By David Claybourn
Herald Banner Sports Editor
COMMERCE - Commerce football coach Steve Lineweaver's not a tire mechanic but he sounds like one when he talks about the Tigers' offense.
"We call it balancing the wheel," he said.
The Tigers' wheel is balanced enough that Commerce has three 1,000-yard rushers in the backfield plus a 1,000-yard passer.
That kind of versatility has helped the Tigers go 14-0 and reach the Class 3A state semifinals for the third time this decade. They'll face 14-0 Crane, a defensive-minded team, at 2 p.m. Saturday at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene.
Halfback Avin Johnson, a 172-pound senior, leads Commerce in rushing with 1,247 yards and 19 touchdowns on 129 carries. He's also the Tigers' top receiver with 19 catches for 293 yards and three more touchdowns.
Quarterback Chad Anderson, a 150-pound senior, ranks second in rushing with 1,126 yards and 10 touchdowns on 189 carries and is 67-of-112 passing for 1,171 yards, 12 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Fullback Ryan Sienty, a 219-pound senior, is the latest addition to the 1,000 club with 1,080 yards rushing on 163 carries. Sienty's also the team leader in scoring with 211 points off 24 touchdowns, 55 extra point kicks and four field goals.
The Tigers' triple 1,000-yard threats make defenses pay the hard way if they key on stopping just one player in the backfield.
"You take one of us away and you've got the other two," said Anderson. "If you take the fullback away then there's me and Avin."
Alvarado focused last week in the first half on stopping Sienty's bursts up the middle, which left things open for Johnson and Anderson. Johnson rushed for 91 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries while Anderson picked up 137 yards on 24 carries. Sienty turned it on in the second half to finish with 72 yards on 14 rushes as Commerce outgunned Alvarado 42-20 in the quarterfinals.
Atlanta took a different approach on defense, which opened things up the previous week for Sienty.
"They took the pitch and the quarterback away and the fullback had a lot of yards," Sienty said. "The next week they took the fullback away and the outside had a lot of yards."
Sienty topped Commerce in the regional game against Atlanta with 156 yards on 26 carries, scoring all of the Tigers' points in a 29-21 Commerce victory. Anderson rushed for 65 yards on 19 carries in that game, while Johnson had 48 yards on 10 carries.
Each of the 1,000-yard rushers has his own way of running the football.
"I take pride in running over people," said Sienty.
"I like to run at least two over and outrun the rest," said Johnson.
"I pretty much give a move one way and go the other," said Anderson.
All three rushers possess good speed. Johnson and Anderson have both clocked 4.5 40s and Sienty's run a 4.68.
Sienty said running the football can be a mental thing.
"If you think you won't be stopped, you won't," he said.
Commerce also has a mental thing about winning. It's something the Tigers expect to do every time they step on the football field.
"We have a lot of confidence," Anderson said. "Most of us were here when we went to state in '97. That gave us confidence. We don't overlook teams. We have confidence, knowing we can succeed in what we do."
Commerce went into this season expected to do well, but without a state ranking. The Tigers didn't make the top 10 of the Associated Press poll until after the sixth week of the season. But the pollsters really took notice of the Tigers after they beat Royse City, then ranked No. 2, by an overwhelming 48-7 margin in the seventh game of the season.
Johnson explained the Tigers' bid for respect with an acronym.
"MASS - making a serious statement."
The Tigers have made 14 serious statements and hope to make another one on Saturday so they can make it back to the state finals. Standing in their way is a Crane defense that has shut out five opponents and has limited all but two of its opponents to nine points or less.
Sienty describe Crane as a tough, physical team with good quickness.
"They play all out every play," said Anderson. "They all get to the ball."
Commerce offense will test that Crane defense, not only with the three 1,000-yard rushers but also with halfback Clifford Ethridge, who's rushed for another 477 yards and four touchdowns. And also with an offensive line of Preston McDaniel, Daniel Lane, Chris Luckey, Ben Raed, William Jones and Logan Coffey.
"The offensive line is great," Anderson said. "They get after it. All the credit goes to them."
The Tiger line may be the hub of the wheel, but Anderson, Johnson and Sienty keep that wheel turning round and round.