Passionate and productive, CHC’s first-ever sprint football team put everything it had into a successful season. The team won three games including the College’s first football game, the inaugural Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Bowl against rival Post University and a season-closing victory over Princeton University.
As a result of these successes and despite the team playing only five games (due to the provisional first-year schedule) compared to the seven of their opponents, seven student athletes, sophomore Domoree Hill, and freshmen, Raevon Floyd-Bennett, Brian Layden, Jon Baldwin, Kevin Meredith, Kevin Clancy and Dasantae Callis, were given all-CSFL distinction as honorable mentions on the conference-wide team.
Callis, the team’s top running back, ranked eighth in the league in total yards with 381 and fifth in yards per game with 76.2. Additionally, he totaled a very respectable 5.4 yards per carry.
As good as Callis was, he was able to put up those numbers due to an offensive line that supported the league’s fourth-best rushing average with 158.4 yards per game and the league’s best sack prevention, allowing just three the entire season. Anchoring this front five were Clancy and Meredith.
Wide receiver and defensive back, Floyd-Bennett totaled 571 all-purpose yards, ranking him third in the CSFL in all-purpose yards per game with 114.2. The majority of his yards came on kickoff returns, as with 242 on 10 returns, Floyd-Bennett ranked fourth in return yardage. Additionally, he had four interceptions on defense, good enough for third in the league.
Hill, the College’s leading receiver, ranked eighth in the CSFL in receptions with 19, fifth in receiving yards with 381 and tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns with four.
On defense, Layden led the Griffins with 39.5 total tackles, ranking second in the league in tackles per game with 9.8. Additionally, he had 3.5 sacks in just five games. Also earning recognition on the defensive side of the ball was Baldwin who had 25.5 tackles and finished tied for 10th in the CSFL in tackles per game with seven.
“We are very appreciative that the members of the Collegiate Sprint Football League chose to recognize members of the 2015 Chestnut Hill Sprint Football team for all league honors,” says Mike Pearson, head sprint football coach. “The members of the team did a great job and represented our school with honor. It is our sincere hope that the league choosing to recognize our players will help all new teams joining the CSFL to have similar opportunities in the future.”
— Marilee Gallagher ’14
