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A Fine Line By Don Hunt When the North Medford High offensive line huddled with assistant coach Mike Schaan last summer to discuss goals, Schaan suggested one of them should be for the running game to average five yards per carry. "Four is pretty good," Schaan says. "Five is excellent." The players, however, sought a seemingly nonsensical, pie-in-the-sky six yards per carry. As the Black Tornado prepares to meet Newberg at 1 p.m. Saturday in a Class 4A state quarterfinals clash at Eugene�s Autzen Stadium, the North linemen have not only achieved their objective, they�ve exceeded it. A tidy 6.5 is the average. "They�ve proved me wrong," Schaan says. The Tornado line has also paved the way for some other impressive numbers: 283 yards per game rushing, 402 yards per game in total offense and 42.6 points per game . And the most significant statistic of all: an 11-0 record. It was obvious to anyone connected with the North Medford program that the "O" line would be the team�s greatest strength. After all, center Dan Crawford, guard Justin Baehmann and tackle Scott Myers all returned as starters, tackle Dan Johnson was back after starting both of the Tornado�s playoff games last season and Mark Schmor was back as a utility man who had played all three positions a year ago. Toss in tight end Shawn Backstrom, who logged his share of snaps in 1999, and it was apparent that North Medford had something very special forthcoming in the trenches. But what has made the sextet all the more talented is a work ethic that is second to none. The group began preparing for this season in earnest last June. They met four to five times per week to lift weights and run wind sprints. And each Tuesday and Thursday, they gathered with Frank Silva, a former North Medford lineman who conducted his own lineman camp. "He got on the Internet and found all sorts of drills," Myers says. "Frankie helped us a lot. By the end of the summer, we were all quicker and more agile." Myers is arguably the best athlete of the bunch. He finished second at the Class 4A state track meet in both the shot put and discus last spring and broke the school record in the shot with a mark of 57-4�. He also finished sixth at the Southern Oregon Conference district wrestling meet last winter despite limited experience in that sport. "I don�t think he realized how much potential he had when he moved here a couple of years ago," Schaan says. "He�s worked very hard to get where he�s at." Myers moved to Medford from Stayton in the spring of 1998, his sophomore year. Although it was intimidating to enroll at a school with 1,800 students � Stayton�s enrollment was only 700 � Myers found an immediate friend in Baehmann, a fellow shot-putter and lineman. "He took me in and made me feel like I was one of the guys," Myers says. Myers also found an ally in Schaan, his line coach in football, his throwing coach in track and his wrestling coach. "I see him more than I do my parents," Myers says. Myers was amazed at how much off-season work the football players put in during the summer but was more than willing to hop on the bandwagon. The constant conditioning has trimmed about 40 pounds from the 275 he weighed last spring, but the leaner, meaner Myers is still a big load for any opponent to get around. He showed his improved mobility last Friday when he shot through the line and blocked a punt during North Medford�s 30-13 victory over Glencoe. Baehmann, meanwhile, is the leader of the line. A two-year starter and a first-team all-conference performer the past two years, the 6-foot, 215-pound senior is the one who often makes the line calls during games. Baehmann�s most enjoyable moments come when he pulls behind and down the line and whacks an unsuspecting opponent. "In our offense, our guards pull a lot," Baehmann says. "It feels great to knock a guy down and then feel your running back scrape off your block and go for a big gain. That�s a lineman�s dream." Baehmann says one of the line�s goals each week is for the team to score on its first possession. It happened against Glencoe when tailback Phil Ouellette raced 56 yards on North Medford�s first play from scrimmage, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kevin Foreman. "We take pride in that," Baehmann says. "We want to put the other team on its heels." Johnson, North Medford�s other guard, is the lone junior of the group and is perhaps the best college prospect. Unusually fleet for someone 6-3 and 265 pounds, Johnson could line up anywhere on the line and be a standout. He also carries a flawless 4.0 grade-point average with a classload that includes calculus, physics, European history and honors English. "My favorite part in all this is the challenge," says Johnson, who has gotten letters from Oregon, Oregon State and Washington. "I like the challenge of going one-on-one and seeing if I can get the best of the guy I�m going against." Johnson has accomplished that in every game, with his best performances coming against the better teams, such as Roseburg and Ashland. Johnson, whose father, Bob, played football for San Diego State in the 1970s, gives a lot of credit for his improvement to North Medford defensive tackle Norris Bier. The two square off almost every day in practice. "I haven�t gone against a single guy as tough as him all season," Johnson says. "Norris is about six inches off the ground and strong as an ox. Compared to facing Norris, the games are almost a picnic." Crawford is the silent member of the group but also among the toughest. He�s the guy who won�t leave the field unless it�s on a stretcher. He�s the guy other players want to be near if a brawl breaks out. Crawford takes pride in the fact that there hasn�t been a single fumbled snap between he and quarterback Foreman all season. "Kevin and I go clear back to YMCA ball in the fifth grade," Crawford says. "Back then it was a dream to be in the position we�re at now." Backstrom and Schmor haven�t received as much attention as the other four, who were all named first-team all-conference. But they�ve been significant cogs in the wheel just the same. "When I first went out for football in the seventh grade, I wanted to be a running back," Schmor says. "But now I wouldn�t trade places for anything. I love being with these guys and making something happen. We�ve come a long ways." In 6.5-yard increments. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.