“Pace Falls to Stonybrook, Pace Drops Home Opener to New Haven, Football Falls to Ameri- can International, Beeker Tosses Two Touchdowns in Loss to Merrimack, Raynor Tosses Four Touchdowns in Loss to Southern CT, Football Falls to St. Anslem.” The aforementioned are most of the titles of the Pace football team’s game recaps. See the pat- tern there? Pace has many redeem- ing qualities, but its unimpressive football team is not one of them. At least last year it was not.
“We’re currently ranked last in Division II football,” said sopho- more marketing major and wide receiver Diego Dilone. “We were a young team that lacked focus.”
Pace’s football team failed to win any of its games for the en- tirety of last year’s season. While there are a multitude of causes for the cringe-worthy losing streak, players feel that it was the team’s poor rapport that caused their fum- bles.
“We were a different team last year,” said Dilone. “There were a lot more cliques among the guys.”
Comparable to the Roman gladiator games, football games have the ability to open the flood- gates, revealing destructive in- terpersonal team conflicts. Even Vince Lombardi (reputable former coach of the Green Bay Packers) preached that teamwork is essen- tial in producing a win. He once stated, “Teamwork is what the Green Bay Packers were all about. They didn’t do it for individual glory. They did it because they loved one another.”
Senior marketing major and kicker Reza Zoroufie felt that there is already a noticeable difference in the fellowship between this year’s players.
“Last season there was a lot of negativity on the team,” said Zo- roufie. “This year everyone looks out for each other, both on and off of the field.”
Pace’s football team had its first attempt at a fresh start last month at its annual preseason camp, Aug. 19-31. Daily routines entailed much more than a catch in the sun where new recruits were in- troduced, drills were tirelessly ex- ecuted and slip-ups were analyzed on prerecorded film. Additionally, Coach Christian Dapolito had as-
sistance from former NFL play- ers such as former Detroit Lions, Philidelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings quarterback Mike McMa- hon as well as former defensive back for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos Steve Wilson.
Criminal justice major and quarterback Brian Beeker felt that the expertise of McMahon and Wilson in combination with the agile new recruits will help to bring Pace football a win this sea- son.
For a number of years Pace’s football season has been nothing short of anticlimactic. Much of the back-to-school hype revolves around football season.
Last Sat. Sept. 7, Pace football went up against West Virginia’s Al- derson Broaddus University, who had not played a game since 1930. Statistically that set both teams at a fairly equal playing field.
“We are going to win,” said Dilone before the game. “Mark my words.”
The final score was 28-31, Al- derson Broaddus. Though a close loss with shining Setters moments, especially by freshman running back Delaney Wallace who scored two touchdowns for Pace, the football team will be given another chance to pull a promised win this Sat. Sept. 14 against University of New Haven.
Pace’s football team is ready for redemption after last year’s winless season.