Saturday at the College usually finds students packed into Swem, not the stands at Zable Stadium. If ever there were a time to reverse that practice, though, it’s now. After a couple of disappointing seasons, Tribe football is once again putting on an exciting show. Let’s be honest: No one comes to the College just to watch its football team (or the basketball team, for that matter), but anyone can rally around victory.
And right now, the Tribe has lined up a good string of them. An impressive 7-2 season so far places the team at number 12 in the nation, according to the Sports Network rankings released yesterday. Behind the strength of senior quarterback Jake Phillips, star freshman tailback Jonathan Grimes and the league’s highest-gaining offense, the College is creating a buzz around the program that hasn’t been seen since the team’s 2004 run to the national semifinals.
The Tribe, with its 5-1 record in the CAA, is a strong team in an equally strong conference. That means the next two games against the Dukes and the Spiders will determine whether the College advances to the playoffs. For a senior class that is experiencing its first winning year, the postseason lies just one win away.
They need fans in the stands in Harrisonburg this weekend. They need an overflowing student section here at home Nov. 22 for the season finale. We hear success is pretty popular around here, so put the books aside for a few hours and make yourself a part of it.
