DELHI -- The brute force approach that Rod McCombs introduced to the Delhi High football program is melding nicely with the academic structure he helped to create.
His kids square their shoulders and lurch forward on the field, clashing with defenders and driving them back to create space for running backs.
It leads to violent collisions, with thousands of pounds of players merging at one intersection in search of the ball.
"We want to get blockers to one point, giving us an advantage with more blockers than they have defenders," wingback Antonio Cervantes said. "It's our power against their power. It's determination."
It's the same determination that is expected in the classroom, said Cervantes. In addition to playing on both sides of the ball — the 5-foot-10, 220-pounder also lines up at nosetackle — Cervantes has a 4.0 GPA and is taking Advanced Placement classes.
This semester's schedule includes AP English literature, government and calculus. It's a time-consuming effort that Cervantes says will pay off.
"I've always been the type of person that has to know about everything," said Cervantes, whose goal is to play football at a small college and emerge with a degree. "I want to be a lawyer, and help people who don't have the education that I do. I see knowledge as a gold mine and I'm always eager to get my hands on it."
As violent as Cervantes is on the field, it's hard to imagine he's capable of wreaking such havoc after hearing him read a poem or verse in Diana Jimenez's English lit course.
"Tony (realizes) the value of education, perseverance and discipline," said Jimenez, also an associate principal. "He continually challenges himself academically and personally. This is evident in every task he undertakes, from working with peers on projects to individual writing assignments."
He does that with his assignments on the field, as well.
The Hawks' double-wing offense demands precision and timing, with multiple fakes designed to confuse the defense. While the opposition can predict a run — Delhi has tossed just 51 passes the last two seasons combined, or 15 percent of its 764 plays — it's difficult to guess the correct location.
"Everyone has to be at the right spot at the right time, or we're not doing it right," said Cervantes, whose TD runs of 3 and 4 yards led the Hawks to a 14-13 win Friday over previously unbeaten Riverbank.
Cervantes might be a prized product from the football program's new academic emphasis, but he is not the only one.
"I implemented a morning study hall based on my experience of losing 50 percent of our roster to academic ineligibility on a yearly basis," said McCombs, in his third season at Delhi. "The first year of morning study hall, we lost two athletes to academic ineligibility, and one last year."
The team GPA is 2.8, with 11 of its 27 players at 3.0 or higher, McCombs said. Quarterback Cory Vargas and guard Manveer Bains also tout 4.0s or higher, Cervantes noted, and are also taking AP courses.
"It was a tough sell at first, however once the athletes realized they could get help from teammates with homework they could not finish on their own, they willingly accepted the morning study hall," said McCombs, whose Hawks are 2-0 with a home game against Amador Friday. "Those that don't comply are dealt with at practice, as their teammates suffer the consequences."
Peer pressure, and an expectation from teachers that college should be the goal for every one of McCombs' kids, is persuasive, Cervantes said.
"The approach is 'you will go to college,' not 'will you go to college?' " Cervantes said. "The teachers are constantly talking about the benefits of education, and what we need to accomplish to get there."
It's something few kids in the community are aware of.
Delhi has 10,700 residents, according to the 2010 census, but just 7 percent of those 25 or older have a bachelor's degree and less than 2 percent have a graduate degree. The California numbers are 19 and 10 percent, respectively.
Cervantes' mother, for example, is an immigrant from Mexico and doesn't speak English. She doesn't understand the impact of his report card, but she does recognize the risk of being undereducated.
"If she had it in her power, she'd always be helping with my homework," he said. "It's important for her that I work hard and make a better life."
That's why Cervantes leans on his teachers and coaches.
"In working with him, I can say with confidence that Tony's academic strengths are his natural curiosity and constant drive to improve his skills," said Tara Woodall, who had Cervantes in her AP English language and composition last year.
"He would often ask me for book recommendations and for extra feedback on his writing. But that wasn't my favorite thing. I'd have to say my favorite thing about Tony was his positive ... competitive attitude."
Bee staff writer Richard T. Estrada can be reached at (209) 578-2300 or restrada@modbee.com.
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