BRING ON THE POUNDS ADDED WEIGHT HELPS LINEMAN EXCEL WITH N.D.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

All things considered, it was a nice problem to have. Only Notre Dame High of Sherman Oaks defensive lineman Alex Puccinelli didn't exactly see it that way.

Most people have to lose weight. Puccinelli needed to gain some - a lot actually. Then he had to maintain it. In this case, skinny was a bad thing. Playing on the defensive line demands size, and lots of it, and when Puccinelli finished last year a shade over 200 pounds and feeling worn down and weak, he knew he had to go into his senior year bigger and stronger.

``I had to put on weight, that was my main objective during the offseason,'' Puccinelli said. ``And during the season, the goal was to keep it on.''

Not just any weight, either. It had to be the good kind, as in muscle, not fat. So he loaded up on the protein shakes and camped out at the weight room every day and before he knew it, his body transformed into a powerful 220 pounds.

Just as important, his quickness was intact and he felt stronger than ever. It was the perfect combination to help him emerge as one of the area's best linemen and a definite college prospect.

And after starting since his sophomore year, Puccinelli has taken his game to new heights.

``He's having his best season by far,'' Notre Dame coach Kevin Rooney said. ``He's playing as well as any defensive lineman we've had here.''

That is saying a lot, since the Knights (11-0) have sent Travis Johnson to Florida State and Tim Volk to Arizona over the past four years.

``He's a different type of lineman than we've had, but he makes just as many plays,'' Knight said.

Puccinelli benefited this year from moving from defensive end to tackle. By going inside, he lines up away from the tight end, which eliminates double teams, and allows him to utilize his quickness to attack gaps.

The key is to get Puccinelli into the backfield quickly, whether it's as a pass rusher or a run stopper.

``It just suits me a lot better because I feel like I'm quicker than a lot of the linemen I play against,'' Puccinelli said.

He's made enough plays to draw the attention of college scouts. Puccinelli recently visited Oregon, where he was offered a scholarship, and has other trips set up in the weeks ahead.

Playing in college has been a dream ever since he started playing, although it became a serious goal when he arrived at Notre Dame and was inserted into the starting lineup as a sophomore.

Over the past three years, he's continually gotten better.

``It's pretty exciting, but I don't take it for granted and I won't let it get to my head,'' Puccinelli said. ``I feel fortunate to be in this position, and the goal is to make the most of it and take advantage of the chance I get.''

Rooney, who has watched Puccinelli grow from a skinny sophomore who had speed and great hands to a dominant senior, thinks Puccinelli's best football is ahead of him.

``He's only going to get bigger and better,'' Rooney said. ``He's 220 pounds right now, and he can easily grow to 240-250 pounds.''

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Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks defensive tackle Alex Puccinelli added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason and is now playing at 220.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer