These players, who helped in the effort to keep Chimacum scoreless, are the men in the “trenches,” the linemen whose work is harder to see from the stands than the movements of the quarterback, running backs and receivers.

With the team’s relatively small number of players, many of them play on both offense and defense.

When they’re on offense, on each play they prepare to hit an opposing player to free a path for a running back or to protect the quarterback on a pass play. On defense, they strive to counter the direction in which the opposition wants them to move.

Vashon has some really outstanding linemen, say observers Don Olson and Paul Wallrof. They also have good coaches: The offensive coach is Mark Ledbetter, once a linebacker at Washington State University. The defensive coach is Bob Jackson, an All-American nose guard notably famous for also being an All-American swimmer — only one of seven in this country to be named All-American in two sports.