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Seven wins in the conference: a Black Bear football first. A share of the Atlantic 10 conference title. A 1,335-yard rushing season for the team’s starting tailback. A 2,373-yard passing season for the team’s starting quarterback. A playoff berth and a victory.
And oh yeah, the offensive line only gave up 26 sacks this year.
“They make my job that much easier. I would never have had the season I’ve had without those guys,” senior tailback Royston English said of the offensive line.
This season has been like no other in Black Bear football history. Predicted to finish eigth in the A-10, this was a team filled with question marks.
The offensive line lost two starters at the end of last season to graduation. Even though they had four linemen returning who saw playing time the season before, no one outside of Orono really had any idea how good this group, as a unit, would be. Zack Magliaro, Matt Hammond, Pete Richardson, Mike Leconte,and John Kmety.
The group has played musical positions all season long.
Magliaro (6 feet 3 inches, 300 pounds) is the captain, one of seven seniors on the team. He’s the “old man” and only senior on the offensive line and is looked to for the leadership his game experience brings.
“[The younger linemen] play like fifth-year seniors out there,” Magliaro said. “Being the old guy on the line they do come to me and ask questions sometimes.”
Richardson (6 feet 5 inches, 310 pounds) was a preseason All-Conference selection last season but missed the last seven games of the season with an injury. His return has given the group another solid anchor with which to build around.
Hammond (6 feet 4 inches, 292 pounds) and Kmety (6 feet 2 inches, 282 pounds) are both gaining valuable experience as sophomores. So is Mike Leconte (6 feet 3 inches, 276 pounds) as a freshman.
The injury bug bit early when center Brian Williams, the expected starter, was lost for the season. Then Ben Lazarski went down forcing more changes.
Even the very durable Zack Magliaro missed some time but the unit has not missed a beat. “We have been a very tight knit group through out this season,” Hammond said. “When we have had injuries, our players were able to trust one another to step in. Some of the guys have had little, nagging injuries the whole season, they just play through the pain. I wouldn’t want to be with any other bunch of guys, they all work so hard.”
The relationship between a running back and his linemen tends to be friendly, as evidenced by what English has said, but here we’ve got a near love-in.
“I love blocking for the guy; he makes our job seem easy,” Richardson said. “Plus he always seems to thank us for everything he has accomplished. I don’t know many people who work harder than he does on the field.”
“We don’t worry about not getting any articles written about us, we just want to see Royston’s picture in the paper running over somebody else,” Magliaro said.
Which the o-line has seen plenty of pictures of English in the paper, running over opponents. English averaged 5.0 yards per carry during the regular season and gained more than 100 yards in his last five games.
All the success that the Black Bears have had starts with the offensive line. Coach Jack Cosgrove has said that his team’s philosophy, since day one, has been to run the football. And the offensive may carry them to that goal.
“This has been an amazing season and I don’t want it to end,” Richardson said. “The whole team is working together toward the same goal: a national championship.”
Bangor Daily News