Middle Man

Sal Mora is a top linebacker on one of the best defenses in Orange County, which makes it easier for him not to think about his clubfoot and what might have been.

It’s not always that simple, though. Little reminders have popped up everywhere.

There were times his freshman and sophomore years when Valencia classmates would call him “Clubby,” referring to the misshapen right foot that’s about an inch shorter than the left.

There still are times after particularly grueling games when the soreness will strike his right foot and leg, which from the knee down is slimmer and less defined muscularly than his left leg.

“Sometimes I think if they were both equal in size and strength how much better I could be,” said Mora, whose thin right leg resulted from being in a cast for a year when he was little. “I’m doing pretty good now the way it is, but sometimes I think about that. There’s times when I might get down if I had a bad game.”

That hasn’t been often this season. Mora, a senior inside linebacker, is captain of a defense that has recorded three shutouts and is giving up only 8.1 points per game, best in the county.

Valencia’s defense is the main reason the Tigers (8-1, 4-0 in league) are playing for the Orange League championship tonight at No. 8 Brea Olinda (8-0-1, 3-0-1). A victory would give Valencia its first league title in three years.

“This is the biggest game of our season,” said Mora, who has made a team-high 98 tackles. “It’s going to make or break our season.”

Mora’s success, and the fact that his birth defect hasn’t kept him from running 4.7 in the 40-yard dash, has helped him through the moments of self-doubt, when he feels the weakness in his right ankle or sees the scars on his foot that are the result of multiple surgeries.

It also doesn’t hurt that his classmates have gone from calling him nicknames to telling him “good game” in the hallways.

“I used to get a hard time,” Mora said. “Now I guess they respect me enough not to say anything.”

Respect also comes from his teammates and coaches. They are impressed with his dedication in the weight room, his instinctive ability to flow toward the ball, his ability to give his a teammates a look and get them going.

“He’s just an animal all around,” said Mora’s best friend, fellow inside linebacker Bob Davis. “He likes to hit people hard. When it comes time to play football, it’s not good to be on the other team, I’d say.”

Mora isn’t just a defensive gem. He also has rushed for a team-best 10 touchdowns as starting fullback. His coaches say he’s played so well that if someone hadn’t told them, they might not know of his condition.

“I think it’s more of a childhood thing that’s in the past,” said Fred Jenkins, who coaches Valencia’s linebackers. “It hasn’t affected his play at all this year.”

Mora isn’t the Tigers’ only defensive star. Davis is equally solid at linebacker, and defensive back Giovanni Alvarez-Mena has six interceptions. Defensive tackle Alex Perez has performed like an all-league player, and defensive end Ryan Swearingen has also wreaked havoc.

“This has been a team defense the whole year,” Jenkins said. “[Mora] is just a very important part of that team. He’s really good between the tackles stopping inside run plays and he has good pursuit when they take it outside.”

“It’s an instinctive thing,” said Coach Mike Marrujo. “You know how some kids can hit a baseball? It’s kind of like that, where some kids can just move to the ball and just know what angles to take.”

Mora, who also plays catcher for Valencia’s baseball team, has drawn no interest from colleges, which has nothing to do with his foot and everything to do with his 6-foot, 215-pound frame.

Mora’s plan is to enroll in junior college, add a little bulk, grow an inch or two and transfer to a four-year school. Mora’s doctor has assured him his condition will not inhibit his play.

“He said everything was fine, it’s growing well for its condition,” Mora said. “It might bother me a little in the long run, that’s about it.”