HAMLIN — There is an undercurrent of older football fans who think the modern game has lost some of its edge. 

Today’s game, they say, with its high-tech spread offenses has taken some of the physicality away from football, both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. And today’s players simply aren’t required to be as tough as those who played 30 or 40 years ago. 

Hamlin senior defensive lineman Ethan Byerly is a walking contradiction to that argument — a player so tough, so eager to play the game and create contact, that he often doesn’t even realize he’s injured.