The longer the season lasts, the longer a local pizza place makes money off Snider's offensive line. A lot of money.

Each week the members of Snider's offensive line gather at one of the players' houses to watch film. Instead of radically increasing someone's grocery bill, the players devour six or so pizzas in 10 minutes before turning on the DVD player.

“We'll eat whatever,” senior tackle Jake Hyndman said.

Lately, the Panthers' front line has been eating up opposing defensive units. Snider is averaging 7.3 yards per rushing attempt and gained 323 yards rushing against North Side and 316 at No. 4-ranked Kokomo in the first two rounds of soggy, sloppy sectional play.

“That's our type of weather, that rough and tough mud where we can be physical,” Hyndman said. “We like playing in that.”

It's likely they'll have better conditions at 7 p.m. Friday, when they travel to Warsaw to play in the Class 5A, Sectional 3 title game.

“We played Carmel the last two years in the mud and slop, so they know that to win those kinds of games we have to be good up front,” Snider coach Kurt Tippmann said. “We're invariably going to have a playoff game where the weather is not dry and a fast track.”

Hyndman starts at one tackle, and the Panthers have been rotating Eric Menor, Mark Mahuren and Kendrick Thomas at the other. Menor has been playing all year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, Thomas is a sophomore and Mahuren is a converted tight end.

The guards are Ryan Arnold and Ryan Tountzios, lined up around center Todd Freimuth. Cody Gatchell is the tight end, and Dylan Harris also fills in when someone needs to catch his breath.

“We tell them every week that the key to our success on offense lies with them up front,” Tippmann said. “With them being seniors and some of them have played varsity for three years, our success in the playoffs depends on them, especially when the weather turns. They are the heart and soul of our team. They know that and what is expected of them. They have embraced that role and determine much our success.”

The chief offensive line coach is Lance Cline, and the main assistants are Sam Somers and Aaron Murphy. All three played offensive line for the Panthers.

Besides Thomas, Tountzios is the only non-senior, and he's a junior. As Tippmann says, the Panthers have a great deal of experience up front to help them do what they do best, run the ball.

Jason McGraw has gained 1,091 yards this season, Tyler Bobilya 694, Keenan Kelsaw 596, John Nelson 454 and Zach Barnes 308.

“We have four great guys who can run the ball and it makes our job a heck of a lot easier,” Hyndman said. “Even (when) we do mess up a little bit, we have great backs who can account for our mistakes.”

Maybe they should ask the running backs if they like pizza.