THE COLLEGES : Moorpark Back Takes the Plunge for a Winner

What is it about Larry Roberts?

Ask someone at Moorpark College for a description of the running back and they inevitably begin by telling you what Roberts is not.

“He’s not a slasher, speed burner or scatback,” said Will Thurston, the Raiders’ offensive coordinator.

Offensive lineman Greg Mattes said Roberts “is not your typical power runner.”

Roberts himself is not above similar self-analysis.

“I’m not very flashy,” he said.

What he is, however, is a fullback trapped inside a tailback’s body. The 5-foot 11-inch, 190-pound sophomore is also the leading rusher in the Western State Conference.

After spending last season in a reserve role behind halfbacks Dana Griffin and Kenny Durr, the Flash from Fillmore High was moved to fullback.

Roberts, 19, said he has taken a liking to the trap plays and blocking assignments that are the staples of his new position.

“At fullback, it’s just a matter of picking holes,” said Roberts, who has gained 226 yards in 33 carries and scored 4 touchdowns. “I like running up the middle.”

And as Roberts’ position atop the WSC rushing and scoring lists attests, he is not only running for daylight but finding it.

In the Raiders’ season-opening 17-13 victory over Valley two weeks ago, Roberts rushed for a game-high 150 yards in 21 carries and scored 2 touchdowns, including the game-winner with 29 seconds left.

Last Saturday, he carried 10 times for 76 yards and 2 touchdowns in a 28-6 victory over Santa Monica.

“Teams scouting us at this point have to understand he’s going to get the football,” Thurston said. “He’s the one guy they have to stop to stop our offense.”

The fullback as the centerpiece of Moorpark’s multiple-fake, multi-directional offensive scheme is nothing new. For the past three seasons, fullbacks have led the Raiders in rushing. Last season, Mike Daniels gained 741 yards.

“Our backs are interchangeable,” Moorpark Coach Jim Bittner said. “At the JC level you never have enough of anything. We keep it spread out and give the fullback a chance to get to the line, break a tackle and pick up some yards.”

The switch to fullback has been relatively easy for Roberts. So, too, has adapting to a winning atmosphere.

Roberts played tailback in the fifth grade but never played on a winning youth league team, he said.

At Fillmore, it got worse. The Flashes were 0-10 in Roberts’ junior season and 4-6 the following year.

“It was depressing,” said Roberts, who rushed for 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior.

This season has been nothing but positive for Roberts and the unbeaten Raiders, who will visit winless Compton for tonight’s 7:30 WSC game.

“Larry is a very powerful kid when he gets his legs moving,” Thurston said. “He’s tough to bring down with one or two guys.”

Some of Roberts’ success can be attributed to an experienced offensive line. Mattes, an all-conference tackle last season, anchors a unit that has four starters back from last season.

“Larry is strong and scrappy,” Mattes said. “He puts his head down and runs right up your back. The thing I like about him is he likes to block. He’s not afraid to cut down those big defensive ends.”

Roberts also did not shy away from working out during the spring and summer.

Last season, Roberts injured his left shoulder in Moorpark’s final game. Surgery was required to remove bone that had become mangled because of constant contact.

During the summer, Roberts lifted weights six days a week, adding 20 pounds to his frame.

“Last year I was a twig and it was easy to knock me down,” said Roberts, who carried 55 times for 184 yards and 3 touchdowns last season. “The work has helped me, power-wise. That first game of the season I did so good and I was shocked. I ran a lot harder.”

Roberts, who has been contacted by Washington State, Oregon and Wyoming, eats five times a day to maintain his weight and keep his strength.

“If Larry had a little more speed, he’d be an unbelievable runner,” Thurston said. “If he was one-tenth of a second faster in the 40, everybody would want him.”

Roberts said he just wants to stay healthy and help Moorpark win the WSC title.

“I think we could go all the way,” he said. “I am getting used to winning.”