Sprint primed for final contest

In a heartbreaking three-point defeat at the hands of Navy last weekend, the Penn sprint football team lost all hope for a share of the Collegiate Sprint Football League championship. Now, with one game remaining in the season, the Quakers are playing for one thing -- pride.

Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., the Quakers (3-2, 1-2 CSFL) take on Princeton (0-5, 0-3) at Palmer Stadium in a CSFL grudge match.

"We just need to not be feeling sorry for ourselves because we lost to Navy and we thought we should have won," Penn coach Bill Wagner said.

Instead, the Quakers want to crush the Tigers and walk away with their pride intact.

After Penn suffered a devastating blow in a 41-3 loss to Army, the Quakers answered by crushing Cornell, 35-3. Penn hopes to reprise that sort of rebound tomorrow, in a game against an opponent to whom they have never lost.

"We need to jump all over Princeton in the beginning so we can finish up this year as one of the top three teams in the league," Wagner said.

Traditionally, Army and Navy dominate the CSFL. But over the past few years, a new team had worked its way to the top. Last year the Quakers finished the season in first, with wins over Army and Navy and the respect of the league.

If the Quakers win tomorrow night, they will sustain the league's respect as one of the top teams.

"It was a little disappointing to lose last week, but it will be a nice year if we finish up 4-2 after Princeton," Wagner said.

A few members of Penn's team -- senior defensive back Matt Ragsdale, senior offensive lineman Mark Zimring, freshman wide receiver Pat Monaghan and sophomore defensive back Scott Oh -- are suffering from injuries. But the Quakers should still have enough manpower to repeat their earlier effort this year, when they crushed the Tigers, 56-12.

"The seniors are playing in their last game, and we want them to go out on a good note," Penn sophomore Jimmer Donapel said.

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