Sept. 4, 2004

By Scott Rex
Assistant Sports Information Director

Football aficionados cling to truisms that have been wafted about the sport for over a century. Coaches and students of the game constantly preach about the need to protect the football and how defense wins games. Two of the most prominent ideals that still float around the sport, particularly at the collegiate level, are that the play of a team's offensive and defensive lines, as well as a squad's senior leadership, are essential elements for a successful season.

What happens, then, when a core of experienced seniors makes up four-fifths of your offensive line? Somewhere, a coach is smiling the sly smile of success.

That is just the case at Lafayette, where a group of four seniors will line up on the offensive front for the first snap of the season against Marist today. Stephen Bono, Joe Ungrady, Drew Buettner and Mike Lewandos have matriculated through the program and developed into arguably the most talented positional group on the offensive side of the ball.

Bono, a guard, and Ungrady, a tackle, are the constants of the group, having earned starting roles as freshmen that they never relinquished. The pair has started every game next to each other on the right side of the line since the start of the 2002 season. Lewandos started all 11 games a year ago at left guard, while Buettner, who saw action at nearly every spot on the line, earned three starts at left tackle and one at center in 2003.

Typically, offensive linemen are the least recognizable people on the field. They perform their duty in relative obscurity, collecting virtually no stats or recognition. If there is an exception to that fact, it is Bono. The Civil Engineering major has distinguished himself in the classroom, earning consecutive nods to both the CoSIDA Academic All-District II First Team as well as the I-AA Athletic Directors' Academic All-Star Team. Bono was also the male recipient of the 2003 Maroon Club Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.

Accordingly, Bono's performance on and off the field has caught the attention of his teammates, who elected him as one of two team captains during spring practice.

"All four of the seniors we have up front are really solid, experienced players who have put a lot into the program," said fifth-year head coach Frank Tavani. "I think Bono has separated himself with all the academic honors he has collected. He is an outstanding student, player and leader and you really can't ask for anything more than that."

Tavani also has nothing but high praise for the other three seniors.

"Ungrady has really worked hard, establishing himself academically and being one of our most consistent performers on the field. He's been a three-year starter for us and has certainly been a very important part of this program," Tavani said. "Buettner has been a solid performer throughout his career and has proven that he can play any position up front. He played tackle, guard and center for us at different times last year. He has the potential to gain a redshirt year and we have our fingers crossed that he'll take advantage of that.

"Mike is the strongest guy on the team," Tavani continued. "He's made the transition from guard to tackle and that move has really helped us increase our depth on the line."

Given the experience this foursome has together, it comes as no surprise that most of takes place on the field has become second-nature to them. There is a cohesiveness among the group that carries into their lives outside of football.

"We're completely comfortable. We've known each other for four years and we're all pretty much best friends with each other," Lewandos said. "We're always around each other and it's to the point where we can pretty much tell what each other is thinking."

"We've definitely developed a pretty high comfort level," Ungrady said. "We know each other really well both on and off the field and we know that we're all going to keep fighting in there and never let down. We've played together enough that we have confidence that we can all handle whatever situations come up on the field."

The comfort level is especially high between Bono and Ungrady, considering the duo have taken their stances literally inches apart for the past four years.

"We usually know what the other one is going to do," Bono said. "We've got a good feel for each other. In certain situations, we don't even have to make calls to each other because we know that the other one understands what is going on."

One thing the entire group understands is the importance of the Leopards producing a dominating running attack this season. With youth at the quarterback and receiver positions, the offensive front will be called upon to blaze a trail for senior tailback Joe McCourt.

"I think there is more emphasis on the running game this year and that all starts with the offensive line," Buettner said. "Having four seniors up front is a blessing because we've been through it and know what to expect and how to prepare."

"We are hoping to establish a strong, grinding running attack," Tavani said. "Obviously running the ball is the best way to control the tempo and cut down on the opponent's opportunities offensively. To do that, you need experienced linemen who are physically and mentally tough, and these four young men certainly fit that description."

Physicality is a hallmark of line play and a characteristic that separates the good from the great in the trenches. Linemen take pride in being able to physically control an opponent.

"We're hoping to be more physical this year," Bono said. "We know we need to have a good running game and the key to that is us being physical. We need to come off the ball and attack people."

"I think you take more pride in the running game because it is more physical," Buettner said. "It's just an unsung job that we just go out and do."

Lewandos makes no bones about the group's main goals for the upcoming season.

"We want to score a lot of points and just hammer our opponents up front," Lewandos said. "We want to take it to them. We're a big, strong, close group and I think we'll be able to control the line of scrimmage."

Controlling the line of scrimmage and establishing a running game will not only wear down the Leopards' opponents, but will also allow whoever emerges as the starting quarterback some peace of mind when standing in the pocket.

"We can take a lot of pressure off the quarterback by the way we play," Ungrady said. "The better we block, the more comfortable he can be staying in the pocket and getting the ball downfield."

When the Leopards do move the ball downfield, rest assured it is due to the play of the linemen, plying their trade in relative anonymity while charting the course for the offense's success.