Toiling in Obscurity--and Loving It : Division II: Few have noticed Los Alamitos’ offensive line is among best, but two of its finest say they don’t mind.

The question for today is this: If an offensive lineman blocks his man on a muddy field all night long, do the 8,000 fans in the stands ever notice?

Definitely not, say Los Alamitos linemen Caleb Kemp and Bill McMullen. But blow an assignment once, let the quarterback get sacked, and everyone in the stadium knows who to blame.

Kemp and McMullen, charged with protecting the state’s most celebrated high school quarterback, wouldn’t have it any other way. They know if they fail, Tim Carey fails, and if Carey fails, Los Alamitos doesn’t win.

Suffice to say, opponents get blocked, Carey completes passes, and Los Alamitos wins.

It’s happened that way through the better part of two overwhelmingly successful seasons. The Griffins are 24-2--including a streak of 19 consecutive victories going into tonight’s semifinal game against Crescenta Valley--and Carey has thrown for 5,424 yards with 54 touchdowns and only 18 interceptions in that span.

Those are the kind of numbers people remember. Hardly anyone knows that Kemp and McMullen have routinely knocked opponents on their rear ends, or that Carey has rarely had to worry about on-rushing defenders.

That’s not to say the pair gets zero respect or praise. Los Alamitos Coach John Barnes said the Griffins’ offensive line might be the best he has ever coached. And Carey takes the line out for dinner after each game they keep him from being sacked.

“Tim’s not stupid,” Barnes said.

Nope, Carey has announced that he will attend Stanford next year. Kemp and McMullen are awaiting scholarship offers that might not come.

They always knew they would labor in obscurity, but don’t be tricked into thinking they go about their business in a purely selfless manner. These guys have healthy egos, too.

“They think they’re the best guys on the team,” Barnes said. “They think they have made Tim Carey the quarterback he is. And I think that’s great.”

Kemp, a 6-foot, 240-pound senior, was hoping to be a varsity linebacker when he was a sophomore. But after an injury to a senior lineman, Kemp made a switch to the offense and he’s been there ever since.

“It’s funny, but I think I’m the only guy in the world who always wanted to be an offensive lineman,” said McMullen, a 6-4, 240 senior.

Certainly, the job description is simple enough: Protect thy quarterback. The qualifications aren’t always easy to fill, however. Size and is paramount, and a little speed doesn’t hurt. This is generally not considered a thinking man’s position.

“When people ask me, ‘What do you do?’ ” Kemp said. “I say, ‘I go out and kill guys.’ ”

Barring that, Kemp and McMullen will settle for a good old-fashioned draw. So, even if they don’t overpower their opponents, at least Carey’s not getting slammed to the turf.

“I’d rather hold a guy than let Tim get hit,” Kemp said.

On the infrequent occasions that Carey does get popped, he usually jumps right back to his feet with only a few words of encouragement to block better next time.

There is no better case to illustrate the point than the early moments of Los Alamitos’ game Oct. 30 against Esperanza and its suffocating defense.

Playing in a muddy mess at Valencia High, Los Alamitos came out sputtering on its first two plays. Carey’s first pass misfired badly, then he was sacked for a three-yard loss on second down.

A third-down pass to wide receiver George Sagen went for a 16-yard gain and Los Alamitos was on its way to a 34-14 victory in which Carey was sacked only once more.

“It was one of my all-time memorable games,” Kemp said.

Of course, he wasn’t the one who had to contend with Travis Kirschke, Esperanza’s All-American defensive lineman.

“He lined up over Bill all night,” Kemp said.

And for the most part, McMullen kept Kirschke from inflicting much damage as Carey passed for 150 yards and three touchdowns.

“It’s fun to compete against the high-level players,” McMullen said. “It’s not fun to play against somebody you know you can beat.”

After all, pride is at stake. Each player has been around the trenches long enough to know they won’t produce any headline-making plays any time soon.

“When I go out there, I’m not trying to make a name for myself,” Kemp said.

McMullen put it this way:

“If you play a good game nobody knows it. If you play a bad game everybody knows.”