It was an ordinary day. Turned my morning paper to the "SPORTS" page and there was a large photograph of four young men in their practice uniforms holding their football helmets. And then...I took a closer look at the four players and realized they all had bleached blonde hair! And....I actually liked the look! The headline read, "MEET THE LAWN BOYZ." Now, I just knew I had to read the story even though they weren't my hometown team of Manheim Township where I graduated from and went back to teach for close to 35 years before retiring from teaching. Story, written by Lancaster Newspaper writer Jason Guarente read.... "Preston Schooner suggested the nickname. Some, including his teammates, didn't get it at first. Lawn Boyz? What's that about? Lampeter-Strasburg's senior explained that the initial letters, LB, are the same as linebacker. Then he explained the rest. "This is our field; this is our lawn. We're going to do what it takes to protect it." Great defenses of yesteryear were often known by memorable monikers. "The Steel Curtain", "The Purple People Eaters", "The Fearsome Foursome", "Doomsday". L-S has adopted "Lawn Boyz," always with a Z - as used in recent war by Penn State's running backs as a way to describe the four seniors who fly around and make hits. Schooner and Emory Flyer are the inside linebackers. Dominic Brown and Danny Weidhler play on the outside. They're a vital part of the Lancaster-Lebanon League's strongest unit. L-S is 13-0 and two wins from the school's first state title. The District Three Champs will take on District Seven winner Thomas Jefferson in the PIAA Class 4A football semifinals at Altoona's Mansion Park at 1 p.m. today. "The Pioneers" have made their "D" their identity. A stop is better than a score. A big hit is better than a big gain. The four linebackers see each other make great hits and great plays and it fires them up! "We're trying to make a better play than the last guy!" The Lawn Boyz are a tightly knit group. They love playing together. They're grateful that fate has placed the four of them on the same team at the same time...this time! Even their jersey numbers keep them close. Weichler is #5, Brown is #7, Fluhr is #8 and Schonour is #9. L-S has held its opponent below 10 points in eight of its 13 games. Only Wyomissing in the District final and Daniel Boone in Week 5 have surpassed 14 points. Each of the four linebacker positions has a nickname of its own. Weichler, the outside strong side, is "Bandit". Brown, the weak side outside, is "Wolf". Schonour, the inside strong side, is "Shark". Fluhr, in the middle, is "Mack". Fluhr has the reputation as the baddest dude of the bunch. The biggest guys, Fluhr and Schonour are on the inside with the smaller, quicker guys, Brown and Weichler on the outside. All four play both ways. Brown is the leading rusher while Weichler is the top receiver. Schonour has given a nickname to the backup linebackers. They're the "Lawn Babies." Basically "Lawn Boyz" in training. One thing is clear....L-S is having a blast with this undefeated season. The "Lawn Boyz" like to hit hard and make plays. "New lawn, same Boyz!" The crew is about to hit the road to Altoona, where they hope to protect another piece of sacred ground. Here's hoping I might write another story to tell about the "Lawn Boyz" and their latest championship!! It was another extrarodiary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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| (left-right) Danny Weichler, Preston Schonour, Emory Fluhr, and Dominic Brown |
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