Oiler football senior day

By: Kimberly Donah and Olivia Wile
Email: donahk@findlay.edu wileo@findlay.edu
Twitter: o_wile

Senior Day is known as a day of celebration and remembrance. It is a time for people to show their support for those that are leaving a program. On Saturday, Nov. 3, this is what the fans, family members, and friends of Oiler Nation did for the University of Findlay football players, cheerleaders, and band members

This year, there are 10 Oiler football players leaving the program. They are Johnny Hopkins, Aaron Ivory, Airion Kosak, Daouda Sylla, Darnell Fields, Chauncey Bridges, Rhonald Houston, Matthew Cash, Andrew Alten, and Ashton Elmore.

Senior Ashton Elmore says that being apart of the team has helped him grow as more than just an athlete.

“It has impacted me greatly. It has taught me to be accountable and disciplined in everything I do,” Elmore said. “It has showed me that with hard work you can achieve anything.”

The senior cheerleaders include Cassie Fesko, Kaeli Jones, Genni Ricker, Tabitha Rogan, and Lydia Shay. The five girls were all members of the team for four years. The band members recognized during Senior Day were Evan Bader, Nick Balaj, Nathan Buoni, Victoria Fisher, Abby Jokerst, Tana Kuhn, Mikhaila Scirocco, Kelsey Shumaker, and Olivia Tanner.

Before the game began, there was a small celebration to recognize these seniors. This was the football team’s final regular season home game. As kickoff was at 1 p.m., the pace of the game was set early when the first points were scored. The momentum did not stop, and the Oilers won the game with a final score of 70-28.

Although not leading in stats this game, a notable player during Senior Day was Chauncey Bridges. Bridges has produced 2,511 yards and 16 touchdowns throughout his four years with the football program. Although he suffered a knee injury early in the season, Bridges was able to take a knee for the Oilers in their victory formation during the game.

Other senior contributors during Seniors Day were players Johnny Hopkins and Aaron Ivory. Hopkins ended Saturday’s game leading with five tackles, while Ivory currently leads the league with interceptions. He picked up his fourth during the game.

As of Tuesday, Nov. 7, the Oilers are ranked number 21 by the American Football Coaches Association and number 24 by D2football.com. This boosted them four spots as they were ranked 25 in last week’s poll. The Oilers are 9-1 for the season and are tied for first place in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and 6-0 in league play.

Senior Airion Kosak is grateful for his time on the UF football team and to leave the team on a high note.

“Playing football has taught me so much about working together toward one goal,” Kosak said. “I’ll miss having my brothers all in one place. We have been grinding together for a long time, putting in countless hours. This season is one to remember, a culmination of our hard work in our final season here.”

The team will compete against the Ohio Dominican Panthers for the GMAC title this weekend in Columbus.