Next in line: Injuries, competition create depth on Central Catholic’s O-line

Brandon Williamson filled the doorway that leads into the Central Catholic locker room, the picture of confidence and perfect health.

Music spilled onto the path that leads to David Patton Field, where the scoreboard remained lit well after Friday’s victory in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs.

Banged up for most of the season, Williamson and the fifth-seeded Raiders ran buck-wild on No. 12 Downey in a 27-6 victory.

“We needed to get our attitude back,” offensive line coach Billy Hylla said. “That was the mindset going into the Downey game. We’re going to pound the football.

“Coach (Roger Canepa) had it in his mind that we were going to get our mojo back. He wanted to grind it. He wanted the line and the running backs to carry us. Teams that are built for the playoffs run the football. We had to get that mentality back.”

Montell Bland rushed for a career-high 238 yards on 29 carries. The senior was cast in a leading role with Jared Rice sidelined with a sprained ankle.

Dauson Booker found the end zone twice and totaled 113 yards on just 12 touches, and fullback Coleby Garrett gashed the Knights for 80 yards on two well-timed, well-executed traps.

Central Catholic (8-3) rushed for a season-high 448 yards, stomping its way into the second round.

The Raiders travel to Carmichael on Saturday to face No. 4 Jesuit (8-3), a longtime Division-I power. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

“As a team, as a whole, we’re healthy,” said Williamson, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound tackle and the unofficial spokesman for the Raiders’ road-graders. “We’re one strong group.”

Emphasis on “group.”

It’s been an unconventional season by Central Catholic’s lofty standards.

One year after posting a perfect season, the Raiders dropped three games and surrendered an outright VOL title with a 34-21 loss at Oakdale on the final day of the regular season.

Williamson said the Raiders’ performance that night was embarrassing.

Their struggles were compounded by mounting injuries on the offensive line. Miles Fry and Austin Cook tweaked their knees. Williamson has played through pain.

In all, Central Catholic has started nine offensive linemen, including some at multiple positions.

“It’s not by design,” Hylla said, “and it hasn’t happened before, but the kids have bought into the idea of competition.”

Williamson, Cook (6-1, 260) and Chris Mendoza (5-10, 250) began the season as entrenched starters. Williamson is a returning all-VOL performer at tackle, while Cook and Mendoza are guards.

Fry, a 6-foot-1, 266-pound tackle, returned to the field Friday against Downey after missing four weeks with injury.

Mark Henriques and Joshua Bodenschatz (5-10, 215) have played center and guard, while Steven Jackson (6-3, 220) has doubled as a tackle and a guard.

Andres Buenrostro (6-3, 280) sees regular time at tackle and Ricky Soto (5-8, 220) is the rare offensive linemen with a carry to his credit. Soto has played guard and taken a turn in the backfield. He’s the only lineman with a carry, toting the ball seven times for 24 yards.

“We always want kids to compete and never be completely comfortable,” Hylla said. “This is the year that guys have bought into it. They might have been third or fourth on the depth chart, but they’re still willing to work and get better with the hope of getting a spot.”

Central Catholic’s run-first offense hasn’t skipped a beat.

The Raiders are averaging 8.1 yards per carry, which falls in line with their averages the last four years, each of which finished with a CIF State Bowl win.

In 2015, Central Catholic averaged 9.4 yards per carry, the high-water mark during its title streak. The Raiders have also averaged 8.7 yards in 2013, 7.0 in 2012 and 9.25 in 2011.

“The line makes things go,” Hylla said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s pass pro or run blocking. If we get off the ball, with proper angles and proper leverage, we should be able to move the ball.”

Early-season injuries and season-long competition have created a postseason luxury for the Raiders.

Their roster may be small, but it is versatile and deep. That depth will be tested by Jesuit, which manhandled Tracy in the first round, 51-14.

The Jesuit Marauders feature a few real-life marauders in the box. Junior tackles Sebastian Garcia and Cayetano Pestana block out the sun. The 6-foot-6 Garcia tips the scales at 295 pounds, while the 6-4 Pestana is 280 pounds.

Jesuit’s size on the defensive line accentuates its athleticism in the linebacking corps.

Junior Jason Gallagher leads the team in tackles (94) and tackles for a loss (10). He also has three sacks and three interceptions.

Lorenzo Burkes is a two-way talent. He has forced two turnovers with 38 tackles, while rushing for 1,292 yards and 16 touchdowns.

“Going into the playoffs, with us it’s always a battle of attrition,” Hylla said. “As you go up in levels and face teams with bigger rosters, our 11 are pretty much going both ways. We have to find ways to rest them.

“It’s nice having confidence that these guys have been in big games before; been in key situations and can get the job done. We don’t go into panic mode when someone has to come out of the game. We know the other guy has seen it before and we know what he’s capable of.”

This story was originally published November 18, 2016 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Next in line: Injuries, competition create depth on Central Catholic’s O-line."