AURORA — George Marpaung was tied to the end of a thick rope, anchoring for his team in a tug-of-war tournament, the rope secured tight around his stomach. He was ready to go.
And right in the middle of the battle — for the overall victory, trophy and bragging rights at the annual Hog Wars competition at Rangeview High School on Wednesday — Marpaung’s leg cramped up.
But the senior’s efforts were strong — enough to rip up a piece of the football field’s turf in the process — and Rangeview defended its Hog Wars title over several other schools, its eighth overall.
“I had to fight through it (the leg cramps), and that’s why I kept breaking it (the turf). I refused to lose,” said Marpaung, a 270-pound offensive guard and defensive tackle for Rangeview.
So, maybe the turf broke a little. But it’s a small scar that will remind Rangeview of the dominance it’s had over Hog Wars — a series of weightlifting and teamwork competitions for offensive and defensive linemen — for the last 11 years.
“I’m going to have to let our athletic director know that we need to get that (turf) repaired now,” said Justin Hoffman, the Raiders’ first-year coach.
Hog Wars consists of multiple events: the farmer’s carry, monster truck tire flip relay, 125-pound log press, vehicle push, tug-of-war and — new this year — the “hog sled” relay. Each event tests a lineman’s strength and endurance with weights.
, the Raiders-hosted competition brings in linemen — “the hogs” — from Aurora Public Schools and Cherry Creek Schools. Eaglecrest, Gateway and Overland all attended, as did Denver East, the first school outside Aurora to particiate.
So why do it? Everyone knows about the quarterback, the star wide receiver. But linemen?
“This event is to reward the big guys on the line — the ones that really do all the hard work,” said Dave Lester, father of Raiders linebacker Jace Lester.
Absent were Smoky Hill and Cherokee Trail — a big rival for Rangeview.
“We’re out to beat Cherokee Trail,” Marpaung said. “Overland too. Those are the games I’m most looking forward to.”
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The vehicle pull
In previous years, the hogs used a firetruck for the vehicle push event. But Hoffman, who spent 16 years coaching at Gateway and another year at Smoky Hill before this, wanted a change.
So they got “The Bear” — a 30,000-35,000-pound SWAT tactical vehicle, donated by police.
“They said it was a great opportunity for them to become involved in the community in a different role,” Hoffman said. “Within fifteen minutes, we had a ‘yes.'”
“We only have one bear,” said Brad Graham, who was assigned to the SWAT team. “It stops bullets, and it holds a lot of people.”
The vehicle push is the penultimate event, before tug-of-war brackets are decided by points. And the winner of the tug-of-war ultimately wins Hog Wars.
For Raiders, Marpaung is a key player
Marpaung helped the Raiders win their eighth of 11 Hog Wars, and he will continue helping them once the season begins.
“Right now, he’s one of our top guys,” Hoffman said. “He’s one of our captain-type kids. He understands his roles as an offensive and defensive lineman. He understands his role as a leader.”
Marpaung transferred to Rangeview before his junior year from Berrien Springs High School in Michigan after his dad got a job in Colorado. His older brother, Mark, graduated from Rangeview in 2015 and also played for the football team.
Marpaung didn’t start playing football until his freshman year in Michigan. And even then, he didn’t play much until he got to Rangeview.
“When I first started playing in Michigan, I thought I would start as a running back. But they put me as line, and I just love the line now,” he said. “I love tackling. On offense, you have to move around, and be able to move back, side-to-side. I can do all that, but I just really love defense because it’s just forward. You’re just moving forward.”
His sister Rachel added: “As a kid, George always thought he was pretty chubby. He decided to weight lift in high school and then he wanted to become a football player.”
Marpaung said he was hoping to get a scholarship to play football in college, but right now, his biggest focus is this season.
“I think his talent level and work ethic are there,” Hoffman said. “He just needs to play to the best of his ability, and then someone needs to find value in him, and I think someone will.”
Morgan Dzakowic: 303-954-1275, mdzakowic@denverpost.com or twitter.com/morgandzak
