For the last four years, the Springfield College football seniors and graduate students have experienced the extraordinary. A run of four consecutive NEWMAC championships, punctuated by undefeated conference records each year, has cemented their place as among the greatest-ever groups in program history. Now, with a date in the NCAA Division III Championship tournament with UMass Dartmouth looming on Nov. 30, the Pride can look back on the ride that led them to this day.
When the graduating class first entered the football program, they became part of a unit steeped in tradition with no indication of the unprecedented success to be experienced. In their first season together in 2021, the Pride went 7-4, running the table in NEWMAC play to claim their first of four consecutive titles. A first-round loss to No. 13 Cortland in the NCAA tournament set the stage for the hunger and resilience that would define the team’s identity moving forward.
The 2022 season was more promising. Springfield rose to 9-3, where another NEWMAC title was secured, and a hard-fought first-round 17-14 NCAA Tournament win over Endicott was a cherry-on-top for the Pride. Ithaca finished Springfield’s season in the second round, 31-20, but laid the foundation for perennial power status.
In 2023, the team went 9-2 and an undefeated 7-0 in conference, turning heads around the nation. Another NEWMAC Championship, but this year, the Pride’s hope for a deeper NCAA run was cut short in the first round, yet again to the hands of Ithaca in a 21-7 final. That heartbreak set the stage for their most memorable season yet.
This year’s seniors and graduate students spearheaded Springfield to a perfect season in the regular season. A 10-0 record, capped off by dominating performances in NEWMAC play, showed this team wasn’t just the conference’s best – they were one of the elite programs in the nation’s third tier. As they head towards their game against UMass Dartmouth, there is an undeniable feeling that this is finally it: this season might be the one when they will make history on the national level.
“It’s pretty special,” Carr said. “Our seniors and fifth-years, even Joe (Cannizzaro), he’s a sixth-year, we’re an elite group of guys. I think it’s something that’s pretty cool.”
It is not just the wins, however – but how they’ve achieved them. That leadership has been embodied by many players, from quarterback Jacob Silvester, who directed the triple-option offense at precision points, to linebacker Aiden Lewin, the heart and soul of the defense. The ability to bounce back from tough playoff defeats year after year has been a hallmark of their tenure.
“The connectivity of the team has been awesome, as far as getting the younger kids to really understand… the culture and the Brotherhood aspect of things,” said head coach Mike Cerasoulo when asked about this year’s team and their ability to come together.
The seniors’ impact extends beyond the field. Whether mentoring younger players or embracing the rigorous demands of being a student-athlete at Springfield, their contributions have shaped the program’s culture for years to come.
For many of these players, the game in the NCAA tournament against UMass Dartmouth could be their last chance to put on the Pride uniform. It is a shot at avenging the early playoff exits of years gone by but to take their legacy to a higher dimension, too.
Win or lose, this senior class has guaranteed their position in Springfield College history. Four NEWMAC titles, four NCAA tournament berths, and a perfect regular season in its last season say much about its legacy. All of those titles and tournament bids came in four consecutive years.
As the seniors of the Springfield Pride may take their final strides on the field, the story isn’t one of football, but it’s a story of friendship, learning, and legacy. For them, it was the journey as much as it was the destination.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College Athletics