BY JEFF FALK

 PHOTOS COURTESY OF LVC

It may be the perfect way to kick off a new regime. In many ways, it’s a back-to-basics approach, a return to roots or building from the ground up.

New Lebanon Valley College head football coach Joe Buehler is an old line guy. Brendon Irving is a strong power running back who’s hard to corral.

If Irving becomes the Flying Dutchmen’s all-time leading rusher this season it will also mean that Lebanon Valley is doing damage along the trenches, on the scoreboard and in the win column.

As Buehler takes over for Jim Monos as the head man in Annville, a strong emphasis will be placed on the running game. The reasons are quite simple: Buehler believes it is one of the key ingredients for success and the Flying Dutchmen – led by the prolific Irving – have the right personnel to make it happen.

“I would say on the defensive side of the ball one of our strengths is that we’ve got unbelievable depth along the defensive line,” said Buehler. “Offensively, we’ve got Brendon Irving. He’s one of the best (NCAA Division Three) backs in the country. And he’s third on our all-time rushing list.

“I’m still going to be calling the plays, offensively” Buehler continued. “I’m trying to groom people to fill voids. I coached the offensive line for 12 years. That’s my baby.”

Irving, a 5-7, 189-pound ball of energy, is one of 39 returning letter winners for LVC. An all-MAC first-team performer in 2015, Irving is coming off consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaigns.

Lebanon Valley junior quarterback Tim Pirrone is a dual-threat guy, and when he does decide to drop back he will target Travis Saylor, the Flying Dutchmen’s leading receiver from a year ago, and junior Jeremy De La Cruz, a Lebanon High product.

“I think we’ve got good players, but we need to develop in the secondary” said Buehler, the former head coach at Palmyra High School. “Offensively, the passing game has some work to do. That piece starts picking up as the season begins. From a work ethic standpoint, the kids are determined.

“I think the improvement of the passing game is a point of emphasis,” added Buehler. “We have to stay healthy. With so few guys coming back with experience, we’ve got to stay healthy. But every week could end up being a bigger weak for us.”

The anchor of the Lebanon Valley offensive line is captain Bryant Weller at center. Left tackle Ryan Kingshill is also a featured piece for a group that should show steady improvement throughout the season.

“We only brought back three seniors on defense, so there’s a lot of teaching to be done there,” said Buehler. “Our goals are simple. We want to get better everyday. We’re going to focus on goals one at a time, and things will work out in the end.

“Last year, we had a veteran defense,” Buehler added. “We had fifth-year seniors and their lives were at a different place than a college freshman. We got off to a rough start last year and lost some close games early. But that gave us a good measuring stick going into the off season.”

To go along with  its depth up front, the Flying Dutchmen return prime time defensive performers Tom Gallagher, Tommy Garner, Spencer Moser, Kyle Murray and Tim Schumacher. Gallagher, an inside linebacker, is also a team captain. Garner will man an outside linebacker spot, Moser is a cornerback who doubles as a punter, and Murray and Schumacher are hard-hitting safeties.

The place kicking chores will be ably handled by Marcus Brown.

“I don’t think there’s a carry-over from last season,” said Buehler. “They (his players) aren’t thinking about last year’s group. This team is thinking about themselves and what they need to accomplish. We ran a tough training camp. We certainly got better because of how tough it was.

“You always want to win an MAC championship,” continued Buehler. “That’s the end goal. But that’s not the goal we talk about. We talk about beating F&M. Every game is going to be our next goal. You strive to achieve goals. Are you going to hit every one? No. That’s life.”

Last season, Lebanon Valley went 5-5 overall and 5-4 in the Middle Atlantic Conference.The Flying Dutchmen will open their 2016 campaign on Saturday, September 3rd at Franklin and Marshall.

“We’re just really excited to start the season,” said Buehler. “They’re (his players) tired of hitting each other. They want to line up against people they don’t know and execute what they’ve learned.

“Jim (Monos) did a great job of grooming me for this job,” Buehler continued. “We started rolling in January. It’s been a pretty seamless transition. We’re doing a lot of things similar and I think the kids are excited about it. Under Coach Monos, I made a lot of decision. But now, ultimately, all the responsibility comes back to me. That’s a new feeling for me. I don’t coach a position any more. Sometimes I feel like a fifth wheel. This is the first time I haven’t had a position that belongs to me. But my relationships with the guys are the same.”

2016 Lebanon Valley College Football Schedule