APTOS, CA. - Alex Marquez, as an offensive lineman in the fall and a wrestler in the winter, spends most of his time grappling with over-sized teen-age boys. So a healthy sense of humor is a must.
And the Aptos senior has one, as he works and jokes and eats and frolics through his Mariner sports career.
"Alex knows our offense and helps our other linemen," Aptos football coach Randy Blankenship said. "He is a tough guy who sticks to the man he blocks. His wrestling background helps. Alex plays with passion. He gets our line working on blocking defenses before our line coach, Mark Dorfman, get to practice. His sense of humor keeps everyone keep loose."
There won't be a lot of guffaws when Aptos meets St. Ignatius at 7 p.m. Friday at Westmont High for the Central Coast Section Division III title. No, it will be all business. But the 5-foot-11, 270-pound center hasn't gotten short-changed during his career in the eating-for-sport or prank-playing department.
Eating is important to the Mariner standout. The O-linemen are a tight-knit group who believe that carbo-loading is not just for marathoners.
Like the time the Mariner behemoths descended upon an all-you-can-eat buffet in Gilroy and devoured so much meat, pasta, bread and dessert that they could barely make it home.
"We had to rest before we drove home," Marquez said. "We were tired."
Another player favorite is Carmona's Barbecue Deli in Watsonville, home of the $30 "Invincible" burger. The gargantuan burg includes a humongous roll, four hamburger patties, pastrami, ham, turkey, chicken tenders and four types of cheese. It also comes with french fries - though Marquez said no Mariner has made it through the sandwich let alone gotten to the fries.
"It's a heart attack waiting to happen," the grinning lineman said. "Nobody can finish it."
The Mariners also enjoy what Marquez calls their "linemen eating challenges" which range from drinking a gallon of milk in an hour to forcing down a cube of unsweetened baking chocolate in 30 seconds. Many of these contests seem to include vomiting. Hey, don't kill the messenger.
"Alex loves to eat," said Arturo Marquez, the boy's father. "It's a family thing. At most of our gatherings the main thing is Mexican dishes and barbecue. He's a big kid and he's growing and he burns a lot of calories because he's always doing so much."
Then there are the hijinks. The Mariner O-linemen like a good prank almost as much as a trip to Wing-Stop. Just ask the Aptos running backs and receivers, who had their cars plastered by Saran Wrap, flour and water balloons while they were at a beach party one night.
"We like to mess with them," Marquez said. "We know they're not going to do anything to us because they're smaller than us."
Between the lines Aptos is deadly serious. The Mariners (10-2) have won eight consecutive games and average 42 points per game. Their only losses are to Encinal and Clovis East, both by three points or fewer.
Friday they will play in their second consecutive CCS D3 title game, having lost to Valley Christian 51-20 last season in the finale.
What Marquez enjoys the most besides winning is the camaraderie.
"It's a team sport where everyone does his job," he said. "We're all friends and we depend on each other. We have a bond."
Marquez, who lives in La Selva Beach, grew up playing sports in Watsonville. He excelled in baseball as a pitcher and catcher, earning the nickname "Panda" after the San Francisco Giants' power-hitting Pablo Sandoval.
But an arm injury ended his baseball career and he switched to wrestling -- he was the SCCAL heavyweight champ last season -- and football.
"Alex is very dedicated and once he sets his mind on something he goes 110 percent," said Mary Marquez, the boy's mom. "He also has a very kind heart and is always looking after his teammates. He's the team captain and he revs everyone up."
Soon one big portion of Marquez's prep career will end, as the Mariner standout suits up this weekend for the long trip over Highway 17 to play St. Ignatius.
Marquez knows he will soon long for those crisp Autumn nights, playing football for Aptos at Trevin Dilfer Memorial Stadium.
"I love the Friday night lights," he said. "The stands are full and we walk down the steps and you can hear the click-clack of our cleats on the concrete. Then there are kids standing on the mound giving us high-fives before we enter the field. I'm going to miss it."
