El Modena Is Laying It All on the Line : Prep football: After two years away from football, Glen Lukenbill returns as the Vanguards’ line coach.

Glen Lukenbill scanned the weight room at El Modena High School, which was filled with players grunting and lifting. To him, it was home, sweat home.

For 20 years, this was where Lukenbill created offensive linemen. It was a job he did well, as El Modena played in five Southern Section Southern Conference championship games during that time.

Now, after two years away from football, Lukenbill has returned to do what he did so well.

“I’ve always looked on this job as being a teacher,” Lukenbill said. “You teach technique and assignments. If the kids follow it, you’ll have a good offensive line.”

That’s what head Coach Bill Backstrom would like to see.

The Vanguards, the defending Century League champions, have plenty of guys back who can score. What they lack is the experience up front to open holes and buy time.

So Backstrom turned to Lukenbill.

“We’ve dusted Glen off and put him back on the field,” Backstrom said, laughing.

“Luke is the best line coach around. He gets kids to play at the next level. If they’re a good lineman, they become a great lineman. If they’re a great lineman, they become an excellent lineman.”

The Vanguards have only one returning starter on the offensive line, guard Brian Bourdeaux. The rest of the spots will be filled with players who have little or no varsity experience.

Backstrom, knowing the team’s weakness, approached Lukenbill last winter to come back. Ed O’Keefe, the Vanguards’ line coach last season, had resigned, creating an opening on the staff.

Lukenbill worked with the linemen during the spring, getting them used to his technique and personality.

“Luke is the perfect coach for a young group of linemen,” Backstrom said. “His players would go out and die for him. He’s very patient and will take the time to explain things. When he gets on a kid, the kid knows he’s done something wrong.”

That management style worked well during his 20 years as Vanguard line coach.

Lukenbill and Backstrom helped make El Modena a powerhouse in the late 1970s, when they worked under Bob Lester. The Vanguards won Southern Conference championships in 1978, 1983 and 1984.

They were runner-up in 1980 and 1981.

Under Lukenbill, the Vanguards turned out standout players such as Don Gibson, who played for USC. But many of his linemen were smaller players, who didn’t play after high school.

“People always talked about the big offensive lines at El Modena,” Backstrom said. “That’s crazy. Every player on Esperanza’s line was 6-3, 250. Glen’s lines always looked weird. In 1983, his two guards weighed 165 pounds.”

Lukenbill got the most out of his linemen, even undersized ones, by working on technique and quickness. His units were usually better prepared, a result of hours spent watching films.

After each game, Lukenbill would grade each lineman, including the tight end. That meant watching the same play over and over again.

The result was a line that outperformed bigger opponents.

“On this level, you don’t need to knock someone down on every play,” Lukenbill said. “You just have to occupy them long enough for the play to develop. A smaller player can do that, all he has to do is get to his man quickly.”

Lukenbill’s attention to detail is legendary among the El Modena coaches and players. Backstrom said that every week, Lukenbill would find some weakness in an opponent’s defense.

“He always finds a matchup in our favor,” Backstrom said. “He would study films until he did. Luke is that meticulous.

“I remember before our first championship game, he was staring into the stands. He turned to me and said, ‘The cheerleaders misspelled a word on that banner.’ The guy notices everything.”

What Lukenbill notices this year is an offensive line that has potential, despite a lack of experience.

“This is a very enthusiastic bunch,” he said. “It may take a while, but I think this group could be very good. They are willing to learn and that’s half the battle.”

And, once again, Lukenbill is there to teach.