Lionel ‘Linnie’ Montague was a very well oiled piece of the 1977 undefeated state championship team; and the center of one of the greatest adaptations made over a 10 year period.  Simply put, Linnie was our quarterback who played fullback.  What do you do with a 6’2” 235 lb kid with soft hands, smooth moves and a feathery touch passing the ball (a great pitcher on the baseball team that won state as well!) . . . let him run, pass and hand off; a quarterback out of position, or in the perfect position!  Imagine Linnie at 235 lbs and his uncle, ‘Big Al,’ at 285 lbs coming at you off tackle—500 plus pounds heading at the defensive tackle!

Now that the defense is stacked to stop the run, Linnie, who always sets up two steps deeper behind the real quarterback lofts a soft pass to lightening wide receiver, Bruce Williams, or hands off to Jimmy ‘the Worm’ Montana, who many officials said was the best running back in the state that year—at any level.

1977 saw the most balanced offensive attack ever assembled at San Pasqual High School.  What a pleasure to coach this team of young men!