OFFENSIVE LINEMEN AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT THE POSITION COACHES SPEAK.Byline: Compiled by Rich Hammond Rich Hammond Los Angeles Daily News sports writer. Instrumental in bringing the Los Angeles Kings hockey organization closer to the fans. He is the atypical "what a guy" to Kings fans everywhere. Rich Hammond on himself. Staff Writer What they're saying about offensive linemen: ``Offensive linemen have to be some of the smartest people on the field. There's no such thing as a dumb football player. They don't last.'' - Sylmar coach Jeff Engilman ``You have to have good feet, intelligence and tenacity. A lineman must have two out of those three. Really good linemen have all three.'' - Newbury Park coach George Hurley George Hurley (born September 4 1958 in Brockton, Massachusetts) is a drummer noted for his work with The Minutemen and fIREHOSE. Hurley's powerful style brought a sense of musicianship to the genre, paving the way for new possibilities in underground music. ``Size is a big advantage, but I'll take a 200- or 210-pounder over a 260-pounder if he's faster and more agile.'' - Camarillo coach Carl Thompson Carl Thompson (Born in 1939) is a luthier specializing in the construction of high-quality custom bass guitars, based in Brooklyn, New York. Born in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania to a large musical family, he moved to New York City in 1967 to pursue a career as a jazz guitarist. ``I was a nose guard in college, and I loved to play over the center, because when I hit him in the face, he still had his hand underneath him snapping the ball.'' - Littlerock coach Jim Bauer! ``You have to have good communication. I tell the guys, if you have to point at a defensive lineman and say, `I've got him,' that's what you do.'' - Campbell Hall Campbell Hall can refer to:
``The days of the huge offensive linemen who can't move their feet are long gone.'' - Saugus coach Ron Hilton ``He looks like he should be on the All-Madden team. He fills out that face mask Face mask The simplest way of delivering a high level of oxygen to patients with ARDS or other low-oxygen conditions. Mentioned in: Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome real nicely.'' - Westlake coach Jim Benkert, on his strong tackle, Mark Manning BIG EATERS The one individual statistic that offensive linemen can take pride in is a ``pancake pancake, thin, flat cake, made of batter and baked on a griddle or fried in a pan. Pancakes, probably the oldest form of bread, are known in different forms throughout the world. ,'' a crushing block that sends a defensive lineman sprawling to the ground. ``A pancake is when you don't just block a guy, you dominate a guy,'' Sylmar coach Jeff Engilman said. After he breaks down game film every week, Engilman awards a free breakfast at the local pancake house to the player who records the most pancake blocks. Fortunately for the restaurant, it's not all you can eat. The Spartans feature one of the best trios in the City Section, in Richard Del Gaudio (6-foot-1, 310 pounds), Jesse Molina (6-2, 270) and Nestor Robles Robles is a common surname in the Spanish language meaning oaks, and may refer to:
``Linemen don't get a lot of press, but these three guys are high rate,'' Engilman said. DOING IT ALL Westlake's Mark Manning is a rarity in high school football: a big man who can pass block and run block with equal success. Manning, at 6-2, 300 pounds, anchors the Warriors' line at strong tackle and must be prepared for anything Benkert and Westlake's multi-faceted offense attempt. ``He's one of the few big guys with the ability to do it all,'' Westlake coach Jim Benkert said. ``Most big guys are good at run blocking, because they just have to go straight ahead and drive their defensive man back, but Mark can pass block too, and that's something most big guys struggle with. ``To pass block you have to be able to slide your feet and have the ability to redirect yourself, and most big guys don't have that agility. Mark can take a step outside, and still recover in time to cover the inside rush,'' Benkert said. CENTERS OF ATTENTION It's easy to overlook the center. He's the guy in the middle of the line who generally starts the play and gets out of the way. But coaches never underestimate the importance of a good center. They call the center the ``quarterback of the line,'' and almost always pick their most intelligent lineman to play center. ``The center has to have a 100 percent completion percentage in every game,'' Littlerock coach Jim Bauer said. ``I'll never forget our first ever game (in 1989), we fumbled the center-quarterback exchange 16 times. It was miserable.'' On most teams, the center is charged with calling out the blocking schemes and may have to adjust at the line of scrimmage line of scrimmage n. pl. lines of scrimmage Football Either of two imaginary lines extending across the field parallel to the goal line at the ends of the ball as it rests prior to being snapped and at which each team lines up for based on what the opposing defense shows. Decisions must