The Crusaders have a quick and crafty quarterback.

They have a 9-0 record entering tonight's South Jersey Group 2 semifinal game against Bridgeton.

But everything - the dazzling work of the guys who handle the football, the undefeated season, the No. 2 ranking in The Inquirer Top 10, the dizzying possibilities of the next 15 days - rests on five sets of shoulders.

Fortunately, they are broad.

"It all starts up front," Delsea coach Sal Marchese said. "Everything that we're about as a football program begins with the offensive line."

Delsea running back Austin Medley, who has scored 30 touchdowns, will be the first to tell you his success is due to the play of the Crusaders' offensive line. Running back Sean McPherson and quarterback Chris Jackson will be the second and third.

Delsea has run for 3,600 yards, an average of 400 yards per game. The Crusaders also have run for 54 touchdowns. They are averaging 43.7 points.

Sure, it's been a team effort. But everybody in red points to the veteran offensive line of center Kyle Jones, guards Jon Hickman and Gary Colone, and tackles Dennis Handy and Chris Trotz as the foundation of this season's spectacular success.

"That's part of the tradition of this program," Jones said. "Delsea is known for running the football and for having a physical offensive line."

Delsea has one of the richest traditions in South Jersey football. But these Crusaders have put themselves in position to have a season for the ages, even by their standards.

Following tonight's home game with Bridgeton, Delsea is scheduled to visit top-ranked Williamstown in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown that was moved from Thanksgiving Day to Friday night, Nov. 27, to give the teams an extra day of rest - and to allow every high school football fan in South Jersey the opportunity to attend.

Assuming a victory over Bridgeton, Delsea will defend its Group 2 sectional title Dec. 4 against the winner of tonight's other semifinal game between undefeated West Deptford and Haddonfield.

"We've been working toward this season for years," Colone said. "Ever since we were undefeated as freshman, we said we were going to do this as seniors. And we've worked for it."

All five seniors say the secret to the line's success is no secret: It's all those sessions in the weight room since freshman year, all those off-season workouts, all those practices.

"We're always together and we never miss practice," Hickman said. "We're all totally committed to Delsea football."

Marchese said the lineman have been dedicated to the cause since they entered the school as freshmen.

"The big thing with these kids is that they've done everything we've asked them to do since freshman year," Marchese said. "Whether it was the weight room, plyometrics, competing on the track team. They've completely dedicated themselves to this."

These guys are big and strong. Jones is 6-foot-1, 265 pounds; Colone is 6-4, 240; Hickman is 6-2, 240; Handy is 5-11, 265; and Trotz is 6-0, 275.

But it's more than brawn that makes a difference along the offensive line. It's brains, too.

"They're all smart kids," Marchese said. "We can make checks at the line all the time because they are so experienced and so bright."

Handy said the linemen were inspired as eighth graders in 2005, when Delsea's varsity went 12-0 and won the South Jersey Group 3 title.

"We all looked up to those guys so much and we wanted to do it ourselves," Handy said.

Trotz said the linemen look at each other as much as brothers as teammates.

"We're together so much, whether it's in the weight room, at practice, in the off-season, it's like we're a family," Trotz said.

For the five seniors, these next three Friday nights - tonight, Nov. 27 and Dec. 4 - could represent the culmination of all those years of work, and all those dreams.

That's a lot of opportunity. That's also a lot of pressure.

But these guys are experts at bearing up under the weight.

"When you play football for Delsea, this is what you dream about," Jones said. "This is what we wanted. This is what we worked for."

or panastasia@phillynews.com.