One of the building blocks of the successful Bridgeport Indians football program has been the willingness of their players to be used in a manner that benefits the team, not necessarily where they would choose to play. The '26 version of the Indians is no different, with the most obvious example being Tristin Noble going from wearing 8 and playing end to wearing 51 and playing inside tackle.
 
Gone are the hopes and dreams of Noble snagging another pass (one catch, against Fort Hill last year, for 24 yards). The '26 team has plenty of players that can catch the ball; for example, through five games, five different players have caught a pass and they all have at least one receiving touchdown. With the mass exodus to graduation of last year's very successful interior offensive line, there was a huge need for large athletic bruisers, with big game experience that could move defenders and create holes for our talented backs to run through this year.
 
At 6'3" and 250 lbs and athletic enough to have played on the outside, Tristan Noble is perfect for the role of inside tackle. Noble said, "There had been talks about the move from end to an inside line position in the offseason because we had a bunch of seniors leaving. I had been repping both (end and inside tackle) last year; I think they liked what they saw out of me at inside tackle".
 
In the single wing scheme, the inside tackle is the pulling and trapping position. If you remember Noah West lead blocking on the buck lateral and sweeps the past two seasons, that is the position Noble is playing now. Tristan said about the inside tackle position, "I like being able to pull and down block, being able to hit people without the responsibility of worrying what (pass) route I need to run. I just like being able to hit people".
 
In discussing the performance of the offensive line group, Noble said, "We play hard every game, but it's the little details we really have to work on, like jumping offsides, moving before the ball is snapped, and not knowing our assignments. Our physicality is always good". He continued about what needs to happen for the OL to be dominant, "If we play physical every game, we will win; we have to play physical, low, nasty, come off the ball fast, and we will win".
 
Noble is also a key player on the defensive front: "I play both inside and outside, but I usually play the 3 tech, which is inside across from the (offensive) guard". Through 5 games, he has one sack and is tied for second on the team in TFL's with 3.5.
 
Coach Phares said about Tristin's move inside, "It wasn't a deal where Tristin wasn't good enough to play outside; we really needed some bigger bodies to play inside and Tristin filled that role. It was a luxury to have him outside at right end (last year). Still, it's a necessity to have him at inside tackle this year". He continued about the demand for athleticism at the inside tackle position, "he's got to be able to pull, he's got to be able to reach weak, he's got to be able to reach strong, and down block, so it's a really important position for him. Tristan fills that role really well".
 
Friday's opponent, Fort Hill, presents a unique challenge in Bridgeport's schedule. Primarily, the Indians face spread teams with close to an equal mix of run and pass. Fort Hill is a run-first, Wing T team that in many respects is a mirror of image of Bridgeport. They too believe that the winner of the game is determined by the team that blocks and tackles the best. It will be the play of Tristan Noble and the rest of his line mates that will determine how much fun our boys will be having on that lengthy bus ride home from Cumberland.







DOUG MARQUETTE IS A GUEST BLOGGER AND MEMBER OF THE ALL SPORTS BOOSTERS