By Christopher Cassidy
It has been two years since the Stonehill College football team strapped on the pads and helmets for a competitive football game. Now the team prepares to play at home against the Bloomsburg Huskies on September 4 at 2:30p.m.
“It feels like forever since we have played a game, so we just can't wait to go out and play a team other than ourselves. It's going to be exciting, we’re ready.” Junior defensive back PJ Devirgilio said.
The last time the Skyhawks took the field at W.B. Mason Stadium was November 9, 2019 where they defeated Pace on Senior Day.
Stonehill finished the 2019 season 6-4 and placed second in the NE10 conference behind a Bentley team who surged in the back half of their season and went on to win their last five games to claim the NE10 title.
After a lost 2020 season due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the team experienced a lot of changes as they had some faces leave and other unfamiliar faces join.
“Losing a season is tough and not being able to compete against opponents was difficult,” Junior offensive tackle David Satkowski said. “Missing that 2020 season actually benefited us because we're now more mentally ready for week one since we’ve had two years of preparation.”
Satkowski only appeared in three games in the 2019 season and now he is expected to start week one.
The players who were once playing in their first-year and sophomore season are now junior and senior leaders trying to bring home a title in 2021 after they came up short in 2019.
Junior tight end Cam Boes reflected on how he learned from his former upperclassmen leaders Casey Gervais, Jack Fields and Parker Rowley.
“They really helped pave the way for what the expectations were,” Boes said. “As we get into game week, we just want to be mentally prepared and Jack, Casey, and Parker, all taught me what the most important thing to focus on was, so I plan to do the same as we prepare for week one.”
The Skyhawks also have multiple players returning on their extra year of eligibility which was gained due to the virus’s impact on college sports.
The fifth-year leaders returning to the team are quarterback Anton Stoneking, defensive backs Xavier Jones and Sam Athy, defensive end Nate Bresson, and offensive linemen Matthew Marvin and Yaniv Kovalski.
Junior defensive back PJ Devirgilio said playing alongside fifth year seniors Xavier Jones and Sam Athy is a plus.
“Coming in as a freshman in the DB room, they made it so easy to adjust to college,” Devirgilio said. “Being a junior now and still having those other guys around helps me improve as a player and as a leader for the underclassmen.”
The Skyhawks enter their first preparation week in 600 days (about 1 ½ years) as the team faces off against the Bloomsburg Huskies this Saturday.
The last time Stonehill played Bloomsburg, the Skyhawks defeated the Huskies on September 7, 2019 by a score of 33-14.
“We just can’t wait. The game days at W.B. Mason are electric and so fun,” Devirgilio said.
The Stonehill College football team is looking forward to playing in an actual season this year and hopes to bring the NE10 title back home to Easton.
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