Nov. 26--Nothing Gabe Montalvo does on the football field surprises his teammates or coaches.
The Lincoln-Way West senior running back is considered an old-school player. He rarely talks and never complains or causes problems. He just does his job -- very well.
Montalvo heads into Saturday's Class 5A state championship clash against defending 6A champion Nazareth with 2,274 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Throughout the season, especially in the playoffs, Montalvo has been gashing defenses with his shifty running to lead the Warriors to their first state championship game in the New Lenox school's seven-year history.
He rushed for 260 yards and five touchdowns in the Warriors' 40-13 win over Peoria in the quarterfinals, then nearly equaled the feat with 247 yards and five touchdowns in two-plus quarters of action in a 42-14 triumph over Champaign Central in the semifinals.
His teammates and coaches, though, did express mild shock over Montalvo's postgame television interview on the snow-covered field in Champaign last Saturday.
"Gabe is very quiet and humble," Lincoln-Way West coach Dave Ernst said. "He doesn't talk much at all. The guys were pretty surprised he did an interview on TV after the game. He probably talked for a minute and a half, which is a long time for him."
Montalvo understands, like any smart running back, to focus most of the attention toward his offensive line. When the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Montalvo talks about Lincoln-Way West's athletic and bruising offensive line, he's not just paying lip service.
The Warriors' offensive line, without much debate, is considered one of the best in the state.
"I'm lucky to be running behind them," Montalvo said. "I think they are the best line in the state. All the credit goes to the line and my wide receivers blocking in the secondary because they make it easy for me to find lanes and get into the open field."
The right side of the O-line is powered by a pair of Division I recruits -- right guard Bryan Brokop (Nebraska) and right tackle Justin Witt (N.C. State). On the other side, 6-5, 310-pound junior left tackle Nate Henry is developing into a major recruit, and center Jason Lucinski and left guard Brett Bergman, the lightest of the bunch at 218 pounds, have become steady performers.
"To have three of the five guys as D-I players in Illinois is unheard of," Ernst said. "Those three guys dominate. As a whole, this is probably the best group we've ever had. They strive to be the best in the state, and they are getting better every week."
Montalvo's success is also no surprise to New Lenox area residents. His older brother, Javier, was a star running back and wrestler for the Warriors The elder Montalvo is a currently a freshman running back at South Dakota. Gabe has yet to receive his first football scholarship offer, but hopes his stellar season draws late interest from colleges.
Javier and Gabe, Ernst said, share many similarities.
"Both are smart players, with a high football IQ that is through the roof," Ernst said. "They understand what we're trying to do with each blocking scheme and what the O-line assignments are and based on where the defense is lined up. They can get a pretty good idea what's going to happen and they both anticipate greatly. They've got great feet, balance and toughness."
Ernst said the Warriors' offensive line had their best performance of the season against Champaign Central. When watching the film, the Warriors' staff counted three plays with at least four pancake blocks.
Lincoln-Way West's plan for Saturday's title game is pretty simple: give the ball to Montalvo on nearly every play. To illustrate the Warriors' dependence on Montalvo, Ernst said he was involved in every offensive play, including a play-action call, during his time on the field in Saturday's semifinal win.
"Our offensive line takes a lot of pride knowing we can dominate pretty much every play, even when teams know what we're going to do," Witt said. "We have a fantastic running back who doesn't need much blocking because he's going to make a big play out of every single block. We're just a good group of guys that love to get after it. We're looking forward another challenge on Saturday."
Bob Narang is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
Class 5A state championship
Lincoln-Way West (11-2) vs. Nazareth (11-2)
When: 10 a.m. Saturday
Where: Huskie Stadium, DeKalb
2014 final: Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin 29, Montini 14
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