Marshfield’s offensive line may live in the shadow of its high-powered offense, but the lack of credit doesn’t bother the players.

“You don’t get as much credit as the wide receiver, quarterback or running back,” Johnny Castro said.

The group of seven linemen agreed that you just get used to it, learning to allow glory to the offense in a victory and shoulder the blame for a loss.

Besides, offensive line coach Quintin Hall said that without the offensive line, the long runs from quarterback Kyle Tedder probably would never happen.

“They don’t get a whole lot of credit, but if we don’t keep our blocks, the running back’s not going to make plays, and the quarterback’s not going to get time,” Hall said.

Hall, who is in his first year as the varsity offensive line coach, but has worked with the junior varsity since 1999, also said that when Churchill beat Marshfield this season, the linemen statistically played their best game all season.

“One of the best games we played, we lost,” Hall said. “We opened holes, but had too many turnovers.”

Despite giving up the praise to flashier players, the offensive line functions as a solid group, and watching the offensive linemen poke fun at each other makes their closeness quite obvious.

“The offensive line is probably one of the groups that has to be the tightest. They have to play as a group,” Hall said.

One guy can mess up the entire blocking scheme, Hall said.

“We’re definitely one of the tightest groups,” Kody Campbell said.

Although when Hall jokingly threatened Campbell with extra running after he complained about conditioning, the remaining linemen quickly sold him out, saying he can run on his own despite Hall’s statement that they have to do everything together.

“They will throw somebody under the bus,” Hall said, laughing.

But on the field, they know they’re working as a unit. Campbell said that one of their improvements throughout the year has been working together and Cody Shipp pointed out that team chemistry is the group’s strength.

Hall said that this year’s line is much bigger than in years past, though Shipp and Campbell were ribbed for being a bit smaller than the other 250-plus pound linemen.

“What we lack in size, we make up for in work ethic,” Campbell said, laughing at his less-than-humble statement.

All joking aside, Hall is very proud of this group of dedicated football players, who have been working out, lifting and practicing since around March, pushing the blocking sled every day in practice, and running conditioning drills before and after practice.

They also have a specific goal to reach by the end of the season: tipping the sled over.

“This is the first group, in all my years, they almost lift and tip it over,” Hall said.

“If you look at this line, they’ve worked probably double or triple what they did last year,” Hall said. “They’re in a lot better shape than they were last year.”

And even though Hall joked that linemen are the players who can’t catch or run fast enough, or are too big to play anywhere else, the linemen will be the ones to spring Tedder’s next long touchdown run, and they’ll gladly let him take all the credit.