ORANGE COUNTY PREP FRIDAY : THE LINES ARE DRAWN : Orange League to Open With a Block Party When Valencia Faces Western Tonight

Offensive linemen, those lumbering hulks with jersey numbers and weights larger than most of their teammates, are faceless, nameless players whose sole goal on the football field is to knock another player down.

They emerge from the field muddied, bloodied, battered and tattered.

It’s all done in the name of team play. If they do their job correctly, and the offense drives down the field for a touchdown, a teammate invariably earns the plaudits.

Heeeeeey, look at that running back go! If they don’t, and the runner or the quarterback gets caught for a loss, someone else still gets the credit.

Boy, did you see that tackle?

Lack of recognition is the lament of offensive linemen everywhere. Other positions have star quality, linemen just get mud in their eye.

Nevertheless, when Western High School meets Valencia in the Orange League opener tonight at 7:30 in Bradford Stadium, the spotlight should be on the offensive lines. Western and Valencia have two of the best in Orange County and have had them for some time.

“Just once I’d like to see a reporter come running up after the game and say: ‘Hey, how ‘bout them blocks?’ ” said Corey Reuter, a tackle for Western.

Said Western center Chris Frembling: “You’re usually down in the trenches making those holes while the running backs get all the glory.”

Reuter and Frembling help make up one of the county’s larger lines. Reuter is 6-feet 3-inches tall and weighs 240 pounds, and Frembling is 6-5, 275. But perhaps the best Pioneer lineman is Vince Galaz, a 6-3, 245-pound tackle.

“He’s got great technique and great strength,” said Sean Logan, Western line coach. “He’s like a player/coach. He helps our other players with their technique.”

Tight end Toby Howell (6-1, 195) and guards Eddie Ortiz (6-1, 200) and Agustin Ybarra (5-11, 195) round out the Pioneer line.

Howell, Coach Jim Howell’s son, has great hands, according to his father.

“He could lead the county in receiving,” Jim Howell said. “But we don’t throw that much . . . only enough to keep a team loose. Our tight end is like another lineman.”

Toby Howell has 12 receptions for 152 yards this season.

As is the case at Valencia, rushing is the primary offensive weapon at Western.

Two weeks ago, however, the Pioneers outdid themselves. The line plowed Ocean View under for more than 300 yards rushing. Three Western backs, led by Ray Welch’s 114 yards in 11 carries, gained more than 90 yards, and four runners scored as the Pioneers won, 41-7.

The Anaheim Bulletin named Frembling and Galaz as its players of the week, an honor usually reserved for quarterbacks, running backs or wide receivers.

“Usually, they don’t give those things to linemen,” Frembling said. “That was a surprise.”

At Valencia, where Coach Mike Marrujo seemingly frowns upon individual recognition, offensive linemen are accustomed to such anonymity. The concept of team first and individual second is paramount in the Marrujo Method.

And it has worked. In the past four seasons, Valencia has won or tied for the Orange League championship. In 1985, Western and Valencia tied for the title.

Bring up Valencia’s tradition of great lines, including this season’s model, and Marrujo speaks glowingly.

“I guess the biggest line we had was the 1985 team,” he said. “We looked like a junior-college team that year. Those guys weren’t fat. You know, some guys are 250 and they are flabby. Back in ‘85, that was a monster line.”

That line, which included Joe Garten, now at Colorado, and Mark Williams, at Hawaii, was partly responsible for Ray Pallares breaking the Orange County career rushing record.

“(This year) we’re just not that physical,” Marrujo said. “We’ve got a lot of little guys. We’re more of a finesse team this year. In past years, we’d just line up and knock people’s heads off.”

The ’85 line averaged close to 220 pounds. This season’s line averages less than 200. Still, there is little evidence that ’87 is different from past years. Valencia has had little trouble knocking over its opponents, posting a 4-1 record. The Tigers have a running back, Keef Leasure, who is among the county leaders in rushing.

Leasure has gained almost 700 yards and appears, thanks to his line, to be a cinch to pass the 1,000-yard mark.

“Technique is the key,” Fred Jenkins said in explaining the Tigers’ success. “You don’t have to be big to hit hard.”

The other linemen agree. Despite their small size, they believe they can run on any team, no matter how much they are outweighed.

The Tigers ran for almost 300 yards, including 259 by Leasure, in a 24-14 victory over Westminster, the biggest defense they have faced this season.

Jenkins, Valencia’s center, is the smallest of the Tiger linemen at 5-11, 190. He realizes he is too small to play Division I football, but he would like to attend Stanford for academic reasons. He may even apply to Harvard. Jenkins has a 4.0 grade-point average and is the Valencia student body president.

Tight end Marty Dunn (5-11, 180) and tackle Bill Dailey (5-11, 220) also are small, compared to the Western linemen. Mark Walejko, a tackle, is the biggest at 6-4, 215. Ken Morales (6-0, 185) and Brandon Douglas (6-0, 205) are the Tiger guards.

“We’re not midgets,” Marrujo said. “But we have to change our scheme of things. We can’t try to overpower teams (as in the past).

“Offensive line is the most difficult position to play and coach. You don’t know what the other team is going to do before the game. You have to adjust when you are there in the game.”

WESTERN VS. VALENCIA

RECORDS--Western 4-1, Valencia 4-1.

SITE--Bradford Stadium, Valencia High School

WESTERN UPDATE--The Pioneers are fresh off two impressive games. Two weeks ago, Western beat Ocean View, 41-7, and last week it shut out Fullerton, 12-0. That victory was the Pioneers’ third shutout this season. “The last two weeks have been the best,” said Jim Howell, Western coach. “We’ve been a little more serious.” Western has a potent rushing attack featuring four runners. Craig Morales has led the team, rushing for 295 yards in 51 carries. “It’s going to be a war,” said Randy Sheets, offensive line coach. “Whoever comes out a winner will have won the battle on the line.”

VALENCIA UPDATE--Keef Leasure, a junior running back, injured his ankle two weeks ago and played sparingly against Cypress last week, according to Mike Marrujo, Valencia coach. As to whether Leasure will play against Western, Marrujo would only say: “We’ll see. It’s a day-to-day thing. We just don’t know until we get out there.” Leasure, the latest in a long line of outstanding Valencia backs, has gained almost 700 yards this season, third-best in the county. With Leasure out of the lineup, the Tigers turned to the passing game in their victory over Cypress. Robert Navarette threw three touchdown passes. Randy Roskelly, who replaced Leasure, gained 102 yards in 21 carries.

KEY TO THE GAME--Having a healthy Leasure would help the Tigers’ chances. Marrujo said defense is the key. There should be no problem of intensity for either team. “Everyone’s fired up,” said Vince Galaz, a Western tackle. “(The game is) all we’ve been thinking about since last Friday.” Said Valencia center Fred Jenkins: “We look forward to this game more than any other.”

CONSENSUS--The outcome depends on Leasure’s availability. In any case, it appears too close to call. Each team features a grind-it-out style, which means it will be a low-scoring game. A big defensive play could prove to be the difference.