Indio’s Hard-Hitting Lua Is Coming Out of Obscurity

It took more than two hours to complete a 130-mile drive along Interstate 10 from Los Angeles to my final destination deep into the arid desert.

One by one, the cities passed by--Fontana, Rialto, San Bernardino, Beaumont, Banning, Palm Springs.

Finally, I came to Indio, hometown of the best-kept secret in Southern California high school football, linebacker Oscar Lua.

He’s 6 feet 2, 240 pounds, runs 40 yards in 4.6 seconds, has a 3.6 grade-point average and treats running backs like a punching bag, tossing and turning them in every direction.

“He’s mean, nasty and knocks people on the ground,” Palm Desert Coach Pat Blackburn said.

Lua has been credited with more than 80 tackles in six games for unbeaten Indio. Last Friday night, he blocked a punt and ran 10 yards for the decisive touchdown in Indio’s 13-7 victory over Palm Springs.

An outfielder in baseball, Lua batted .485 and hit 11 home runs last season.

His biceps are 18 inches around, making it uncomfortable for him to fit into a baseball uniform, but giving him the look of a Herculean football player.

He didn’t show up to any of the marquee football combines last summer, helping seal his fate as a hidden talent, but recruiters from Arizona State, Boston College and Nevada Las Vegas have done their homework and know all about him.

“I know what I’m capable of,” Lua said. “I think I’m capable of being one of the best linebackers in the state. When you have speed and combine it with strength, you can do just about anything.”

Lua has lived in Indio all his life. His parents were born in Mexico and settled in the community more than 20 years ago. It’s a city of 45,000, with its own police and fire department. The Tamale Festival in December and the Date Festival in February are big events.

In the last 10 years, population growth has resulted in several new high schools being built around Indio, including schools in La Quinta, Palm Desert and Desert Hot Springs.

The desert communities have been developing their own group of outstanding players. Last season, linebacker Michael Craven of La Quinta received a scholarship to Stanford.

This season, running back Frederick Collins of La Quinta has scored 19 touchdowns and running back Marcus Lampkin of Twentynine Palms has scored 17 touchdowns, so dismissing the area as nothing more than a place for golf courses and spas for senior citizens wouldn’t be accurate.

During the summer, when temperatures can exceed 110 degrees, Lua could be found working out at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. to avoid the heat. He’d run up and down the steps of Indio’s stadium, sometimes by himself.

His father Gabriel, who owns a landscaping business, would watch his son’s sweaty body never stop moving.

“It reminded me when I was a young guy and had that same type of energy,” he said. “It seems you don’t get tired. He did it because he wants to take it another step.”

Coach Ovidio Machado, in his sixth season at Indio, calls Lua “a great leader.”

Teammates respect him, but aren’t afraid to tease him.

“That’s impossible--Oscar missed a tackle,” one player joked while watching a video of a game against Hemet.

Oscar’s older brother, also named Gabriel, played football at Indio. He played at 6-5 and 290 pounds, and probably could have received a scholarship if his grades were better. Oscar has learned from his brother’s mistake.

“He tells me, ‘Don’t do what I did,”’ he said. “He knows he messed up. He’s a good big brother.”

From age 5, baseball was Lua’s favorite sport. Then he started playing football as a freshman, and his aggressiveness fit in perfectly with the sport.

“It’s awesome to hit somebody and crush him and know you’ve beaten him,” he said.

It’s a long journey to Indio from L.A., but the people are nice and you can stop at Hadley fruit orchards on the way back to have one of their famous date shakes.

And, if you get to see Lua play football, you won’t be disappointed.

“I think I can hang with anybody,” he said.

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Eric Sondheimer can be reached at eric.sondheimer@latimes.com