He won’t be the most vocal player in the field, but when Rolly Lucio speaks, other players listen.

That is because the senior fullback/linebacker lets his play do most of the talking.

Lucio, who is listed at 5-foot-7, 205-pounds, is a force on both sides of the football for Dowagiac.

He grinds up large chunks of yardage with his straight-ahead, power style of running. On the other side of the football, he is one of the Chieftains’ top tacklers.

“He’s a tough kid,” Dowagiac coach Mike Stanger said. “We have got him at fullback where we had Nick Lindemulder backing him up until he got injured. We were getting him off the field some on offense, but now he is going both ways pretty much the entire game.”

Lucio said he has no problem playing both offense and defense. But if he had his way, he would play more on the defensive side of the football.

“I stay focused all the time and I am hustling back and forth. I am always on the move,” he said. “I stretch a lot to warm up my legs so that I don’t get tired and get cramps.

“I like helping my team out as much as I can, but I really like hitting people more than anything. I try not to get winded. I try not to give up on any plays.”

Stanger said he plays bigger than his size.

“It says he is 5-foot-7, but that is being generous,” he said. “He plays like he is six-foot. There aren’t too many teams rolling with a 5-foot-7 middle linebacker. He covers the ‘A’ gaps and he runs the ball hard and plays hard for us.”

Lucio is quiet off the field, but between the lines he is one of the Chieftains’ leaders.

“We want to win football games and I try to help my teammates out as much as I can,” Lucio said. “I want us to be the best we can be, so I push them. Our goal is getting to the state playoffs.”

He is also quick to credit others for his success.

“I have to give credit to my ‘O’ line, which gives me a chance to pick my holes,” he said. “When I get a chance, I look for someone I can run over.”

Lucio and the Chieftains are 2-2 on the season heading into tonight’s game at South Haven.

Dowagiac must win four of its final five games to qualify for the post season.

Kickoff for tonight’s game against the Rams is set for 7 p.m.