by Scott Miller
Senior running back Jeff Mack. Richard Orr Sports photo.
“It would have been easy to quit football a few years ago,” said Plymouth State University senior and Panther running back Jeff Mack, echoing the sentiments of many of his teammates. “But we worked hard and now have something to show for it.”
The Panthers topped off PSU’s most successful football season in decades by defeating Bridgewater State in the ECAC North Atlantic Championship game last November. It was a stunning success story for the Panther program, which had suffered through a winless season just five years ago.
For the seniors on the team, the lowest point came during their first year, 2004, when they were trounced 55–0 by Springfield College. Many players were questioning their ability to compete, and Panther head coach Paul Castonia remembers his own moments of frustration. “I had no idea it was going to be as bad as it was,” said Castonia, who arrived at PSU in 2003, going 0–10 in his first campaign. “That first year we could not compete, and during the second year we were just grateful to get a win against anybody.”
At that point, the future of the Panther football program hung in the balance. One of the biggest hurdles was finding a home conference for PSU, which was playing an independent schedule after the Freedom Football Conference disbanded in 2002. A team without a home conference holds no appeal to potential recruits.
However, the University vowed to become competitive again, and Athletic Director John Clark eventually succeeded in finding a home for the team, the New England Football Conference. The team had been a member of that conference from 1971 to 1991, winning or sharing nine conference titles in 10 years from 1981 to 1990.
“There is an old corny saying ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going,’” said Clark. “Well, there were players and coaches during those down years who showed character and perseverance like I’ve never seen.”
Character and perseverance paid off for the Panthers, who posted a respectable 4–3 conference record last year.
“That was the real turning point,” said Castonia. “Last year’s juniors and seniors saw that what the coaches were preaching was starting to pay off. It was then that everyone got on the same page and it carried over into this season.”
Panther football started strong in 2007, winning the first six games before falling to Curry College 44–14 in week seven. The Panthers rebounded though, dethroning two-time defending ECAC champ Bridgewater State College 24–21 at Currier Field.
“This year was such a great season, capped off by one of the most exciting games I’ve ever witnessed,” said Clark.
While the Panthers will lose some of its top players to graduation, Castonia is confident that the team will continue to excel. “Those seniors will be hard to replace, but we’ve got players here who are constantly improving, and we will continue to recruit strong players.”
With the completion of one of the finest seasons in its history and a promising outlook on the future, fans will certainly have their eye on the resurgent Panther football program in 2008.
Photo: Senior running back Jeff Mack helps lead the Panthers to victory against the Endicott College Gulls. Richard Orr Sports photo.
