It’s strange how the biggest players on the field are the ones that seem to go unnoticed.

Such is the life for football linemen.

But any coach - or skill player, for that matter - will tell you that the guys in the trenches are the heart and soul of any team.

For that reason, Lehighton’s Tom McCarroll is optimistic about the upcoming season.

McCarroll, now in his 12th season leading the Indians, will have both experience and size up front as four starting offensive linemen return from last season.

“That’s where it starts, absolutely,” McCarroll said. “Any coach will tell you that at any level. We not only have four returners, but we have guys that at the end of last year really put it together. It was one of the areas last year why we had some success at the end of the season. They were physical up front. They kind of gelled in terms of the scheme stuff that they needed to do.

“So to have those guys with that much experience coming back, we’re really excited about anything we want to do offensively - run the ball or pass it. We have two seniors, two juniors coming back with multiple years of starting under their belt.”

If the four returnees - seniors Cooper Hartsell and Wyatt Sherer, along with juniors Joey Houser and Yadiel Acosta-Rodriguez - continue to improve, Lehighton’s offense could look different than in years past.

And if that difference is successful, it will bode well for the team’s defense - an area that has been a trouble spot in past seasons.

“There’s no question about it, we’d like to run the ball more,” said McCarroll, whose team has more passing yards than rushing in each of the past three seasons. “They say sometimes the best defense is a time-consuming offense. If we put some long sustaining drives together, it’s certainly going to help our defense. If we can keep our defense off the field a little bit longer than in the past, it certainly gives us a better chance.

“We want to establish the run if we can. If you look at the years we’ve had success, we were very successful running the ball. So if we can kind of establish that same formula, I think we’ll have some bright days ahead of us.”

The hopeful beneficiary of the experienced line will be Dylan Moyer, who should see a bulk of the team’s carries. The senior ran 68 times for 402 yards a year ago, an average of 5.9 yards per carry.

Who hands the ball off to Moyer, however, is still a question mark as senior Brady O’Donnell and sophomore Jayse Lawrence are in a quarterback battle. McCarroll is confident whichever one earns the job will be able to lead the team, and there’s a chance they could both see time - even in the same game.

“Those guys have really done a nice job preparing so no matter who wins out, we’ll be in a good situation offensively,” said McCarroll, whose team was 3-8 last season but posted back-to-back wins in their final two regular-season games. “There might be situations where you’ll see multiple quarterbacks in a game, not because either one of them has done a poor job but because both of them can execute what we need to do.”

What the Indians also need to do is stop teams on defense and limit mistakes.

Opposing clubs, over the past two years, have a combined average of 6.7 yards per carry and 70 rushing touchdowns. In addition, Lehighton has turned the ball over 41 times over that time span (21 games). Those numbers will have to change to avoid a sixth straight losing record.

“I don’t think it’s been the scheme,” said McCarroll about the team’s recent defensive woes. “We’ve been in position to make plays the last couple years ... but it’s finishing. It’s not only getting to where we need to be, but it’s finishing the tackle, finishing the play. Now the kids are a lot more comfortable in their roles and their responsibilities. There’s less hesitation and a lot more quick reaction time. You see that with kids with experience. It’s a lot more playing instinctively.

“If we want to turn the corner and we want to be successful, cutting down the turnovers is a must for us. Our turnovers, for the most part, have come in the passing game. So if we can establish a run game, it’s going to minimize how often we have to put the ball in the air, or maybe how risky we have to be sometimes in our play-calling.”

A quality run game will also allow the aerial attack to develop. If there is one area where Lehighton lacks significant game-time action, it’s with their receivers.

“We’re inexperienced at (wide receiver) but I believe we’re talented,” McCarroll said. “Even though we really like our receivers, they’ve been role players. They really haven’t been playmakers yet. So, especially at the start of the season while they’re finding their way, if we can establish the run, it takes pressure off the quarterback and a little pressure off the receivers.”

If all goes to script, the end result should be more improvement.

“I think we’re going to be a lot more competitive, and in general just a lot more successful,” McCarroll said. “Our goal is never to be average. We want to get into the playoffs, but we want to do it with a record where we’ve earned it and have momentum going into them.”

POSITION BREAKDOWN

QUARTERBACKS

Senior Brady O’Donnell and sophomore Jayse Lawrence are battling for the starting job at quarterback. O’Donnell started a majority of the games last year, throwing for 1,277 yards and seven TDs. Lawrence saw limited time and totaled 431 passing yards and six scores.

RUNNING BACKS

Senior Dylan Moyer is the Indians’ primary RB. A year ago, he carried 68 times for 402 yards. With a strong offensive line this season, Moyer’s attempts may go up drastically. Behind Moyer on the depth chart will be senior Michael Yeakel, and up-and-coming freshman Lukas Croizier.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Lehighton’s top playmaker, Ian Rarick, has graduated. But Coach McCarroll believes he has talented players at the position, although they lack experience. Senior Dawson Keiser, sophomore Blake Roberts and junior Joe Roth (when healthy) should all see plenty of time. Logan Kent could also contribute, and keep an eye on Ryan Kusse and Kyden Hauser. Senior Max Bergdahl will start at tight end with junior Deven Armbruster backing him up.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Lehighton returns four of its five offensive linemen from a year ago. Center Joey Houser, a senior is back, as are classmates Wyatt Sherer (tackle) and Cooper Hartsell (guard). Junior Yadiel Acosta-Rodriguez also returns at tackle, while the final spot will go to either freshman Marc Macias, junior Brock Gower, or seniors Xavier Moore or Reese Balk.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Most of the offensive linemen will probably also see time on the other side. Balk, Acosta-Rodriguez, Sherer and Moore will probably start. Providing depth up front are Hartsell, Macias, Houser and Breydon Hand.

LINEBACKERS

Lehighton’s two main backers will be Bergdahl and Moyer, with Armbruster also seeing some time. Roberts will be in part of a hybrid spot, rotating between there and a safety spot.

SECONDARY

Besides Roberts, Lawrence and O’Donnell are also options at safety. Keiser could play at either spot in the secondary, while Yeakel returns after a solid season at corner. Caden Meek provides depth at either spot, as do Croizier, Roth and Kent.