‘Cookie’ a monster for Central Catholic defense

Austin Cook is a lineman born into a family of running backs, and he’s not at all broken up by that genealogy glitch.

Cook is doing just fine with his hand in the dirt.

The 6-foot, 245-pound junior is a key component to Central Catholic’s defensive line, the no-name giants that operate in the shadows of a linebacker corps building best-ever credentials.

“We just do our jobs,” Cook said succinctly. “Plug the gaps and play for each other.”

With that mindset, the Raiders have booked a berth in the final game of the season for the fourth consecutive year. Central Catholic (15-0) will play Southern California champion San Marino (15-0) on Saturday at Sacramento State in the CIF Open Division Small School State Bowl. Kickoff is at 4 p.m.

The Raiders have won three consecutive Division IV state titles and can tie De La Salle’s streak of four straight championships set from 2009-2012.

San Marino is making its first appearance in a state bowl.

“One more time,” Cook said. “It’s unbelievable. We get to play one more game as a family.”

For all of its success offensively – read: back-to-back 2,000-yard seasons by running back Justin Rice – Central Catholic, in its latest incarnation, has been a team anchored by its defense.

Central Catholic shut out its first two playoff opponents: El Camino, 42-0; and Christian Brothers, 63-0.

The Raiders followed those performances by knocking out Placer, the second-most productive offense in the Sac-Joaquin Section. The Hillmen’s vaunted wing-T attack mustered just 44 yards on the ground.

Central Catholic is surrendering 9.5 points per game. The Raiders are giving up even less in the second half, a paltry 3.5 points.

The spotlight has belonged to the Raiders’ linebackers: middle linebackers Kekupa’a Freehauf and Austin Escobar; and outside linebackers Montell Bland and Luke Navarro.

The quartet has been compared to the very best that have worn the uniform, including players like Byron Storer and Louis Bland, both of whom played college football.

Ironically, the unsung heroes have been the hardest to hide. The big guys: linemen Javier Canela, Brandon Williamson, Zack Sandelin, Ryan Dami, Adrian Barraza, Walter Sterling, Nico Loya, Noah Jones-Porter and Cook.

The seven are used in a rotation in defensive coordinator Billy Hylla’s 3-4 defense. Often times, playing time depends on the scheme.

The by-committee approach has worked well for the Raiders’ front-line defenders, many of whom double as offensive linemen.

By occupying the gaps or forcing a double team, Cook and Co. have put the Raiders’ sure-tackling linebackers in position for big hits. Freehauf has a team-high 143 tackles, while Escobar has 107 stops. Bland and Navarro have combined for 137 tackles.

“We play so many defensive linemen. It just depends on the scheme and the situation in the game,” Hylla said. “We rotate them, so sometimes you might see a new one on the field every down of the series.

“Against Oakdale, Placer and wing-T teams like that, we wanted bigger bodies in there. Austin is one of those guys and he played well. Now, he’s also one of our better guys against spread teams.”

Cook has been on the field for some of Central Catholic’s biggest stops this postseason.

In the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III final, he and Canela clobbered Oakdale quarterback Adam Olsen behind the line of scrimmage.

Canela knocked Olsen off balance and Cook finished him off for a 4-yard loss. He later tackled fullback Brad Aquino with one arm in the backfield on a pivotal fourth down late in the game.

That play, identified on the practice field as “Clip 123,” earned Cook a treasured black practice jersey on Wednesday.

He’s the only lineman to wear one.

“This black jersey means everything to me. I never thought I’d get this one,” Cook said. “I’ve been playing hard and doing my job.”

The player affectionately called “Cookie” by coaches and teammates also had four tackles in last week’s victory over Marin Catholic.

“He has a great attitude. He’s the nicest kid in the world, but when the ball is snapped, he has a mean streak,” Hylla said. “He’s strong at the point of attack and has a quick first step. That’s a mean combination when you have all three: attitude, size and athleticism.”

But to be successful in the Raiders’ system, Cook understands a lineman must be selfless.

Playing time is never promised, but the opportunity to reach deep into the postseason is.

Hylla points to a player like Dami, an undersized two-way lineman at 190 pounds.

Dami sacked Marin Catholic’s Darius-James Peterson, a near-impossible task, given Peterson’s top-end speed.

“We got a guy like Dami. He’ll get two sacks one week and the next he might play three or four snaps, but you’ll never hear him gripe,” Hylla said. “He has that attitude.

“They all want to play. They’re all chomping at the bit, standing behind me on the sidelines. They’re waiting for their opportunity, but if it doesn’t come, they’ll be happy with the (team) success.”

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 4:06 PM with the headline "‘Cookie’ a monster for Central Catholic defense."