UMaine game special for Virginia natives Waller, Lehner help team win in return home

Saturday was a memorable day, in different ways, for two University of Maine football players.

Ryan Waller and Mark Lehner returned to their home state for the Black Bears’ Atlantic 10 game against James Madison at Harrisonburg, Va.

It was a great day for Waller, a redshirt freshman wide receiver from Chester, Va. The 6-foot, 178-pounder made five catches for 138 yards, including a key 44-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory for the Bears.

How much motivation did the opportunity provide for Waller?

“It was a whole bunch,” Waller said. “I had my whole family come out to watch me. I hadn’t seen my family in a while. I was just glad that the team came together at the end.”

Waller took special satisfaction in beating JMU, where his older brother had played during the 1990s.

Waller’s emergence has been critical after the suspensions of starting wideouts Stefan Gomes and Paris Minor prior to the Rhode Island game.

Initially, it was Waller’s twin brother Ron who had caught the eye of former UMaine assistant coach Torrian Gray. But Ryan had plenty to offer as well.

“I guess they knew [Ron] had a twin and I basically had the same times he had and I just came along for the ride,” Ryan Waller said.

“It was Ron initially, but Ryan was equally impressive on tape,” said UMaine coach Jack Cosgrove.

Saturday started out well for Lehner, a sophomore offensive lineman. The 6-3, 269-pound tackle from Herndon, Va., worked his way into the starting lineup this season and has been productive for the Bears.

Lehner’s day came to a premature end in the second quarter when he suffered injuries to his right ankle and knee and was forced to leave the game. He will be evaluated this week to determine the severity of his injuries.

Lehner became the first UMaine lineman sidelined with an injury this season. He was replaced by first-year player Ryan Bird.

“Knock on wood, we’ve been very lucky with injuries,” said Bears senior captain Jake Eaton. “Mark Lehner’s a great player and Ryan Bird, a true freshman, stepped in. He struggled a little bit, but he kept being persistent.”

Committee continuing review

The three-person committee reviewing the appeal of two suspended University of Maine football players met over the weekend and will continue to meet this week.

UMaine spokesman Joe Carr said the committee met Monday and will meet today.

Carr said the committee is still examining the UMaine Student Conduct Code Review Board’s initial decision to suspend Stefan Gomes and Paris Minor.

There is no specific date set for when the committee will finish its review, Carr added.

“It’s impossible to predict what will happen or when,” he said. “…[The committee] will continue to work this week diligently with an eye towards completing the process as soon as they can.”

Minor and Gomes, members of the Black Bears football team, were suspended from the university on Sept. 26 for their involvement in an alleged sexual assault with a female university student that is alleged to have occurred at an Old Town apartment in June.

The Old Town Police Department investigated allegations and chose not to charge the pair. The Penobscot County District Attorney’s office has yet to file charges against the men.

The suspensions were called for after a review of the allegations by the UMaine Student Conduct Code Review Board, the school’s mechanism for dealing with code violations.

Minor and Gomes were both UMaine juniors.

A lawsuit has also been filed on behalf of Minor and Gomes at U.S. District Court in Bangor against the UMaine trustees and president.

The suit alleges that the former football players were denied due process at the hearing which resulted in Minor and Gomes being suspended. It also alleges the university acted with improper motive because of the men’s race (African-American) and accuses the committee of engaging in a conspiracy to deprive the plaintiffs of their constitutional rights.