Madison Handwerger (mahandwerger@ursinus.edu)
After two years, the long-awaited return of Ursinus football is finally here. Under the lights, on a Friday night, with a packed crowd, the team showed up and showed out.
Due to lack of action, uncertainty weighed heavily about what the team would look like, who would stand out, and if struggles would surface. As soon as the first whistle sounded, those questions went out the window. Ursinus came out aggressive, earning the games’ first points and preventing Alvernia from gaining any significant success.
Records were tied and broken on the way to an Ursinus route of Alvernia, 42-6. Junior starting quarterback Jack Psenicska tied the school record for the most touchdown passes in a single game, with five. He ended his night with 255 total yards and 19 completions.
Another big night came from senior running back Sam Ragland. Sam surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards, which makes him just the fifth person to do so in Ursinus Football history. In each aspect of the game, players were stepping up.
When reflecting on the game, senior captain John Klee stated, “We learned that there are no easy games, and it takes a great effort to win games. The defense needs to continue to play with great energy like we did. Offensively, we need to continue running the ball and getting the ball in our playmakers’ hands. It felt great to get the win, but we now have to refocus on the next opponent and next game.”
Ursinus is set for a Centennial Conference matchup on the road against Johns Hopkins this coming Saturday, the 11th, at 1 pm. This is a big test and will be a hard-fought battle on both sides. Klee went on to state, “Hopkins is big and fast, but we have playmakers on both sides of the ball that are going to match up well with them. We’ve established a culture where effort and perseverance are emphasized.”
After a big season opening rout, with big performances and all-around team effort, Ursinus football is ready to continue forward this week when starting conference play. We wish them the best of luck this coming Saturday. Go Bears!