Princeton sprint football travels to Cornell for season opener

Whenever a team endures a bit of a slump, one of two things generally tends to happen in the world of sports.

The first scenario is that the sinking team folds completely and prays that the end of the season comes quickly.

The second is that the players come together and decide they are going to do whatever it takes to get the team back in the win column.

As Princeton's sprint football team travels to Ithaca Friday evening, it will be looking to do the latter against Cornell.

Last season the Tigers could not buy a victory during league play, suffering through another 0-6 season. Princeton simply could not catch a break. To say the least, the Tigers are anxious to get the season under way.

Standing in the way of Princeton's return to the win column are the Big Red. Last season Cornell handed Princeton its first loss in a string of six consecutive defeats. The Big Red downed the Tigers at Schoellkopf Field, 27-6, almost one year ago to this date.

Cornell has essentially the same team this season as it did last year. The Big Red, though not the best team in a league that includes several skilled military academies, is a solid squad that is balanced on offense and defense.

Princeton will need to be at its best Friday if it wishes to avoid repeating past mistakes. The first game of any season is often critical, and for the slumping Tigers this game could make all the difference for the upcoming year.

A win for Princeton would reaffirm that all the preparation leading up to Friday evening paid off, and prove that the Tigers have placed last season's woes behind them.

Princeton is a team on a mission. The Tigers are out to prove that they can be a competitive team for all four quarters of a game. Above all the team is intent on showing skeptics that this is a new year and an entirely different squad.

"We have a full team this season for the first time in my four years on the team," senior fullback Rikki Racela said. "The fact that we have enough players so that not everyone has to play offense and defense should be a big boost for the team. It should give us an edge in the later stages of our games, since guys will be much fresher down the stretch."

However, if the Tigers are to rectify their problems from last season they have to be more effective on offense. Last year Princeton's offense often sputtered toward the opponents goal line, sometimes turning the ball over on its way to the end zone.

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However, according to Racela, the offense should be stronger this season as a result of some preseason work.

"Coach [Wadsworth] has been talking to the offensive guys, trying to get everyone fired up for the season," Racela said. "The offense will be better this season because the young guys have more experience under their belts. Last season, the unit was pretty young compared to the defense."

As far as the defense is concerned, everything appears to be in order. The Tigers will look to the defensive line to shut down its opponent's running game on a consistent basis.

"Our defense is the strength of the team. We have a lot of seniors who are nasty and well led," Racela said. "This year the defense will play with a lot of heart and knock a few heads in the process."

By the time the dust settles Friday night, the Tigers will know what they are made of, and whether or not they are ready to put the past behind them.