Then, you see them in person and you’re sure of it.

But the offensive line at West Rowan doesn’t care whether you think they’re big enough to block those defensive behemoths or not.

They’re doing it.

Take their last game against mighty North Rowan.The Falcons looked across the line and saw plenty of meat. There were 270-pound Keighan Butler, 245-pound Brian Alford and 270-pound Jarrett Wishon, among others.

So how did 200-pound Bryan French respond? What did 175-pound Daniel Kluttz do?

They did the same thing as Dustin Sears, Taurus Cunningham, Trey Waller, Matt Moore, Christian Summers, Brent Shoemaker and Chris Mundy.

They blew the Cavaliers off the ball to the tune of 360 yards rushing in a rousing 29-22 victory.

But how? How do they do it?

n

In an age of big bodies, these little fellows are saying something for the underdogs.

“Some of our running backs are bigger than the linemen,” laughed Matt Moore, who is listed at 275, but isn’t that big. “Our quarterback (180-pound Jared Barnette) is bigger than our center (Kluttz). It’s pretty weird.”

Not to running backs Scooter Dalton and Jonathan Diggs. Not to coach Scott Young. They know exactly why the line is flourishing.

“I think it’s the determination and heart they have,” said Dalton, who ran for 168 yards against the Cavs. “Some of the holes, I couldn’t believe. I was looking around for someone to juke and our linemen had already taken them out.”

Diggs, who averaged 11 yards per carry on 13 tries, knew exactly who to thank after his 74-yard sprint stunned North on West’s second possession.

“I especially thanked Taurus,” Diggs said. “He got the best block in.”

But it goes both ways.

“It makes you feel good when you know that your block did it and the back comes to the huddle and thanks you, “ French said. “But if you don’t block, Diggs will say, ‘You’ve got to block!’ So we take it to heart and make it right.”

n

After a 3-8 season in 1998, Young evaluated his team and realized he would not have a group of whoppers up front. Hard work was the only way to succeed. He took them under his wing.

“We went to a couple of line camps and we really worked hard with them in the weight room,” said the former lineman at East Rowan. “It’s just technique. When you don’t look like God’s gift to football, you have to use leverage.”

French is the leader of the line, according to Young.

“French’s best attribute is that he will get after you on every play. He’ll do it from the first whistle to the last whistle. French and Moore are the most solid but Sears, Kluttz, Summers and Cunningham have to play big roles.”

Small linemen must use their brains and Kluttz has the brainpower. He is No. 1 in his class.

“You look at Kluttz and you think he’s a receiver — until you see him run and then you know he’s an offensive lineman,” laughed Young. “But intelligence is his big attribute. Sometimes, he seems smarter than I am.”

Not really. It is Young who has made the line believe in itself.

“Most people think you’re crazy when you tell them the biggest lineman is 265,” said Moore. “Most people have 300 -pounders. But we hit the sled a lot and we’ve worked hard in the weight room.”

The way a West back runs is important too for small linemen.

“We’ve got backs who aren’t scared to hit the holes,” French said. “Scooter Dalton will set up his blocks.”

“They hit the holes pretty fast and don’t do a lot of dancing,” Moore agreed. “That helps.”

n

After the first two games, some fans still questioned how good West really was. After all, the two wins came against two teams with a combined 0-6 record going into this week. But beating North, an annual playoff participant, said much more.

“I think we proved ourselves,” French said.

West has an open date this week so those linemen can walk around Rowan County with their chest stuck out — well, as much as an undersized lineman can stick it out.

“We’re taking it personal now,” French said of the doubters.

Young never doubted. And he is loving his unknowns reaping the benefits of publicity.

“They are the names you never hear,” he said. “Our skill people are only as good as their offensive line.”