by Frank Aceto

Associate Sports Editor

Tallmadge -- Senior Craig Siesel is listed at 5 feet, 7 inches tall at a weight of 160 pounds.

And those numbers might be a little generous.

"Maybe he's 5-7 in heels," Tallmadge head football coach Joe Vassalotti said jokingly.

Looking at height and weight alone, Siesel is about as intriguing to a football coach as a hamburger is to a vegetarian.

In other words, those totals simply don't add up when it comes to performing on the gridiron.

But the Tallmadge standout has been defying logic ever since he suited up in the pads.

He has continued to do so this season despite a heavier workload than ever.

After 10 games, Siesel has played three demanding offensive positions throughout the season.

On offense, he started off as one of the team's wide receivers. He also got a number of carries in the backfield.

Over the last several weeks, however, Siesel has taken most of the snaps behind center.

Despite not having the arm of a Brett Favre or a John Elway, the diminutive quarterback has guided the Blue Devils to four straight wins, including a trip to the Division II playoffs.

"It was very exciting," Siesel said. "We battled through a lot of adversity. We knew if we lost one more game, we probably wouldn't make the playoffs. We just stayed focused in practice."

Siesel does his best work on the move.

He rushed for 423 yards during the regular season and five touchdowns.

Both marks rank second on the team.

Siesel also has caught 17 passes and has three TD receptions.

But Siesel's best work may come on the other side of the field.

He had seven interceptions in 10 games, including four during the first two contests of the season.

Don Bainey has the school record with eight in 1982.

Yes, Siesel has done just about everything. Not bad for a teen-ager who looks like he's about a foot shorter than the rest of the players.

"I try to play bigger than I am," Siesel said. "I know I'm not very big, so I try to use my other advantages like my speed."

His speed can electrify the crowd.

During the midway point of the second quarter during the Blue Devils' 31-14 win over Green Oct. 24, Siesel brought the Rossiaky Stadium faithful to its feet with a spectacular 56-yard run.

Siesel beat several defenders with a series of jukes, fakes and cuts and also broke a couple of tackles to reach the end zone.

"That just shows his outstanding lateral movement," Vassalotti said. "It brought back memories of [2006 graduate] Jamel Miller. He made six or seven players miss."

Unfortunately for Siesel, a flag nullified the touchdown.

Nevertheless, his run for the ages wasn't a total washout as Tallmadge got the ball at the Bulldogs' 25-yard line. The Blue Devils eventually scored on the possession.

"It was an option play originally," Siesel said. "When you make that many cuts, it's not surprising to have a penalty somewhere."

Siesel has proven to be a force no matter where he lines up on the field.

Even with his modest measurements, Siesel has been able to prove one thing time and time again: You can't tackle what you can't see.

"Our smallest player is also our best all-around player," Vassalotti said. "He has a tremendous desire to succeed."

E-mail: faceto@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3914