Spirits remain high for Geibel Catholic football team
CONNELLSVILLE TWP. — The Geibel Catholic football program endured an off-season in which rumors persisted that the program had been disbanded. The team forfeited the first two weeks of the 2012 season because of low roster numbers, and had to deal with the resignation of first-year head coach Sean Benjamin a few weeks ago.
But on Saturday, school spirit was high when 14 players took the field for Geibel Catholic’s first official game of the season against Vincentian Academy. Despite the final score of 62-8, the Geibel Catholic community remained upbeat about the survival of the season.
Athletic director Sean Holup said, “These are great kids who were able to hang in there. If our freshman and sophomores hang in there we’ll be fine with our numbers down the line.”
Senior football players Jake Ciaccia and Jon Nace were excited to take the field for the first time on Saturday.
“It means a lot to the program and I’m glad to get started again,” Ciaccia said.
Nace said a school pep rally helped to build excitement for the first game. “We had the best pep rally that I’ve been a part of in six years. We’ve gone through so much and we’re all close as a team.”
Senior cheerleader Briannah Armstrong said, “I feel it’s very important to play the first game. The school has so much school spirit and everyone is very excited after the pep rally.”
Santo Piccolomini is a 2012 Geibel Catholic graduate who has been helping the coaching staff on a volunteer basis.
Piccolomini said it will be very important if the team can get a win in the early part of the season. “We’ve struggled with numbers the last four years and Geibel needs to pick up a win and pick up a few numbers.”
Presently, the Gators have 15 players listed on the roster with three seniors, three juniors, five sophomores and four freshmen. Holup said if Geibel Catholic can sustain the present season, there are more students in the seventh and eighth grades who have expressed interest in playing on the varsity level in the coming years.