On Saturday, 17 Jumbo football players suited up in the Brown and Blue for the last time on their home field. Unfortunately, they were unable to leave Zimman field on a positive note, as Colby beat Tufts 28-14 in front of a crowd of nearly 1,500 people.
"It was emotional," senior Brian Holmes said. "It didn't really hit me until we were walking off the field." Holmes has been instrumental all season in sparking a somewhat stagnant Jumbo offense, and Saturday's game was no exception. He rushed for 52 yards and had an additional 81 yards receiving to boot. This season, Holmes has led the entire offense with 781 total yards on the ground, in the air, and with kickoff returns. He transferred from Middlebury last year, and has had a versatile career playing on both sides of the ball. Last season, Holmes was selected for the All-NESCAC team as both a cornerback and a kick returner.
Despite many strong individual efforts, the Jumbo team has fallen to 2-5, and unless it beats a dominating Middlebury team on Saturday, it will post the worst record in the past four years.
"It's been a tough season," Holmes said. "Missing opportunities on little plays has been what it has come down to."
One positive aspect of the season to date was the general dominance of the Jumbo defense. While the offense has not always provided the needed spark to win games, the defense, led by captain Pete DiStaulo, has at least kept most of the games close. The six-foot, 306-pound defensive tackle amassed seven sacks and 41 tackles and has led the team both on and off the field during his final season.
"It's pretty emotional," Distaulo said of his last game on home turf. "Every game we've played here has been a big game."
Other big contributors on the defensive side of the field are defensive tackle Everett Dickerson, defensive end Joe McLean, linebackers Matt Luther and Mike Marino, and safety Jeff Karacz, all seniors. Marino has 52 tackles this season as well as a sack and an interception. Dickerson has 33 tackles and six sacks. This defensive unit has held opponents to an average of 19 points per game, a respectable statistic in the offensively potent NESCAC conference. On a team that revolves around the tough play of the defense, the senior leadership this year has been invaluable.
On the offensive side, Holmes, tight end Mike Baril, receiver Brett Cicchillo, and fullback Jon Rodgers have been the seniors contributing the most this season. Cicchillo has 55 yards receiving but has seen limited playing time due to a knee injury. Rodgers' season was also cut short after the third game after a serious ankle injury, but he still remains third on the team for rushing with 54 yards.
The 17 seniors will play the final game of their career at Middlebury this Saturday, but there is a certain sentiment these Jumbos have to playing on Zimman field in front of a home crowd.
"Homecoming games have always been the best," Holmes said. "Those games are great with all of the fans who come out."
Karacz recalled another memorable game, which helped jumpstart the struggling football program four years ago. "There have been a lot of close games over the years, and all of the hard fought games are memorable.
But, the last game of my freshman year against Middlebury was amazing," Karacz said. "We won in the last minute of the game on a field goal. I was injured at the time but it didn't matter. It was important for the program. It got us going for the next three years."
Over the past four years, the team has had major ups and downs, culminating in a 16-15 record over that period, highlighted by a 7-1 mark in the 1998 campaign. Although this season will go down as a disappointment, the seniors have helped to build a solid football team for Tufts. Leaving the team behind will not be easy.
"For a lot of guys, we've been playing for 10 or 15 years," Karacz said. "We'll never be able to do something like this again."
