Duo Becomes Building Blockers for El Cap

Other than the fact they do not really look alike from the neck up, El Capitan football players Erik Stuhr and Eric Thaler could pass as twins.

“We’ve been told that before,” Thaler said.

“Yeah,” Stuhr said simultaneously, “People have told us that.”

Both are 6 feet 3, 255 pounds, left-handed, talkative, easy-going, polite young men, who also think, talk and act similarly.

They are a week apart in age, grew up near each other, have always been best friends and hope to attend the same college next fall on football scholarships.

Stuhr and Thaler, as right guard and right tackle, respectively, for one of the best rushing teams in the county, are also two of the biggest reasons for the remarkable turnaround in the program at El Capitan.

The Vaqueros, winners of a school-record nine consecutive games after going 2-19-1 before then, will play El Camino (11-1) at 7:30 Saturday night in the semifinals of the San Diego Section 2-A playoffs at Mira Mesa.

El Capitan, champion of the Grossmont 2-A League and the fourth-seeded team in the playoffs, defeated USDHS, 34-14, Saturday to advance to the semifinals for the first time in school history.

El Camino, of the Avocado League, is the top-seeded team and is trying to win an unprecedented third consecutive section title. The Wildcats advanced by routing Oceanside, 63-27, in the quarterfinals.

Nonetheless, Thaler and Stuhr, three-year starters who have developed into two of the best offensive linemen in the county, believe they can beat El Camino.

Said Thaler: “They’re a tough team, but I think people have started to notice that we’re a tough team ourself.”

Stuhr: “It’s going to be a battle, a real battle. Let the better team triumph.”

Thaler: “We’re not going to take anything away from them. They’re a great team. But they would be wise not to underestimate us because they’ll be in for a surprise.”

El Capitan already has surprised enough folks this season, including many of the residents of Lakeside.

“It’s been a great season, regardless of what happens,” Vaquero Coach Dave Waasted said. “It’s been great for this community and this school. My wife says there are people in the stands now who haven’t been around for years. All of a sudden, she sees guys wearing lettermen’s jackets from the dark ages around here.”

Thaler and Stuhr have been the catalysts.

“They started for us in 1989, and they were the best linemen we had even back then,” Waasted said. “Naturally, they’ve gotten bigger and better, and they have now taken on the leadership roles as well. They feel like it’s their team and they’re responsible for it.”

Thaler: “Ever since we’ve been here, we didn’t know what it was like to win.”

Stuhr: “We wanted to change that. We had no idea how to win. Losing had gotten to be such a regular thing.”

Thaler: “Like winning has become a habit for us now, losing was a habit for us back then.”

So when did that mind-set change?

Thaler: “It started in (preseason) hell week.”

Stuhr: “We really came together. We knew we had the players to make a difference.”

Thaler: “Once it all came together, we pretty much knew we were headed for a successful season. I don’t think anybody expected this great of a season, even though this was our goal. To get this far and to get to the (championship) was our goal, but I had some doubt in my mind.”

Stuhr: “It’s a doubt from the last two years. We were scared.”

Thaler: “Once you go through all that losing, it’s hard to all of a sudden turn it around.”

Stuhr: “To know what winning is.”

The Vaqueros now know.

After switching to the wing-T offense midway through last season--and working on the many nuances of the misdirection attack--El Capitan broke nearly every school offensive record this season.

And with Thaler, Stuhr, center Jeff Hansen, left guard Patrick Trampis and left tackle Jesus Renteria blocking, quarterback Bobby Vickery and running backs Eric Rockhold, Jessic Heise and James Hopkins combined to lead the Grossmont Conference in rushing and total offense.

On two occasions, the Vaqueros had three backs rush for more than 100 yards each.

Thaler: “It’s a total team effort. There are no ‘I’ players on this team.”

Stuhr: “No, not at all. Everyone has contributed.”

And they continued.

Thaler: “This season is like a dream season that is realistic.”

Stuhr: “After that last game, we were going to slap each other in the face because we weren’t sure if we were going to wake up in the morning.”

Thaler: “It’s unexplainable the feeling right now.”

Stuhr: “We’re still figuring out that we’re winning these games. The league championship and these (playoff) games. Maybe it will hit us later.”

Thaler: “We can’t comprehend being league champs yet.”