Colton Turner has been a tower of strength for the Xavier Saints on the offensive line this year.

He tips the scales at a rock-solid 275 pounds, without an ounce of flab.

"Yeah, we call him Moose," said Xavier tailback Brendan Miller. "He's a big boy. He got that nickname and it stuck."

Turner did not turn into a block of granite for the Saints by lifting pretzels and chips.

"He's put in a ton of time in the weight room," said Xavier Coach Duane Schulte. "He set a new school record for squats this year."

Turner "maxed out" with his squats at more than 800 pounds. He didn't actually squat that amount of weight, but he did squat more than 600 pounds - and he did it six times to "max out" at more than 800 on the conversion chart.

"It's amazing," said Schulte. "He's really worked hard to get where he's at.

"I think the biggest strength for him," the coach said, "once he latches on, you're not getting away."

Turner is one of the reason the Saints (9-1) have reached the second round of the Class 4A playoffs and will be hosting Iowa City High (8-2) Monday at 7 p.m.

Turner puts his strength to good use at offensive tackle, helping pave the way for Miller and the team's other weapons.

"I've always played the offensive and defensive line as I was growing up. I've always liked it," he said. "The physical aspect of it is always the best part. That's definitely the best part of the game."

Schulte said Turner has received several scholarship offers from FCS colleges and is being followed by several others.

"Yeah I am," he confirmed, "but right now we're not really focused on that. We're just focused on the games."

In fact, Turner doesn't want the focus on him at all. He likes being one of those anonymous guys on the offensive line, blocking and pushing people around.

"I wouldn't want it any other way," he said.

The Saints did not face Iowa City High during the regular season, but they've done their homework the last few days.

"I've watched a lot of film," said Turner. "I remember playing them last year. They're always tough, offensively and defensively, especially at the line."

He is looking forward to playing another game at Saints Field.

"It's always nice to play at home," he said. "All your relatives come to the game. It's great. We definitely draw a good crowd, which is always fun to have in high school football."

Turner was a mainstay on the offensive line last year when the Saints marched all the way to the Class 4A finals, only to suffer a tough 23-17 loss to Ankeny.

"I'd like to say it didn't really burn in our minds, but it definitely did," he said. "I feel like it pushed us through the offseson and basically showed us how good we need to be to get there."

And Monday night?

"It's going to be a physical game," he predicted, "just like it always is."