On Friday, April 12, the Westminster football team played in its annual Spring game. The game itself took place in the evening and was set up by putting both the offense and defense in different scenarios. One unique aspect that head coach Scott Benzel and his staff implemented were mini-games where the two sides of the ball would go up against each other. When it all came to an end, the team really enjoyed it.

In Division III football the NCAA has a ruling, stating that programs aren't allowed to wear pads for spring ball. Because of that, it's challenging to implement game-like scenarios. For example, D-Line and O-Line battles are difficult, because both sides are taught to use hands to defeat their opponent. However, because they don't have pads, they're naturally going to be worried about getting hit in the face. Also, in terms of the offense running the ball, they always want their running backs finishing runs at all times. However, because there are no pads, players become worried about not wanting to "hurt" anybody or "overdo" it. These are just a few problems that occur at this level that I can name off the top of my head, I'm sure every position-player has their own issues. I talked to my offensive coordinator (Rich DeMaio), asking him how the offense looked in his eyes. He had said that, "It's hard to simulate game speed and scenarios. However, in the spring I'm worried about guys knowing what they're doing and taking the time to explain everything slowly, so everybody is on the same page. Offense is all about details, and if you aren't sharp on your details you can't play for this offense."

I had the opportunity to talk to Coach Benzel and asked him a few questions. Benzel said, "Fortunately, we had good weather, it was at night and our guys love the night time atmosphere so lots of energy was created. Overall, I was pleased with the energy level and how we competed amongst each other. Mental errors, however, is something that we still need to work on and get better at. It's not something that's easy, but if we can strive to always be focused on our jobs and do what's supposed to be done, we'll be better. By in large though it was definitely a good experience, we managed to not have any serious injuries, which is always really important."

Coach Benzel touched on negatives saying that, "We still don't have a real good feel on finish, just because it's a non-padded situation. That makes it a little harder to evaluate, but regarding the things that we could control, I thought we did a really good job."

I asked him if he noticed any leaders emerging for this group. His response was, "Every year there is a different dynamic in terms of leadership. We define leadership here as guys that have the ability to do more. We have a saying here that champions do extra. We have a good group of guys that are doing what's expected of them, but we're still trying to figure out who are those players that are going to do more, that are going to take on a bigger responsibility. The upcoming senior class that we have this year is embracing it, they're still trying to figure out what it is that's required of them. As said before, every year is different, but we do have guys that'll be able to step up and be in that role."

As our spring game went on, I couldn't help but keep saying to myself, "We're going to be okay." Offensively, big plays were made throughout the night. Transfer quarterback Frank Antuono had himself a field day, connecting on two deep balls for touchdowns to Connor Cox and Dwayne Brown. Running back Joseph Mienert, Keano Grice, and the offensive line showed excitement in the running game, making plays throughout the night. On the defensive side, the team looked polished as always. Defensive back Vincent Giles made an impressive break on a curl route and returned it for a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown. Big plays were made on both sides of the ball and the competition element was there. Each side of the ball wanted to dominate.

Coach Benzel's answer on leadership was true to every word. The short amount of time that the program has turned around and become legitimate has to do a lot with the leadership on those teams. Being a rising senior, it's crazy that it's my turn to lead. The past few years I've been looking up to guys such as Dom McKinley, Jemitrius Bentley, John Fitzgerald, Bryson Paulinellie, Marvin Liberiste, Miguel Luis, Bill Madeja, etc. I looked up to them for guidance. So many great people have come into this program, helped turn it around, and have pointed this program in the direction that it can become. Now, the torch has been passed on to my class, and we're expected to continue paving the way for underclassmen to follow.