Cruz Comes Out of Cold as ‘Fridge’ Impersonator : Prep football: After a warm reception, Moorpark defensive tackle scores a touchdown in his first game as fullback.

Cruuuuz! Cruuuuz!

The crowd chants his name as Moorpark High’s Mike Cruz, a 338-pound junior and the Musketeers’ answer to the Chicago Bears’ William (Refrigerator) Perry, charges onto the field.

Cruz buckles his chin strap as Moorpark lines up for a first-and-goal play at the Oak Park one-yard line. Bet the farm that the ball goes to Cruz and someone gets a bruise.

Cruuuuz! Cruuuuz!

Cruz takes the handoff and rumbles toward the goal line. He flies through the air with the greatest of mass.

Touchdown!

Cruuuuz! Cruuuuz!

It is a rare highlight this season for Moorpark. Lofty preseason expectations have been replaced by a dismal mood that reflects a 1-6 record.

With experimentation in order, Coach Rob Dearborn last week decided to use Cruz, a 6-foot-3 defensive tackle, as an impromptu fullback in short-yardage situations.

“It was the kids’ idea,” Dearborn said. “We’re not having a good season, so I said, ‘Let’s make this fun for them at the end.’ ”

Cruz responded against Oak Park with four yards rushing in three thunderous carries, including a one-yard touchdown run in which he dived into the end zone and landed atop a pile of players, much to the delight of a bleacher full of supporters who repeatedly chanted his name.

“It was great,” center Jake Flesher said. “Everyone was going, ‘Cruuuuz! Cruuuuz!’ The whole thing has been fun. And that’s something that’s been very limited for us this year.”

Even Cruz is enjoying himself, although he is a little embarrassed by the attention.

“The guys joke around and pat me on the head and call me The Freezer,” Cruz said. “I’m excited, but it’s hard for me to express it. I think all this fuss is kind of overdoing it. I’ve only scored one TD.”

More scores may be in store, Dearborn said.

“If you watch him run, he’s pretty agile for a big guy,” Dearborn said. “We’re going to try everything with him. This week, we’re going to put him in motion and see if he can catch.”

Cruz, who runs the 40-yard-dash in about six seconds, unabashedly says that he is on a diet and has lost 12 pounds toward his goal of 290. Beyond that, his objective is to attend college.

In the meantime, he doesn’t mind being called upon to do some Cruuuuz-in ‘ toward the goal line.

“They know I can do it,” Cruz said of his teammates. “Maybe it’s because I’m big.”