UMaine’s season is on the line Black Bears need boost from offensive linemen

ORONO – When you really stop and think about it, offensive linemen have the most thankless, grubby, unheralded and under-appreciated role on a football team.

“They don’t do a lot of fun things or natural things in practices and games. Practices for them are a lot harder than they are for running backs and receivers,” said University of Maine coach and former quarterback Jack Cosgrove. “I used to look forward to practices, throwing one-on-ones and stuff. Those guys have to hit the sleds and practice very difficult, unnatural types of techniques for us to be successful.”

When you’re a lineman and you do your job well, hardly anyone notices. When you mess up, not only does everyone notice, they also blame you.

“It’s not like they’re abnormal. They’re unique,” Cosgrove said after Friday’s practice. “They’re regular guys, but their toughness far outweighs any other position on the team.

“They were probably the guys picked last in street ball because they were the slowest, but without them, you just don’t have a chance to do anything on offense.”

The Black Bears’ linemen know their less-than-glamorous lot in life, but rather than resent it, they embrace it.

“That doesn’t bother me at all as long as we’re winning… Scoring touchdowns and winning. That’s all we want,” said 6-foot-2, 270-pound sophomore Shawn Demaray, a Livermore Falls High School product who is slated to start at right guard for the first time this season.

Demaray is one of two new offensive line starters who will be counted on not only to fill the gaps, but to help continue a recently established tradition of solid offensive line play at UMaine.

“When you establish a tradition of excellence, it’s always a little easier one, to keep it going, and two, to recruit for it and help it persevere,” Cosgrove said. “We have had some very good, sometimes unknown offensive linemen at Maine.”

Maine’s offensive lines have paved the way for four straight 1,000-yards-plus rushing seasons by tailbacks – Marcus Williams the last three years and Royston English in 2001.

“Teams look at us as a very physical team and I think that starts up front with the reputation of the offensive and defensive lines,” Cosgrove said.

With that kind of sustained success, it’s obviously not due to one particular unit. Maine has managed to fill the holes left by graduated first-stringers very well.

“We’re hoping for a seamless transition with these guys,” said senior co-captain and starting center Ben Lazarski. “We have guys coming back who did some great weight room numbers and their conditioning’s exceptional. A lot of the younger guys have been taking extra reps to make sure they’re here and better.”

The 6-1, 278-pound Lazarski is both leader in linchpin of the line as an All-Atlantic 10 First Team and New England Football Writers I-AA All-Star team selection last year and a three-year starter.

He’s joined by fellow senior Ryan Bird, a 6-3, 302-pound two-year starter at left tackle who provides both size and experience on a younger unit. The senior duo will shepherd “new kids” Demaray and Chris Arnao, a 6-7, 3-2 pound redshirt freshman who Cosgove predicts will be “an outstanding football player here with a chance to be a four-year starter.”

The presence of junior Justin Roberts at left guard should also help smooth the transition for Demaray and Arnao. The 6-3, 285-pounder helped open things up for Williams in seven last year. He’s coming off offseason shoulder surgery.

“I played last year with the injury, but it’s nice not to have to worry about it now,” he said.

Another guy who stands to see a lot of playing time is 6-2, 285-pound sophomore Jake Folz, who plays guard or tackle.

“I red-shirted my freshman year and last year I was a two and got a little playing time,” Folz said. “This year I’m the sixth man, so if someone goes down at guard or tackle, I’m the next one in there.”