Brittany Good
Staff Writer
Siena Heights University’s (SHU) football team was unranked at the beginning of the season, first playing 19th ranked Grand View, followed by St. Joseph’s. The Saints on-field performance has boosted the team to 25th in the Mid States Football Division. The Saints next face Waldorf, this Saturday, Sept. 21st, at noon.
The season opener against Grand View highlights the commitment and drive of the Saints football program. As the SHU football team charged onto the field Sept. 7th, the band fired up the fight song and the fans rise to their feet. The dancers and cheerleaders lined the tunnel cheering for the players as they ran by, wishing them luck.
The Saints don’t take their home games lightly, but the match up against Grand View was an even bigger deal. Playing the 19th ranked team in the nation brought out Siena pride in student body. Saturday, Sept. 7th, SHU student Twitter feeds were filled with hash tags reading #SaintNation, #BeatGrandView and #SaintPride. The bleachers were filled. In the first half alone the Saints managed to score 14 points leading against Grand View who had scored seven. When half time commenced it was up to the dance team to keep the fans hyped until the next half.
“My first time performing on a college dance team was really cool. It really made me feel like I was really a part of a college as a whole,” said freshmen Lexa Crawford, a member of the SHU dance team. “Something I really enjoyed was all the support the teams got from the crowd. Not just the football team but cheer, dance and the band also.” The SHU cheer and dance teams held a camp a week before the first game, so their halftime performance consisted of a dance/cheer routine with the young girls who participated in the camp. “Make sure to attend the next home game, the dance team has a great performance in the works,” added Crawford.
After the half, The SHU football came back onto the field with confidence, ready to win. Grand View made a comeback in the second half scoring 17 consecutive points, but the SHU players didn’t trail far behind scoring seven additional points. By the end of the game the Saints lost by three, with the final score of Saints 21 and Grand View 24.
Even without a win, the Saints broke numerous school and personal records during the game. Quarterback Travis Zajkowski completed 25 of his 35 passes for a school record of 296 yards, Donavon Campbell tied his own school record of eight catches and broke his record of receiving yards with 111, and DeShawn Gilbert added to this by catching two interceptions. All throughout the game the Saints managed to hold their own against a nationally ranked team, strengthening their resolve as they next came up Saint Joseph’s, wining 35-31.
