Homecoming Football Game

Collegeville, Pa- The afternoon of Saturday October 3, 2009 is a day to be remembered for the Ursinus Bears football team who defeated the Gettysburg Bullets 55-50 for the first time since 2005 on Homecoming at Patterson Field.
With Centennial Conference records set and broken, this memorable day featured 1,327 yards of total offense for both teams. The Ursinus athletic homepage highlighted that the Ursinus squad set a Conference record for points in a half with 48 in the first half. The Bears controlled the ball for an overwhelming amount of time- 40 minutes of the afternoon. But head Coach Peter Gallagher commented, “Getting the win was the most exciting,” referring to records set and broken. Gallagher, proud of his team and both their offensive and defensive efforts remarked, “Scoring 48 points in a half, I’m not sure if that’s ever going to be done again.” He continued, “One record we didn’t break but came fairly close was our 35 first downs in a game. 38 is the conference record.”
After a bye weekend last week, the Bears had more practices to prepare for Gettysburg’s offensive and defensive schemes. The preparation for games is always through watching film, practices, and confidence. “Monday is a big day that we create our plan and practice and buff it out Tuesday and Wednesday…final product on Thursday,” Gallagher pointed out. Coach also commented, “I think a lot of that build-up and a lot of the emotion and getting psyched happens on the practice field Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.”
Along with Gallagher, the Bears’ players were ecstatic with the win over the Bullets. Justin Decristofaro, Ursinus’ quarterback and winner of the Kenneth Walker Memorial Trophy, given to the outstanding Ursinus player in the Homecoming game, described some of his emotions. Coming out of the locker room “I felt confident… continually watching film to understand what our opponent was going to do. My comfort level was great. My reads were awesome.” Feeling almost as if he were “blacking out,” Decristofaro said, “I completely had to think back on what just happened” referring to the impressive halftime score of 48-23. At the end of the game, overwhelmed with excitement, Decristofaro commented, “I was punching my linemen in the head due to my excitement.” The quarterback thanked his six linemen, stating “Part of my success is because of these six gentlemen. The award I won on Saturday is just as much theirs as it is mine.” Along with the Kenneth Walker Trophy, Decristofaro was also the recipient of the Centennial Conference Co-offensive Player of the Week sharing the honor with the Gettysburg senior quarterback Matt Flynn.
Bob Wise, junior captain and one of Decristofaro’s offensive linemen, felt the excitement of him and his teammates coming out of the locker room. “I felt a great sense of anticipation and excitement to go out and battle a Gettysburg team that none of us had ever beaten before. The winning feeling after the game was awesome, and it was something I hadn’t felt in a while.”
According to Gettysburg’s athletic website, with 50 points, they set a record for most points scored by a losing team. Their record falls to 1 and 4. Ursinus is now 2 and 0 in Centennial Conference play. And the bears look forward to the next two games against Franklin and Marshall followed by Johns Hopkins. Decristofaro also added, “Every week is routine. You watch Saturday’s game on Sunday…by 9:30 I’m in coaches’ office on Monday morning. I also like to watch film after practice but I am a student athlete. I want to keep my books together.” Decristofaro exemplifies characteristics that every NCAA athlete should carry within themselves; success on the field and in the classroom.
Lastly, Coach Gallagher stated his goals for the 2009 season. “Any time you start any season, your goal is to be the champion of the league. This year is no different than that. We’ve been in some big games here in nine years. Been in big games that matter in November. Getting the program to that point is something to be proud of. We want to win a meaningful game in November.”
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