Pac-5 Division championship to feature powerhouse offensive lines

It doesn’t happen often, but the two most gifted prospects on the field Saturday night at Angel Stadium will be a pair of All-American offensive linemen.

Max Tuerk of Santa Margarita and Kyle Murphy of San Clemente are considered perhaps the two best blockers in California, and they’ll each be trying to protect their quarterbacks and open holes for the running backs in the Pac-5 Division championship game.

Tuerk, 6 feet 6, 295 pounds, has committed to USC. Murphy, 6-7, 275 pounds, is undecided, though Tuerk would like to see him become a Trojan too.

“I went on a recruiting trip to Oregon with him,” Tuerk said. “He’s a pretty cool guy. Hopefully, he can come to ‘SC and we can play in college together.”

What’s unusual about the Pac-5 final is that the offensive lines are receiving well-deserved attention, because they are as good as they come. And everything starts with Tuerk blocking for the Eagles and Murphy blocking for the Tritons.

“He’s a real aggressive player, real big,” Murphy said of Tuerk. “Real physical. It should be fun seeing him on the same field.”

The quarterbacks each swear by their offensive linemen.

“Our offensive line is great,” San Clemente quarterback Travis Wilson said. “I wouldn’t want anybody else to be my offensive linemen. They’re a big powerhouse. They’re going to be a big factor in our game.”

Said Santa Margarita quarterback Johnny Stanton: “I’m very lucky. They really help me out a lot.”

The battle in the trenches figures to be a real battle. Tuerk has been known to flatten linebackers. Ditto for Murphy.

It would be fun to have one of those summer line competitions, where players try to carry the biggest rock around or engage in a tug-of-war competition. Except the game itself should reveal which line is best based on what happens on the scoreboard.

Each team has certainly come back from adversity. San Clemente lost its longtime coach, Eric Patton, who in on paid leave after getting caught up in an investigation involving alleged kickbacks to Orange County coaches by a sports equipment and apparel maker. Athletic Director Jon Hamro stepped in as head coach and has guided the Tritons to a 12-1 record. Santa Margarita survived an opening loss in Trinity League play to Santa Ana Mater Dei to reach the final in its second year under Coach Harry Welch, who’s trying to win a ninth section title with three teams.

“This season has been great,” Wilson said. “We’ve come a long way with the whole coaching change. We became a family. Every win has been awesome.”

Added Murphy: “It was tough initially. I thought our guys as a team came together really well and focused. We have a goal, and that’s to win the CIF championship.”

Tuerk thinks Santa Margarita’s offensive line is ready for the challenge.

“Our O-line works so hard, and I’m sure they do too,” he said. “It will be a great game. I can’t wait for Angel Stadium. It’s going to be real fun.”

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com