Oct. 15--Eisenhower football coach Travis Moore labeled the group "The No Names."
Moore had reason to doubt the unit, expressing concern about the prospect of starting the season with a completely rebuilt offensive line.
Senior running back Rayshawn Graham had his own questions about the unheralded and inexperienced unit.
The Cardinals lost all five starters from last season's offensive line, which triggered Moore to schedule a summer meeting with his new group.
"I was very worried replacing all five starters, like any coach would be," said Moore, a former Eisenhower star and an All-Conference defensive lineman at Northern Illinois. "That made the summer a bit more interesting, trying to filter who could step up and lead us up front."
Not one of the new starters -- center Gregory Torry, right guard Frank Martinez, left guard George Gallion, left tackle Rashawn Schandon and right tackle Brody Lee -- had any starting varsity experience.
Entering this season, the Cardinals, somewhat surprisingly, didn't have many question marks for a team that finished 1-8 in 2014. Talented players, particularly on offense, filled the roster.
Formulating a capable offensive line at a school not known for reloading, especially up front, was a concern for both Moore and Graham.
"At one point," Graham said, "I didn't think we would have the best line this year."
Instead, the unit has keyed the Cardinals' turnaround. Eisenhower is 6-1 this season, with a 4-0 mark in the South Suburban Red that puts it a game ahead of Reavis and Richards with two to play. The Cardinals defeated Richards 33-27 in Week 7, and they play at Reavis on Friday.
Eisenhower's six wins have already clinched the team's first playoff berth since 2011 and its eighth overall in the 42 years since the IHSA playoffs began.
"Most of us seniors have stayed together all four years and we have a lot of chemistry," receiver Javon Boyd said. "For us to make it back to the playoffs is a great accomplishment."
Graham, 5-foot-11 and 20 pounds lighter than his summer weight at 200 pounds, has rushed for 1,205 yards and 20 touchdowns on 96 carries (12.6 yards per attempt). He has completed only two games, with the other five ending in Eisenhower blowouts.
With that production, Graham no longer questions the talent of his offensive line. To show his thanks to the group after he rushed for 301 yards and five touchdowns in a 42-6 win over Shepard in Week 3, Graham treated his offensive line to dinner.
"After Week 3, I knew we had a great line," Graham said. "I took them and got them pizza. I plan on taking them at the end again."
Quarterback Cortez Jackson is another Cardinal who has impressed the team's star running back. The junior, a first-year starter, has passed for 790 yards and rushed for 375 more while leading Eisenhower to the conference's best point differential (292-101) and five straight wins since a 48-28 loss to Geneseo in Week 2.
"Our line is a big part of why we're scoring a lot of points, but our quarterback is another reason too," Graham said. "At one point I didn't believe in him either, but he's done really well. After the first game, I knew this kid would work out for us."
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
