A Cut Above : Preston Walrath of Capo Valley Stands Out in Any Crowd

He’s 275 pounds packed into a 6-foot 2-inch frame. Preston Walrath of Capistrano Valley High School stands out in any crowd.

Lately, though, Walrath’s size is less noticeable . . . just a little. What with his football jersey number, 58, branded into the side of his head, Walrath is something of a novelty this season.

The novel haircut was borrowed from linebacker Brian Bosworth of Oklahoma.

“I just said that after we got our first win, I wanted to do something wild, and that seemed like the thing to do,” Walrath said. “So after we beat Canyon (two weeks ago), I got it cut.

“And who knows? You might see some yellow coloring in it later on in the season.

“But I don’t call my cut ‘The Bos’. It’s more like ‘The Pres.’ ”

And the horizontal lines chopped into the other side of his head?

“I don’t know,” Walrath said. “Racing stripes, maybe.”

All this haircut business adds spice to the football season. But where Walrath split hairs with his peers is more in the way he controls the line of scrimmage.

A two-year starter for the Cougars, Walrath is one of Orange County’s best tackles. He was second-team All-South Coast League last season and is one of the driving forces in front of the Cougars’ offense this season. You might say he’s grown with the position.

“Walrath is probably the best drive blocker we’ve ever had at the school,” Capistrano Valley Coach Dick Enright said.

Said Walrath: “I’ve always been a big-boned kid. It just seems like I’ve kept growing and growing and growing.

“What I’ve been doing (in the weight room) is really working my legs on the leg machines. My thighs are about 31 inches around now. As a lineman, you probably need leg strength more than anything else.”

Walrath says his body fat content is lower this season than when he weighed 255 as a junior.

“So even though I’m heavier, I’m in better shape,” he said.

Dave Elecciri, Capistrano Valley assistant football coach, said: “He’s definitely bigger, wider, and much more solid now. Anything he hits moves quicker this season.”

Said Enright: “We don’t put Preston on drive blocks against smaller kids (in practice)--he’s liable to land on them and squash them. We could have a lawsuit or he’d put too many dents in the ground.”

Walrath credits his diet for his increase in size as much as he does the weightlifting. He eats pasta, fish and poultry but avoids red meat. He also uses vitamin supplements.

Walrath played fullback his freshman and sophomore seasons in Portland, Ore., before transferring to Capistrano Valley last season, where he became a tackle. He outgrew the backfield when he increased from 225 pounds to 250 between his sophomore and junior seasons.

Said Walrath’s father, Preston Walrath II: “When I played in high school, 195 pounds was big, but now that barely gets you into the backfield. At 270 he looks like he could lift the side of a building.”

The senior Walrath said 30 colleges have contacted his son about playing at their schools.

Said Preston: “Oregon knows about me from having played in Portland, but I think Arizona is the most interested right now.”

And their interest has more to do with his size than his haircut.