The SU Football team is on the rise. Here, take a look back at their record breaking season and what went right to get there.
The team had a perfect 10-0 record in the regular season en route to 603 points scored, an SU record. Ki’Sean Gray-Dantzler, a senior running back who scored the Sea Gulls second touchdown of the year, gave a ton of credit to the offensive line for the success.
“They’re the big guys up front, the offense runs through them,” he said.
Lineman Trey Price added AFCA All-America First Team, an individual award that highlights the cohesiveness of the O-Line this year. Teammates Tony Mason, Dusty Krotee and Chris Clark all earned All-American honors as well.
The Sea Gulls shut out William Patterson on the road in mid-October, scoring 63 points in the process. The defense held WPU to a minuscule 36 total yards on the offensive while putting up 346 net yards on the ground alone on the offensive side of the ball.
“We needed to keep drives going in order to win,” said Gray- Dantzler, who called it a simple yet effective approach.
This mindset led the Sea Gulls to one of the best football records in the schools history. The Sea Gulls would go 5-0 in their regular season games after the dominant performance en route to the NCAA tournament.
“It’s very crucial for the fans to come out and support us. That’s all about giving us the home field advantage. I think a lot of our guys thrive in big moments”, said Ronald Clark, a senior running back who put up over 1,000 yards on the ground last season.
Clark credited his O-Line and coaching for a large part in the success of the running backs, including himself. Sherman Wood also won coach of the year.
Ryan Fleetwood also earned offensive coordinator of the year. Clark, described him as an “evil genius” in terms of play calling.
“They’ve been doing this since we were born, so we trust them,” said Clark. “They’ve put teams in this position before. Winning is nothing new to them. We just took it to the next step.”
The Sea Gulls outmatched Kings College in the first round of the tournament. Quarterback SyRus McGowan threw for 99 yards, a touchdown pass, to Micah Brubaker. McGowan also had over 60 rushing yards and scored two rushing touchdowns himself.
The team also bested #15 ranked Randolph Macon, with the Sea Gulls putting up 287 net yards on the ground. On the defensive side of the ball, the Sea Gulls combined for 4 tackles for loss. Owen Arruza got a sack and forced a fumble in the contest as well.
The season came to an end on Dec. 14th against #6 ranked Mount Union, though the buzz created by the historic season still remains with the team. When asked what the season meant to them, both Clark and Gray-Dantzler remember it fondly.
“It meant the world to me because coming in freshman year, the older guys were telling us that all of the freshmen wouldn’t be there in the next 4 years. I took it as a challenge to make it all the way through and persevere. It feels really good,” Clark said.
Gray-Dantzler highlighted the bonds he has formed on the team throughout his career here at SU.
“I know that those are my brothers and I can call them if I ever need anything, vice versa. We put our names in the record books with some of the best players who came through the program, it means a lot.”
Dantzler tells incoming players to “buy into the program.” He believes the team is also in good hands with the returning players.
“They’re locked into the program and I have full trust in them.”
September cannot come soon enough for the Sea Gulls as they look to build on their 2024 success in pursuit of the National Championship next season.
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By COLE SIMMS
Staff Writer
Featured image courtesy of Rajan Turner
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