Offensive line blocks Archbishop Murphy to state title

Published 7:18 pm Saturday, December 3, 2016

TACOMA — Before the 2016 season started, senior Abraham Lucas volunteered to move from tight end to offensive tackle for the Archbishop Murphy football team.

“We didn’t have a tackle lined up, so I told the coaches I would play there,” Lucas said.

The move paid massive dividends for the Wildcats — Lucas proved to be the linchpin of an offensive line that played a critical role in Archbishop Murphy’s run to the 2A state championship, which it won Saturday with a 56-14 win over Liberty (Issaquah) at the Tacoma Dome.

The position switch also helped Lucas on a personal level — he turned into one of the most heavily recruited linemen in the state (he was rated as Washington’s No. 4 lineman by Scout.com), and in August announced his commitment to play for Washington State University.

The 6-foot-8, 260-pound Lucas may have sacrificed a chance to catch passes as a tight end, but is satisfied with his decision to switch spots.

“It doesn’t bother me,” he said. “I had thought about (moving to offensive tackle) for a while. I wanted to do whatever I could to help the team. I didn’t have the pressure of catching passes.”

Lucas knows that he’s got more to learn about playing the position, but is eager to learn.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do, and I’m ready to embrace it,” he said. “But overall I think it was a good year for me.

“I’m ready for whatever happens at Washington State. It will be a great experience for me. I’m ready to get down to work, and get bigger, faster and stronger.”

The Wildcats’ offensive line was dominant Saturday, although its dominance came in a slightly different fashion than it usually does.

Through most of the season, Archbishop Murphy has been a run-first team, but against the Patriots, the Wildcats’ opportunities came through the passing game, and they took advantage.

Archbishop Murphy quarterback Connor Johnson, who threw for 361 yards and five touchdowns, gave credit to his offensive line for his performance.

“They were dominant in the passing game,” he said. “It felt like I could’ve sat back there chilling in a La-Z-Boy while I was waiting to pass the ball.”

The Wildcats’ starting linemen average more than 275 pounds.

“It all starts up there. We tell those guys every week, ‘We go as you go,’ ” said Archbishop Murphy coach Jerry Jensen. “They need to play well for us to win.”

“(The line has been) phenomenal,” said Wildcats wide receiver Anfernee Gurley. “They are the foundation of our team, and without them we’d be nowhere.”

Lucas, guard Jesus Echevarria, center Martin Napeahi and tackle Jackson Yost were first-team all-Cascade Conference selections this season. Guard Matthew Keck was a second-team pick.

“We play for each other,” Lucas said. “All five of us just want to lock things down. We have a lot of talent, but we’re playing for each other — every practice, every game, every day.”