea,” Saevre said. “He saw that I had a lot of potential going through my freshman year to my junior year and saw that we had a couple of D-linemen leaving and he saw that I could fit into that spot and help the team out.”
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Saevre has done it besides being a little on the lighter side for a defensive lineman.
“We were kind of looking at it in the offseason, and our job is always to get the best 11 guys on the field,” Haston said. “We saw Evan maybe buried a little bit more on the depth chart at LB, and we knew we were losing some guys up front, so we thought it was a logical move to get him down there. We knew going into it he was going to be undersized, but he plays with such a high motor and speed that we thought he was going to be OK there.”
Evan Saevre
Saevre relishes being able to use his athleticism at defensive end.
“It’s a lot less thinking,” Saevre said. “It’s being able to fly around and go make plays when it’s my play to make and helping other guys make plays. It’s a lot more fun not having to think and just being able to go make a play.”
A two-time semistate qualifier in wrestling, Saevre is hoping to compete in that sport at the collegiate level. He credits his work in wrestling with helping him make his moves on opposing offensive linemen on the football field.
“I think it is the wrestling technique, but it’s also the wrestling mindset going in knowing you have to be the best you can be,” Saevre said. “This guy might be bigger than you and better than you, but if you go in thinking you’re going to go whip some butt, you’re going to go whip some butt.”
Saevre also leads North with two fumble recoveries, 15 quarterback hurries and 15 tackles for losses. His seven sacks are tied with Lakeland’s Levi Cook for tops in the state among all classes.
“He’s having a great season statistically, and it’s all credit to his effort,” Haston said. “He doesn’t quit on any play. That’s why he’s able to chase things down from the backside and get after the quarterback because he just plays so quick. His speed off the line is fantastic, and he’s put himself in position to have a really good year.”
“I’m just trying to do my 1/11th,” Saevre added, referring to the 11 defenders on the field at any one time. “They’re all doing their 1/11th, and it’s leading to a lot of success for all of us.”
The Bull Dogs are 4-1 going into Friday’s homecoming game against Terre Haute North and have aspirations of winning conference and sectional titles. Chief among Saevre’s individual goals is breaking the school’s single-season sack record of 15 set by Jerrad Mullis in 2007.
“I definitely want to get that sack record,” Saevre said.
