Notre Dame's Line Has Measured Up

By TRIS WYKES

Dec. 12, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

SHERMAN OAKS — In the hours leading up to the Southern Section Division III championship game at 7:30 tonight at Pierce College, Notre Dame High offensive linemen will study the rosters in the game program--just as they have for 13 previous games.

They will see the names of opponents listed as tall as 6 feet 6 and weighing as much as 285 pounds.

And maybe, just maybe, they will grin a little before getting on with their final preparations.

Small but effective, the Knights’ front six need one last superlative effort if Notre Dame is to defeat Arroyo Grande and claim a division title.

So far, the bigger they are, the harder they’ve . . . Well, you know.

Notre Dame defeated Santa Maria Righetti, 28-19, in a semifinal. Righetti had a tackle who is 6-8 and 300 pounds. Notre Dame’s left tackle, Jose Salas, is listed at 5-9, 215 pounds.

And that’s stretching it.

“There’s no way [Salas] is 215,” said Jeff Kraemer, Notre Dame’s offensive line coach. “He’s a gnat.”

Which would make Ryan Karapetian somewhat of a flea. Notre Dame’s center is listed at 5-9, 195 pounds. That, too, is an exaggeration.

“I think I’m shorter than that,” Karapetian said. “But I haven’t measured myself lately. Maybe I’ve grown.”

Of course, as Karapetian is quick to point out, size does not always guarantee success in the trenches.

“For us, it’s not about how big you are, it’s about how quick you are and what your desire is,” Karapetian said. “Losing [to Camarillo in the title game last year] motivated us all year. In this game we’re going to move any guy, no matter what size he is.”

Strength, nearly flawless technique and mobility are the keys for a unit that has paved the way for Notre Dame tailback Justin Fargas as he has earned national acclaim.

Fargas, a finalist for at least one national player of the year award, has rushed for 2,738 yards and 35 touchdowns.

“As long as I see those guys working hard it pushes me to work hard,” Fargas said. “I see them sweating and muddy and dirty and it gets me ready to run.”

The line also features tight ends Brandon Braga (6-1, 185) and Joe Aragno (5-11, 230), left guard Grant Dunnagan (5-9, 197), right guard Craig Johnson (6-1, 240) and right tackle Brandon Woods (6-1, 250).

There is mutual admiration between blockers and runner.

“The line, the school, everybody gets more recognition because of [Fargas],” Woods said.

Added Karapetian: “I love to see stuff about Justin. My friends in other states saw him in [a national magazine] and called me. It’s great to be able to say I block for the guy.”

Kraemer, 37, is in his 18th year on the Knights’ staff and his eighth with the varsity line. A 1978 Notre Dame graduate, he played offensive tackle at 6-2, 220 pounds.

Low-key, Kraemer stresses technique.

“The key is leverage,” Kraemer said. “When your car runs out of gas do you push it with your chest? No, you get low with your feet wide apart, that’s how you move it.

“We expect we’re going to win by having better fundamentals than you and wanting it more. We run repetition after repetition and [the linemen’s] natural competitiveness has to come forward.”

Kraemer’s best friend, Coach Jon Mack of St. Bonaventure High, hosted the Notre Dame team at the Ventura campus last Saturday for a light pregame workout on the way to Santa Maria.

A Notre Dame graduate and former Knight assistant, Mack is a fervent booster of his alma mater and has attended each playoff game.

He’s not quite sure what to make of its offensive line.

“I don’t want to offend anybody, but I don’t think three of their starting five could start for us,” said Mack, whose Division X program is known for producing large and talented linemen. “Their kids have an awful lot of heart and great coaching.”

Notre Dame’s offensive line has been smaller, on average, than each of the 13 defensive lines it has faced this season. Not surprisingly, its members are unawed by bulk.

“The bigger guys, you see a lot of them, but they’re not much of a threat because they often can’t move,” Karapetian said. “The guys I’m worried about are the shorter, quicker ones because they’re harder to block. When I see a smaller guy I know he must have good skills for the coach to put him out there.”

Tenacity is another ingredient for the group’s success. Kraemer pleads daily for a “seven-second effort” on each individual block, a span which Fargas sees as crucial.

“The difference between trying for five and seven seconds could be the difference between a 10-yard run and an 80-yard run,” Fargas said. “Our motto this season was to finish everything, whether it was me finishing runs in practice, or the linemen finishing blocks or the team finishing the season with a championship.”

Last season, Fargas bought Notre Dame linemen silver chains with pendants in the shape of their uniform numbers.

“Justin doesn’t need to get us anything this year if we win [the division title],” Woods said. “Championship rings will be enough.”

Championship Night

* 3-A FINAL

Aaron Fredette’s ability to adapt has helped the senior lead El Camino Real to the championship game. C11

* DIVISION XI FINAL

Paraclete’s Tommy Breech gets the most out of 5-foot-9, 150-pound body. C11

* City Section Game Days, Rosters: C11

* Southern Section Game Days, Rosters: C12