Strong senior class buys into Foothill’s long-running mantra

By Case Keefer (contact)

Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016 | 12:45 p.m.

From uniforms to banners and everything else in between, “Line 6” is printed all around the Foothill High football team.

To the Falcons, it’s more than two words. Line 6 has made for the ethos of the program since the school opened 17 years ago.

“Line 6 stands for team and family,” senior offensive lineman Jack Reynolds said, “and that’s just how we’ve got to play. Play as a team, play as a family.”

The Line 6 phenomenon started in California in the 1970s when a high school football coach wrote a poem about his team’s philosophy. It spread throughout the Southwest, with Foothill’s original coaches implementing the concept.

Current coach Marty Redmond never considered breaking the tradition when he took over in 2005. Line 6 has stuck, and this year’s Falcons may encapsulate the theme as well any team before them.

A tight-knit senior class will ultimately determine whether Foothill can win its first playoff game in five years.

“We have a lot of experience, which we haven’t had in the past couple years so we’re looking forward to that,” Redmond said.

Redmond is optimistic the Falcons have the experience in the right places too. Namely, they’re loaded with contributors from the past couple seasons up front.

Reynolds is one of four returning starting offensive lineman next to Austin Czarnecki, Austin Evers and Jake Broyles. Not only will Foothill have one of the more battle-tested offensive lines with that quartet, but also one of the biggest.

“It’s definitely a competition every day,” Reynolds said. “Everyone is pushing as hard as they can.”

Strong pass blocking is a must for Foothill linemen, as the Falcons haven’t shied from airing it out at times over the past few seasons. They’ll throw it again this year, given that their biggest threat is senior wide receiver Brandon Hargis.

Hargis led the team in receiving yards last year, seemingly breaking a big play at least once a game.

“Our offense is really well balanced, so if we need to get a couple yards in the run, we can do that,” Hargis said.

Two members of the running-back rotation are also the stars of the defense. Kealii Maruyama and Justin Dunlap may lead the team in both carries and tackles.

They’re joined in the linebacking corps by Jared Ables and Harrison Read, two juniors who were among the best sophomores in the city last year. They’ll be the ones carrying on the Line 6 legacy next year after this year’s strong senior class sees how far a commitment to team and family takes them.

“A lot of the seniors coming back are really competitive this year,” Hargis said. “The competition at practice is going to help us get better day by day.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.