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# Camberlain, Griffin give Merrimack football pair of linemen it can build on
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/camberlain-griffin-give-merrimack-football-pair-of-linemen-it-can-build-on/
- Published: 2019-09-13T16:30:53.000Z
- Updated: 2019-09-13T16:30:53.000Z
- Description: The Merrimack High School football team may not have quantity in terms of seniors returning for this season. But what the Tomahawks do have are seniors at every level on the field, starting with each end of their offensive line. On one side is senior Cole Camberlain, who was Merrimack's starting lef
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, football, Merrimack, NH High School Sports Insider, slider, Tomahawks, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

The Merrimack High School football team may not have quantity in terms of seniors returning for this season.

But what the Tomahawks do have are seniors at every level on the field, starting with each end of their offensive line.

On one side is senior Cole Camberlain, who was Merrimack's starting left tackle for most of last year, but also ended up playing every other spot on the line, except for center, at some point due to injuries.

At the other end is senior Eric Griffin, who before filling the right tackle position last season played primarily on defense as a sophomore.

The duo gives Merrimack some versatility along the line and plenty of experience to help bring along some first-time starters.

"Any experience you can return on the line is good experience, it’s going to help you moving forward," Merrimack coach Kip Jackson said. "Especially this year, we have so few returning varsity players. Last year, we had so much depth, but a lot of it graduated. Guys like (Camberlain and Griffin), like James (Dowling) at quarterback, on the outside with Devin (Wood). We don’t have a lot, but we have people at different levels, which should help."

What will also help is the way that Merrimack has its linemen prepare for the season. While the top five have their designated starting positions, all of the Tomahawks' linemen are required to learn the responsibilities of each spot on the line.

That way, if the line needs to be shuffled due to injury or ineffectiveness, Merrimack is looking to the next best lineman.

"On Friday nights, I’d be at right tackle," Griffin said. "But in practice, every single day, whenever we run plays, we’ll run everyone at every position. To play any position on our line, you have to know what everyone has to do, or you’re not going to get put out there.

"What you have to grasp the most, we all have set rules for our plays that help you memorize some of it. Sometimes, it’s just remember who not to block. I think that helps with some of our plays."

Practicing that way has also helped produce players who are willing to play wherever the Tomahawks have a need.

"Whatever is needed for us to succeed as a team, and individually, they’ll put me in the best position to succeed," Camberlain said. "If I have to play both sides, I’ll play both sides. I don’t think they would, but if they needed me to go play quarterback, I would."

Merrimack offensive line coach Carl Bunis has known, and coached, both players for a long time, and he knows just what he's got going into this year.

"They’re great kids," Bunis said. "They’re great leaders, they’re great teammates. They play team-type of football, and if you know the offensive line, you’ve got to work as a team. You have to work hard every single play. You can’t take plays off. You’ve got to work as a group. These kids are it. They motivate themselves, they motivate each other."

While the pair weren't competing with each other for a starting job, they still practiced throughout the preseason like they were in a battle with each other. Not only did it help them, but it showed the younger players to maintain that level of desire no matter what they're doing.

"We always love to compete. If there are one-on-one (drills) we’re always going to go against each other," Camberlain said. "Being older kids now, and being leaders, not only do I think the younger kids want to see the older players compete, it might help them want to compete and fight for positions more than they usually would."

Jackson hopes that need to compete goes with the players even when they leave the football field.

"One of the things we’re trying to implement from a culture standpoint is that we always want to be competing, whether it be, not only against opponents, but every day, whether its in practice or in the classroom," he said. "If they’re playing Fortnite, I’m pretty sure they’re competing against each other also. We saw that, not only with those two, but with several others."

While both started playing around the age of 5, Griffin decided to stop for a few years before picking football back up in middle school. He's also a member of Merrimack's wrestling and track teams.

Camberlain has dabbled in a number of other sports when it's not football season, including track, basketball, lacrosse and wrestling for a day.

"I guess technically wrestling," he said. "The coach needed me for a forfeit, so I went 1-0 in my high school career. I think I’m going to get back to playing basketball this year. I think I’m going to get back to playing lacrosse, too."

Both are hoping to continue playing at the collegiate level, although Griffin acknowledges he could end up trying one of the other sports instead of football.

But before that happens, there's one more season of football to be played at Merrimack.

"We want to win games, but it’s more about what we get back from playing the game," Camberlain said. "Our main goal is to win and grow together, but be better teammates and people."