He gets hit on every play, and often opposing players just bounce off of him. He’s built like a human bolder, at 6-foot-1, 300 pounds, and he can bench press a mountain. Yet, you won’t hear Carmen Cervella complain about the constant contact he endures each game. The Cardinal O’Hara junior nose guard/left offensive tackle likes his role of disruptor.
“After the games, I get kind of sore, but during the game, I’m so focused on everything that I don’t really feel much of anything,” said Cervella, who bench presses 385 pounds and made a crater impact in O’Hara’s 44-0 pounding of Penn Wood last weekend. Cervella’s play has been a leading reason why the young Lions are coming together on the offensive and defensive fronts. Part of that is more nimble than he was last season.
“During the summer, I lifted and ran,” he said. “My goal this year was to get in great shape and not take any plays off. I feel faster. On offensive line, it’s more about quick feet. On the defensive line, it’s about quick feet and quick hands. My job is to get double-teamed every game and take up as many blockers as I can. Put it this way, if I’m not getting hit on every play, I’m not doing my job.”
