Football: IHS offensive linemen get their due

It doesn't take Immokalee running back Javarris James very long to

calculate how much his offensive line has meant in his 1,297 yards

and 17 touchdowns.

Everything.

"All I have to do is run through the open holes," the sophomore

says. "It's all been the offensive line."

While the Indians' skill players, like James, receiver McIntosh

Nicolas and quarterback Louis Gachette, receive the lion's share of

publicity and camera flashes, the offensive line has done the

yeoman's work of protecting those players so they can receive that

glory.

The Immokalee line brims with experience, with a trio of

three-year starters and five seniors. Seniors Carl Presley and Rigo

Garcia man the guard spots, with senior Hermelindo Cardenas at

center. Senior Tavorris Pray and sophomore Esdras Duperard start at

tackle and Ricardo Gomez, a starter at defensive tackle, serves as

a utility offensive lineman.

With experience comes communication, offensive coordinator

Israel Gallegos says. By playing beside each other for so long, the

linemen have become comfortable in knowing where each other goes

and telling each other what to watch.

"The biggest thing they do is communicate with each other,"

Gallegos says. "The more they communicate, the tighter they become

up front. The trust has to be there. If the trust isn't there,

there's going to be some problems."

That communication wasn't always easy, the linemen say,

especially in their younger days. As freshmen, they learned in the

shadow of standouts like Shelly Houston. And they learned to

listen.

"We were going against the scout defense and I didn't know what

to do," Presley said. "I tried to talk to the older guys and they

were telling me to be quiet and use my head."

Those seniors were thrown into the fire in 2001, forced to start

as sophomores on a team that finished 7-3 and reached the Class 3A

regional semifinals. It was an eye-opening experience for them,

assistant coach Tony Allen says.

"I'll never forget the looks on their faces when they walked

into Belle Glade to play Glades Central," he says.

That wide-eyed wonderment has worn off, replaced with the

knowledge only three years of playing experience can provide.

"When we were younger, we were just blocking," Garcia says. "We

didn't know where the ball was going. Now it's easier for us and

we're making better blocks."

The linemen enjoy their job, even if they don't make the

headlines. The Indians are a running team and the linemen love run

blocking. And the running backs, James says, love that the linemen

love run blocking.

"I always thank them," he says. "I'd never disrespect the

linemen. We can't do the things we do without them. You have to act

like a brother to them."

The linemen feel that love and give it right back.

"We may get banged up," Garcia says, "but it's totally worth it.

Whether it's a touchdown or a 3-yard gain, it's totally worth

it."