VOL. XXVIII, NO. 2

by Amit Joshi

Athletes who receive hardly any recognition for their efforts are always the offensive linemen on a football team.

A spectator at a football game always watches the ball carrier stumble through the tackles and lunge for the touchdown. No one ever watches the people who make the touchdowns possible, the offensive line.

Most high school football players like to have highly visible positions on the team. However, the Maine West offensive line doesn't mind the lack of publicity. Rob Strickland '87 states, The lack of publicity comes with the position."

This years offensive line, affectionately known as the 'Hogs" by the rest of the team, is not well known, but according to Coach Jannusch, "It does its job well."

Most of these linemen decided to play their position because they were always bigger or because they were slower. Dave Stettner '88 states, "I was always a little bigger that the other kids my age when I was in elementary school. Because the district had weight limits on positions, I always had to play either lineman or defensive lineman and now I've grown to like playing the offensive line."

Coach Jannusch thinks that this year’s offensive line is smaller than most, "but it is not a disabling factor." The Coach also thinks that the line is more experienced than the previous years and as a result, plays much better.

Both the running backs and the quarterbacks agree that the line does a great job of blocking. Fullback Joe Kulesza states, "They're good, they make big holes for the running backs."

Quarterback Scott Frankenthor, who is the main beneficiary of the line's blocking, states, "They're great! They are the real workhorses on the team."

The select group of players that play the line are: Right Tackle, Dave Stettner, Right Guard, Dale Grooms '88, Center, Rob Strickland or Bob Anderson '88, Left Guard, George Kapotas '88, at Left Tackle, Bill Brokovich '87.

All the linemen mentioned above really enjoy playing the line. Perhaps Dale Grooms puts it best, "I really love playing the line because that's where all the action is and I like to hit! " Another reason that Bill Brokovich likes playing the line is, "The feeling you get when the offense scores a touchdown and you're part of it."

All the linemen agree with Bob Anderson's comment, "The best part of playing the line is opening the holes for the running backs so they can score or make big gains." Dave Stettner feels that "When the team is watching the films and you get complimented on your play, it's really a good feeling. Knowing that you executed your job well is a great feeling."

Of course playing the line does have its disadvantages, beside the lack of recognition. One thing that all linemen dread is missing a block that allows the defender to tackle the ball carrier.

Another aspect of playing on the line that many Warriors dislike is the possibility of lining up against a huge defensive lineman. Rob Strickland states, "Lining up with a real big guy like the guy on the Maine South team can become a real pain."

However, regardless of the disadvantages that accompany playing the line, the offensive linemen truly enjoy what they do to help the football team.

Next time, Warrior fans, cheer for the touchdown scorer, but don't forget about the ones who made the touchdown possible.