The Daily Pennsylvanian is a student-run nonprofit.

Please support us by disabling your ad blocker on our site.

10042014_sprintfootballvsnavy487
10032014_VolleyballvsColumbia Credit: Thomas Munson , Thomas Munson

It’s the end of an era for Penn sprint football.

Friday’s season-ending game will mark the end of the Penn careers of running back Mike Beamish, defensive back Keith Braccia, offensive lineman Alex Smith and four other seniors. The group has led the team to a 14-13 record over its four seasons with the Red and Blue and will look to keep that record over .500 against Princeton.

“The biggest thing right now is getting all of our kids healthy and to play a lot of people and get a fresh start for 2015,” coach Bill Wagner said of his goals for Friday’s game.

The injury bug bit Penn last week as sophomore wide receiver/tight end Brendan Dale was forced to receive emergency surgery Wednesday after suffering a broken ankle in last Friday’s 47-7 loss against Army.

Princeton has had a rough season thus far, losing all of its games by an average of 55 points, not including its forfeit against Army on Oct. 17. Princeton’s only score this season was one touchdown in its game against Franklin Pierce.

“Princeton’s had a tough couple years,” Wagner said. “The school is so demanding. The coach is trying to build his roster, but he runs out of bodies.”

Sophomore quarterback Mike McCurdy passed for 352 yards and four touchdowns in last year’s 72-29 trouncing of Princeton, completing 15 of his 17 attempts. Beamish rushed for 98 yards and three touchdownns as Penn didn’t punt once on the night.

However, Wagner isn’t taking this team lightly.

“They’ll play us tough, and they have in the past,” he said. “It’ll be a physical game, and Princeton won’t quit, no matter what the score is. If they’re winning, they’ll be playing out of their eyes. It’s their last time around, and they’d love to break the string of losses. We’re all aware of that, and we’ve got to play well.”

The Orange and Black have shown some bright spots this season. The defense had a relatively strong first quarter last Saturday against Mansfield, as it held the Mountaineers to 14 points in the first half before melting down to give up 53 unanswered points in the second.

In addition, the game saw Princeton’s best rushing performance of the season from junior running back Emanuel Castaneda, who rushed for 36 yards on the night. Princeton sophomore quarterback Chad Cowden has averaged 114 passing yards per game this season but had a down performance against Mansfield, as he only threw for 89.

The Quakers are in good position to get healthy and finish their season strong against the Tigers.

However, Friday’s game will be bittersweet for the Red and Blue as the team says goodbye to some integral members, like Smith.

“It’s been an incredible experience to keep playing the game of football, find this group of guys that are really passionate about the game and really always have each other’s backs,” he said. “We’ve always been there for each other.”

Wagner was unequivocal about the team’s ultimate aim for Friday.

“We want to get all of our seniors a victory on their way out.”

Comments powered by Disqus

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.