Andrew Shaw plays a position that requires a great deal of mental fortitude to go with physical strength.

What keeps his motor running?

When Oswego’s senior defensive tackle gets tired, a glance to the sidelines gets him reset.

“I look over to the sidelines and see teammates that could come up and play my position,” Shaw said. “As a senior, I have to set the tone and be an example because previous people have done it for me. Realizing that it is my turn, I cannot show weakness. I just have to keep doing my job.”

That job does not often receive the benefit of gaudy statistical numbers or glamour.

Shaw’s work is the grind, absorbing blocks in the middle of Oswego’s defense to make it go.

He rarely leaves the field.

Shaw, in his second season at Oswego after transferring from Plainfield Central, has played in every game this season. Oswego coach Brian Cooney estimated that Shaw played just about every snap last Saturday in Oswego’s 24-21 win over Maine South in a Class 8A quarterfinal.

“He’s just a big body in the middle that doesn’t quit,” Cooney said. “He can absorb blocks, he is integral to our run defense, he is consistent and steady. He may not flash as much on tape but what we ask of him, he has been consistent. We’ve battled some lingering injury issues there but the one steady thing has been him.”

Oswego’s defense has been steady during this playoff run, particularly in the second half.

The Panthers over three playoff games have given up just one score in the second half. On Saturday it held a potent Maine South offense quarterbacked by Indiana recruit Jameson Purcell to its second-lowest point total of the season and also forced three turnovers.

“He was a pretty shifty quarterback, he would run it,” Shaw said. “The pressure that we were able to give on the D-line really helped the linebackers and cornerbacks make plays and you see the amount of interceptions we got. I really believe it was the pressure we got on the quarterback.”

Shaw embraces doing his part to enable his teammates to make plays.

“I just like to play my position to the best of my ability to help my guys be successful,” Shaw said. “If I can do something that allows a defensive end, other tackles, the other linebackers to have success I will do it.”

Shaw is used to taking on huge responsibilities on the football field.

He recalled being brought up to play varsity football at Plainfield Central as a freshman and sophomore. Switching schools midway through high school was not easy.

“Those guys at Central, I grew up playing with them, I went to elementary school with them,” Shaw said. “That switch was like, man, but sometimes I had to push that aside and play the game I love.”

Coming from Plainfield Central, a program with not nearly the pedigree as Oswego, Shaw felt he was better than his new teammates anticipated.

His role last year was spot duty, rotating in along the line. At the end of last season, Cooney spoke to Shaw and said that a starting, rarely leaving the field role was his if he did the work.

“Last year was definitely a learning curve for him. Any kid that comes to a new high school it’s new everything – new friends, a new system, new terminology. But he’s a nice kid, always willing to learn," Cooney said. “He has slowly progressed and this year he has been a huge part of what we do. Not going to get noticed, but what we ask him to do he does pretty well. He practices hard and I’m really just proud with how he’s played.”

Shaw prepared for his busy workload this season by setting up cones in his backyard to work on his footwork and speed. He has a bench at home for lifting.

But he can’t replicate the field, the setting, the crowd of actual games.

“That whole setting – the music, the crowd screaming," Shaw said, “it’s a whole different vibe.”

Shaw is anticipating quite an atmosphere for Saturday’s 5 p.m. Class 8A semifinal against Lockport at Oswego’s Ken Pickerill Stadium.

It’s Oswego’s first semifinal since 2003, when the program went on to win the Class 7A state championship. Cooney, who was responding to congratulatory text messages the whole bus ride home from Maine South and into Sunday, expects it to be nuts, like a crosstown game.

It’s hard for Shaw, who didn’t even start high school at Oswego, to wrap his arms around it. But he’ll be ready.

“It’s really surreal,” Shaw said. “You get to a point, we’re here now, we have to keep going and give it our all. I’m confident going into Saturday.”