Winning together: A close-knit attititude is at the core of Deacon's successful season

Michael Hoag represents the Old Guard of the Wake Forest football team in more ways than one.

He's 22 years old, he has been around for five years, and he plays offensive guard.

Hoag and a few of his fellow grizzled veterans were winding down from Saturday's victory against Maryland the way they usually do after a home game, congregating at a house shared by seniors Cameron Ford, Doug Weaver, Joe Looney and Hoag, talking, eating and watching football.

A common scene shared by teammates throughout college football was rendered not so common with the opening of the front door. In came four redshirt freshmen, offensive linemen Daniel Blitch, Antonio Ford and Dylan Heartsill and fullback Ben Emert.

They'd come to hang out on a Saturday night.

"I think that's what makes this team special," Hoag said. "Guys hang out with anybody."

A recounting of Saturday-night meldings of the classes brought a smile to coach Jim Grobe's face. It was nothing he hadn't seen time and again this season throughout the Deacons' march out of the ashes of last season to six victories and bowl eligibility.

"Oh it's different, no question," Grobe said. "It's really been a pleasure for me, and it's not anything that our coaches have done. Now in recruiting you bring in these types of kids.

"But these old guys really like the young guys, and they've treated them really, really well. And the thing that they've done that's pretty cool — and it's not just a social thing — is our old guys have worked really, really hard and the young guys respect them.

"So there's a closeness, but there's also a great deal of respect from our younger kids for the old guys."

The 18 seniors and two fourth-year juniors who were honored before the game against Maryland will play their final game at BB&T Field on Saturday against Vanderbilt (3:30, ESPNU Ch. 502).

Safety Josh Bush, wide receiver Danny Dembry, defensive end Tristan Dorty, tackle Dennis Godfrey, running back Brandon Pendergrass, safety Cyhl Quarles, linebacker Kyle Wilber, tackle Weaver, tight end Ford, guard Looney and Hoag will most likely start, and defensive end Gelo Orange, tight end Andrew Parker and center Chance Raines will almost certainly play.

Redshirt freshman Bud Noel said after last week's game that all of the seniors, including nose guard Bryson Dunmeyer, flanker Turner Faulk, cornerback Morgan Harris and linebacker Kyle Jarrett, will be missed, as will quarterback Ted Stachitas and center Chance Raines, redshirt juniors who have decided to graduate this spring and not return to the team.

"I just love my teammates so much," Noel said. "It feels like we came out of the womb together. So I just go out there and play for those guys because I have a whole three more years to go.

"I just go out there and just play for the guys that are leaving this year and will be truly missed. So that's all I think about every Saturday, trying to send the seniors out with a big bang."

Almost all teams promote their family atmosphere for public consumption, but the truth is not all teams can avoid the kinds of divisions and jealousies and selfishness that erode the ties that bind. Cliques emerge. Starters show contempt for reserves. Veterans pick on rookies.

Some of that happened last fall at Wake Forest, in fact, during the interminable 3-9 season. That's why Grobe kept a close eye on his team's cohesiveness during spring practice and was so pleased to see a real camaraderie develop — the kind of camaraderie that has made the 2011 Deacons one of Grobe's favorite teams in his 33 years as a college coach.

"This has been just a pleasure," Grobe said. "It's been a gut check because of the schedule. You watch our guys and think, 'Gosh these are such great kids, we've got to find a way to get to a bowl game with these guys.' But you know there's no guarantee. At this level, you can have a great team and not much to show for it if your schedule is too challenging.

"They've just battled and battled and battled. But they like each other, and that's a fun thing. Sometimes brothers don't always get along. So it's really nice to have 105 kids out there that get along, that like each other, that compete and knock each other down but enjoy being with each other when it's not a football setting."