Cigarroa's Offensive Line Sets a Physical Tone in Option Attack

Jesus Herrera has coached offensive linemen at several Laredo schools for more than a decade and has watched plenty of teams enjoy deep playoff runs and strong regular seasons. Even so, the Cigarroa offensive line coach says this year's Toros group is close to, if not at, the top of the list of the best units he has worked with.

"Different atmosphere, different scheme, but ability and knowledge and effort, it's unmatched," Herrera said. He credited the players for fully embracing what the staff wanted to teach them, calling them "sponges" who wanted to absorb it all.

Cigarroa is in its first season under head coach Benny Ellison and runs an option offense that has not yet attempted more than three passes in a game. The Toros average 53.6 carries and 259 rushing yards per contest, or 4.8 yards per carry. That production has helped the team to a 4-3 overall record and a 2-1 mark in district play as it chases its first playoff appearance since 2006.

The switch from a spread offense came over the offseason. Returning linemen, along with players who moved over from the defensive side, were eager to play more physically in the trenches. Senior Jose Torres said that was the focus all offseason: "Being physical with each other, dominating each other and picking each other back up because iron sharpens iron."

That physical approach is treated as a mindset rather than simply a way of moving defenders. Cigarroa still averages 4.8 yards per carry when opponents know a run is coming. For this group, dominating an opponent is an expectation, not a goal. With so little passing, a single penalty or negative play can derail a drive, so sustaining drives and pushing defenses around early is essential. That, in turn, makes three- or four-yard carries more likely to become big gains later in games.

Tight end Guadalupe Hernandez, who serves as a de facto sixth lineman, described the strategy this way: "If you hit them hard enough and long enough, they won't be able to take it, and they start giving up slowly throughout the game."

Part of the reason the team moved defensive linemen such as Marcus Rodriguez and Jorge Gutierrez to the offensive line was that they already had that mindset. Rodriguez said that, based on his experience on defense, he would not have wanted to face this unit: "I would hate it. I know it would be a tough night." Gutierrez said he has embraced the added physicality. "That's what football's all about, man," he said.

The linemen's toughness is matched by the closeness they have developed over years of playing together, even as some changed positions this season. "We've bled together," Eddie Munoz said. "We've had our ups and downs but we've all grown together."

Herrera said that chemistry sets the group apart. The players hold one another accountable, and he often walks over to the bench area to discuss a mistake he spotted, only to find they are already working out a fix. In his view, players who want to fight for the person beside them make a coach's job simpler.

Although the new system and staff have been in place for less than a year, the offensive line has already established the standard for the unit going forward. Torres summed up the approach: "No matter what team we're playing, just physically dominate them."