JACKSON &045; Ryan Rachal knows the secret.

Just as any quarterback or player in the backfield knows, nothing really gets accomplished without a line that blocks effectively. It’s the guys up front that have the thankless and often unnoticed job of creating holes, keeping the defense busy while the ball carriers run and helping move the chains.

It’s an area that has been overshadowed by the playmakers Trinity Episcopal has the skill positions, but it’s been a huge key for the team heading into Thursday’s Class A championship game against Heidelberg Academy.

&uot;We rushed for 450 yards (Friday), and that says a lot for the offensive line,&uot; said Rachal, in his second year as starting quarterback. &uot;We win a lot of games because of them. We get the glory, but they get us in the end zone.&uot;

It’s a unit that has been a big key in the playoffs, and it was one of the biggest keys in Friday’s South State championship win over Tallulah Academy. The line isn’t the biggest bunch on the block, but they’re stonger and quicker than last year when they got pushed around by a much-bigger Prentiss Christian front.

&uot;When we lost that game, we realized we were a physical team but we had to get bigger,&uot; Trinity head coach David King said. &uot;Our kids have really worked hard in the weight room over the summer. Our line has dominated the line of scrimmage the last three ball games. They’ve really come through and jelled as a group, and we really get on them when they miss the blocks.&uot;

That was a huge priority during the off-season, and the unit did just that in the school’s new weight room facility behind the school. And, quite frankly, they really didn’t have a choice since they knew they weren’t going to hit a giant growth spurt between last November and the start of the 2003 season.

So the front &045; Preston Sullivan at center, Tres Atkins at one guard and Ivan Nastally, Ben O’Gwin and Alex Allain at the tackles &045; went to work. Jeremy Jackson transferred in from Natchez High.

&uot;We knew we had to get bigger and stronger,&uot; said Atkins, the 6-0, 275-pound senior. &uot;Everybody knows we’re not the biggest team, but we’re the fastest. During the off-season, that’s all we did. Everybody was pushing the weights like me. All we did was stay in the weight room.&uot;

It’s a unit that’s pretty tight, too, just like any other one. It’s a bond of communication that often holds an offensive line together, and they’ve bonded together in the playoffs to move the ball effectively on the ground with Gregory Ketchings and Walt Ketchings doing most of the work running the ball.

&uot;They’re bigger and stronger,&uot; Rachal said. &uot;Tres is pretty much the leader of the line, but Ivan is more vocal. They help each other.&uot;

One thing the line has helped with is taking advantage of what other teams try to do defensively. Losing Chase Brown out of the backfield has shaken things up, but the presence of the 6-3 Dudley Guice Jr. at wide receiver forces the opposition to respect the pass.

Guice is good at creating mismatches away from the ball, and it’s something the Saints hope they can take advantage of against Heidelberg on Friday. But then it goes back to the offensive line &045; like just about everything else &045; in holding up to move the ball on the ground.

&uot;We’ve had to run the ball a little more lately,&uot; King said. &uot;But our kids have really stepped up and have done a good job with that. Heidelberg has some physical players. It ought to be a physical football game.&uot;