ANNVILLE, Pa. — Like senior quarterback Braden Bohannon, the Dutchmen are eager to get underway.
"Coaches and players are all excited," said the Lebanon Valley College captain. "They know what we're doing, we're just kind of fine-tuning what we've been working on the past couple of years.
And while the team knows what they're doing, the coaching staff has known what to expect from Bohannon very early on in his time at LVC.
"He was our starting quarterback, started as a freshman, and took us down to win the game against Franklin & Marshall College for the first time since 1980. He was pretty special from the beginning," recalled Lebanon Valley College Head Coach J.R. Drake.
When you talk about Bohannon's performance for the Dutchmen, you have to be specific because he plays football and basketball.
"LVC was a great place for me. I really didn't have a favorite sport, so it was just a great opportunity for me to continue to play both and I'm thrilled, said Bohannon.
"We work together as coaches to make sure that it's a seamless transition for the players," said Coach Drake. "It's healthy for them. We have three guys that play baseball. I think we had four this past season that played basketball."
But last year, Bohannon added another uniform.
"My dad was an athletic director for 20-some years. Then he became a basketball official, so he kind of mentioned the idea to me. I liked it. I jumped on board," said Bohannon. "It's kind of a good way that once I'm done playing, I can stay involved in the game."
"His dad actually had sent me a picture of him in his uniform reffing basketball. We thought it was pretty funny," said Coach Drake with as smile. "Bo's a real big competitor, so sometimes he's always not happy with officials. So I think it's good for him to get a little taste of that side of it."
Bohannon was on the football, basketball, baseball, and track and field teams at ELCO, so he knows the importance that sports can play in someone's life, and he knows that his time as an official, given the ref shortage, can continue to offer that opportunity to other student-athletes.
"Coaches and friends, they make jokes sometimes. 'Mr. Official, what do you think that call is,'" said Bohannon. "It made me step back and get a new appreciation for what they do and an understanding of how difficult it can be."
"I feel like if he's not doing something he's probably bored," claimed Drake. "He's always got to be moving, shaking, and doing all kinds of different stuff. The guy's just a natural leader and wants to do things for the community.
Lebanon Valley College opens their season on the road at Franklin & Marshall on Sept. 6.