Nov. 26, 2002
By Alison Hischak
Athletic Communications Graduate Intern
The senior members of the Lafayette football team all share a couple of things in common - heart and determination. A group that came to College Hill as 28 prospective Leopards has since been whittled down to just 15 players four years later.
The fact that it's a small class only makes the group that much closer and united. Go ahead and ask them. Just listen to them talk about the unity of their class or the memories they shared as freshmen coming into camp together. They have battled the ups and downs of 2-9 and 2-8 seasons only to work that much harder to make their senior campaign a winning one.
"We're just glad to be in a situation where it can happen," said senior co-captain Chris Royle. "We have put in four years of hard work that is finally paying off."
This season's Lafayette team lists only 12 seniors on its two-deep, and head coach Frank Tavani desperately wanted them to close out their careers with a winning season. With the Leopards' dramatic 14-7 win over Lehigh, that goal was accomplished with a 7-5 overall record and a 5-2 mark in the Patriot League to finish in third place.
"That's been a goal of mine since I took the job as head coach," Tavani said. "Our players have endured a lot of frustration and tough times. I couldn't be happier for our kids who worked so hard. We've been saying all along we wanted to send our seniors off as winners, and we we're able to do that."
"It's their commitment and their perseverance and just their positive attitude, particularly the seniors that don't play very much," Tavani said. "How they come out every day and continue to work hard. They just want to contribute in any way that they can. They're leaving a benchmark here on the direction of the program. In three short years, we've certainly got this ship turned and headed in the right direction and they have been the mainstay of all that."
Even though these Leopards are serving as role models for the 35 freshmen on the roster this season, it's not so hard for the seniors to remember their first days as a member of the Lafayette football program.
"During freshman camp, we were all pretty close," said fullback Darrell Daman. "I think we came in with 32 or 33, and I remember (former assistant) coach (Mike) Joseph said, 'Look to your left and look to your right, because one or two of these guys won't be here by your senior year.' Nearly half the class is gone now. I just think that with what we've had to go through, it has kept us pretty close. I think it's a lot closer this year than it has been in the past."
Daman, along with fellow seniors Eric Keto, Phil Kolarczyk, Chris Royle, Paul Stack and John Ricketts became such good friends through football that they even pledged the same fraternity together.
"Those guys are my best friends here," Ricketts said. "They're the reasons I enjoy Lafayette so much. Our personalities fit together well. We like to joke around and give each other grief, but in a friendly way. At the same time, we care a lot about each other and we're really close."
Since those freshman days, this senior class has endured a tumultuous four years with the Leopard football program.
Bill Russo retired as head coach after the 1999 season and current head coach Frank Tavani was named the new leader of the Leopards in December of 1999. New coordinators Mike Faragalli and John Loose also entered the picture.
Take the coaching changes and add in the 4-17 record of the 2000 and 2001 seasons. It didn't exactly make for smooth sailing.
"A lot of people jumped ship and left," said senior defensive lineman Matt Hinzpeter. "We were the ones who stuck with it. I think it says a lot for us as a group this year because we've been through a lot of hard times. I have a lot of respect for all of these guys that stuck with it. It's hard to when times get hard. People like to just fall away from the program. I think it says a lot about our character."
"People always try to give (our class) the easy way out," said senior defensive end Casey McKeen. "I think a lot of guys just quit because Division I football is a very demanding sport. It's so much like a job. You have to go to class and then you have the job of playing football and winning games. A lot of guys just couldn't take that."
The resiliency and perseverance of the 15 remaining seniors is evident in their performance this season.
A dramatic 30-29 victory over Monmouth in week one and a 23-7 defeat of Towson the following Saturday gave the Leopards their first 2-0 start since 1993. The win over Towson and a 35-17 victory against Georgetown sent the Leopards to a 2-0 start in the league and a battle for first place in the Patriot League against Fordham on Oct. 26.
Wait a minute. Wasn't this team picked seventh in the preseason coaches' poll?
"We knew we weren't going to finish seventh in the league," said senior defensive back Jamie Anzalone. "The Fordham game was a turning point in our career. It was the first time we had played in a big game in four years. We still have hope in the season that Lehigh could be the biggest yet."
One of the differences that may be contributing to the Leopards' success is the unity of the senior class. Most members of the class of 2006 agree that they are tighter-knit bunch than recent classes.
"When you have 45 guys stay the summer, working out together, it makes a difference," said special teams standout Paul Kingston. "We go to a small college so there is not a tremendous amount of students staying during the summer. You really only have those guys that you're here working out with to do anything with. You definitely become closer just doing everyday things together, like eating and watching television."
"They've pulled together as a group and they've helped pull this football team together," Tavani said. "We went through two very difficult weeks, losing two ball games by seven points (at Patriot League co-champions Colgate and Fordham). A lot of teams would just pack it in after weeks like that. We talk about one heartbeat and team all the time, and these seniors held this team together."
"You know they're going to find success beyond Lafayette because that's what a Lafayette education does for you," Tavani said. "They've just come to appreciate the Lafayette Experience for what it is. I think they also got to enjoy it a little bit more because even though academics is the number one reason to come to Lafayette, their passion is for football."