be made in a matter of seconds, and if the defense features a nose tackle, the center also has significant blocking responsibilities. SMALL PROBLEM In a school with 350 students, finding one or two big guys to play the line is hard enough. Finding five is a pipe dream. Campbell Hall's linemen averaged 175 pounds each over the past two years, a problem that is typical for small schools. The Vikings, now in their fourth year at the varsity level, now have no lineman smaller than 180 pounds. ``In many ways, having a small line makes you a better coach,'' Campbell Hall coach Anthony Harris said. ``You really have to teach the kids to block and focus on technique.'' GROWING PAINS grow·ing pains pl.n. Pains in the limbs and joints of children or adolescents, frequently occurring at night and often attributed to rapid growth but arising from various unrelated causes. Rarely will a football player begin and end his career on the offensive line. A tall, skinny freshman may start out at guard and grow into a quarterback or receiver, or a sophomore fullback could bulk up and become a tackle. ``When they're young, we just try to identify the best 11 players and put them on the field,'' Newbury Park coach George Hurley said. ``If a 14- year-old is 6-feet, 180 pounds, that's a pretty good freshman lineman. But if he's a senior and 6-feet, 180, he's going to get killed out there. ``We try to identify who can handle playing on the line, both mentally and physically.'' THE REGION'S BEST RANK NAME, SCHOOL HT,WT YR Comment 1. Philip Clark Philip Corriston Clark (September 18, 1898–December 16, 1985) was an American rugby union player who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics. He was a member of the American rugby union team, which won the gold medal. External links
2. Keith Ornelas, Loyola 6-4, 290 Sr. Committed to Cal 3. Mark Manning, Westlake 6-2, 300 Sr. Only returning offensive starter 4. Victor Gomez, Cleveland!6-5, 320 Sr. Watch out, here he comes 5. Bobby Garafolo, St. Francis 6-3, 285 Sr. Coach Bonds really likes him 6. Mario Palomino Palomino Colour type of horse distinguished by its cream, yellow, or gold coat and a white or silver mane. It is popular in pleasure and parade classes. Palominos may conform to the breed types of several light breeds, including the Arabian horse and the American Quarter Horse. , Birmingham 6-6, 290 Sr. An intimidating presence 7. David Velasquez, Chatsworth 6-2, 270 Sr. Three-year starter runs a 5.1 40 8. Andre Berkeley, Cleveland 6-6, 320 Jr. Is anyone bigger? 9. Nestor Robles 6-3, 310 Sr. Latest prototype Sylmar lineman 10. Henry Renteria, Poly 6-3, 275 Sr. Loves to run over people 11. Joey Doherty, Quartz Hill 6-0, 245 Sr. Rebels' only returning lineman 12. Jeff Gallo, Saugus 6-6, 290 Sr. Also plays basketball 13. Mike Quisenberry, Canyon 6-0, 220 Sr. Two-year starter has 4.7 GPA GPA abbr. grade point average Noun 1. GPA - a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted 14. Lee Williams For the football player of the same name see Lee Williams (football player). Lee Williams (born April 3, 1974) is an English actor and former model. Williams was the face of French Connection TV, and has worked as a model for designers such as Vivienne Westwood and , Reseda 6-1, 275 Sr. Excellent foot speed for a big man 15. Chad Hitt, Taft 6-0, 250 Jr. The name fits 16. Kyle Fitzgerald, Burroughs 6-3, 240 Leads corps of returning senior starters 17. Togan Judah, Moorpark 6-5, 265 Sr. Biggest player on the team 18. J.P. Salazar, Chaminade 6-3, 225 Sr. Likes to bury defensive ends 19. Mike Denno, Littlerock 6-2, 318 Sr. Nothing little about him 20. Danny Zunez, Eagle Rock 6-1, 265 Sr. Returning All-Northern Leaguer lea·guer 1 n. 1. A siege. 2. The camp especially of a besieging army. tr.v. lea·guered, lea·guer·ing, lea·guers Archaic To besiege; beleaguer. 21. Mike Graves, Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley 6-3, 315 Sr. Three-year starter 22. Jeremy Kuhle, Royal 6-2, 240 Sr. Coming off a big junior year 23. Tim Parlier, Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. 6-3, 235 Never misses a workout OTHERS TO WATCH: Rosario Ramirez, Poly; Brandon Kaluna, Chatsworth; Anthony Smith For other persons named Anthony Smith, see Anthony Smith (disambiguation). Anthony Smith (born March 30, 1926) is, among other things, an explorer, author and former Tomorrow's World television presenter. , Grant; Carlos Gonzales, Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame ; Forrest Socci, Antelope Valley; Julio Mendoza, Taft. - Gerry Gittelson CAPTION(S): 5 photos Photo: (1) MARK MANNING Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer (2) Sylmar High's offensive lineman from left Richard Del Gaudio, Jesse Molina and Nestor Robles. John Kennedy/Special to the Daily News (3) Offensive lineman Victor Gomez (left) and Andre Berkeley (right) lift running back Matthew Clark. Kirby Lee/Special to the Daily News (4) MARIO PALAMINO Evan Yee/Staff Photographer (5) DANNY NUNEZ Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer |
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