Plainedge's speedy Shane Mosia has vision, too

Plainedge coach Rob Shaver has nicknamed linebacker Shane Mosia "the barracuda."

Why?

Because he has speed – a ton of it – which is both blazing and shocking.

“If you’ve ever been fishing for barracuda, you pull your lore along the way and you can see it in the water,” Shaver said. “All of a sudden, the fish just shows up out of nowhere….You didn't see it from 50 feet away, and all of a sudden, it's just there and on your lore.”

“Shane’s the same way,” Shaver continued. “It looks like the running back has a place to go, and there's nobody within 50 yards of him, and [Mosia]'s just there. [He] just shows up out of nowhere. Wham-o! His ability to read stuff on the field is crazy. It’s unbelievable how quickly he closes things down.”

That speed has made Mosia into one of the best linebackers in the state, a scary thing for Nassau Conference III offenses.

“Last year, my speed was an advantage in the box,” said Mosia. “I felt like I was one of the faster people in the box. I give all the credit to the D-line that I had. They opened up holes and made it extremely easy on me to make plays.”

No holes go unnoticed around Mosia. On top of having incredible speed, the senior also has superior field vision. This was a major reason why he played so well last year, coming into his own as a linebacker who can’t be fooled. (He also scored four touchdowns on 21 carries.)

“I think my vision got better,” Mosia said. “Being able to see the open holes and shoot them faster as the year went on.”