Springfield athletics photo by Ella Travaglino

By Greg Thomas
D3football.com

“Be where your feet are.”

That was a direct quote from both Springfield College coach Mike Cerasuolo and graduate student fullback Arsen Shtefan this week. Aside from having the nation’s top rushing offense — by a significant margin — this focus on the present has been a key factor in the Pride’s 7-0 start. 

“Each week there's a process to be built throughout the course of the week to prepare and be able to have the opportunity to compete at a high level on a Friday or Saturday night,” Cerasuolo said. “We truly don't get too caught up in what's next. Be where your feet are and focus on this. This is what is guaranteed, and we're guaranteed an opportunity to practice today, to meet today, and to be together today.”

The Pride have built on those daily opportunities to create a force in Region 1. Springfield is the only team in Division III to have rushed for at least 500 yards in a single game, a feat they’ve done four times this season. The Springfield triple option is operating at peak efficiency in 2024, outpacing last year’s team by more than 50 rush yards per game. Experience in the backfield is paying off. Along with Shtefan, senior quarterback Jacob Silvester, senior running back Blaine Hart, and senior running back Dante Vasquez have collectively rushed for 2,291 yards this season, which would be the fourth most by any team in Division III. 

“We've grown together each and every year. We've gotten better and better because we've set a standard for ourselves,” Shtefan said of his senior and graduate student teammates. “We always want to exceed that standard and exceed all expectations. Having great leadership in this program and having 100 great brothers by our sides to play helps.”

Springfield’s seniors are on the cusp of setting yet another new standard for the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference. If the Pride are able to close out this season with a NEWMAC championship, they will have won their fourth consecutive title and fifth title in seven seasons of NEWMAC play. If Springfield can win their final three games, they will have completed the four-peat without suffering a loss in conference play. 

A perfect 10-0 season would be Springfield’s first since 2017, but unlike 2017, there are bracketing principles that could lead to greater rewards. Springfield currently sits in the top five of the NCAA Power Index (NPI). The top 8 teams in the NPI will receive home games, a bye to the second round, and bracketing that keeps them away from the other top eight seeded teams until the quarterfinals. Not a bad prize package at all. 

Shtefan is no stranger to prizes. The graduate student is the reigning NEWMAC Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team D3football.com All-Region 1 performer from 2023 and is having a stellar 2024 campaign. Shtefan is currently second in the NEWMAC in rushing yards and tied with teammate Hart for the conference lead in rushing touchdowns with 10. But Shtefan and his teammates aren’t worried about the postseason or awards yet. Their main focus remains on this week’s game. 

“It’s obviously our last year, so we want to do the best we can each and every week. We only have three guaranteed games left, and we don’t know what’s going to happen after that,” Shtefan said. “It’s Senior Week, so I'm excited to play Norwich, and I'm sure I'm speaking for everyone on the team when I say they're excited to play as well. Obviously it'd be great playing in the postseason, but right now we're worried about playing Norwich.”

As Shtefan approaches his final regular season home game and the celebrations that come with Senior Day, he will have left an impact not just on the field at Springfield but off the field as well. Shtefan and his teammates have taken the opportunity to use their status as successful student-athletes to make positive impacts in the Springfield community. 

“We did Bikes for Kids, where we got to hang out with kids and do a practice simulation for them. It was cool to see them happy and making their day,” Shtefan told Around the Nation. “It's nice to know that as athletes and as football players here, we're making an impact on the community around us. We're just fortunate to have such a great community that supports us so much.”

Cersuolo added that service is an important part of the Springfield football program. “It ties right back into the mission of the college; service and leadership to others. We try to do something with our guys every month or every month and a half.” Cerasuolo continued, “Just last week, we had our men's mental health awareness game. We’re involved in Be The Match, which Andy Talley started about 15 to 18 years ago. We hold a bone marrow drive every year right before our brotherhood challenge, which is a culmination of our spring practice and kind of really encompasses an entire day. We were heavily involved in Team IMPACT, which takes kids with life-threatening diseases and has them mentor up with the team.”

The opportunity to use football as a means to make positive change helps maintain perspective for Springfield’s players. “We're always doing something with our guys so that they understand that it's bigger than just a game. We have a platform, and let's utilize it and use it, and let's show who we really are,” Cerasuolo said. “Not just football players, but we're people that care about the community and care about others and try to live that selfless mindset. Everything we do in our program, we want them to ultimately be able to carry it over into, you know, their, their lives after their four years at Springfield College. We're only here for a short time with these guys, but they've got a lifetime beyond it.”

Go Pig or Go Home

The holiday season is approaching and there’s no better time for schools to take inspiration from Springfield’s record of service and look outward to their communities. This Saturday Rowan and Montclair State will do just that as they play the inaugural Breakfast Bowl in Glassboro. Regional jargon disagreements aside- the winner will decide if New Jersey’s staple breakfast meat will be called Taylor Ham or Pork Roll for the next year- the schools are using the event to raise awareness for food insecurity in New Jersey and are collecting donations for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. You can learn more about the game by revisiting Around the Nation Podcast 355 from back in July, when we talked with Montclair coach Mike Palazzo and Rowan coach Pat Ruley.

There are plenty of other examples of Division III football programs using their spotlights to benefit their community. The Courage Bowl hosted by Brockport supports Camp Good Days, an organization that provides support and experiences for children diagnosed with cancer or sickle cell anemia. Wabash and DePauw tap into the competitive nature of the Monon Bell Classic to organize an annual “bleed for the Bell” blood donor drive. These are just a couple of examples of the notable efforts across Division III to use athletics as a vehicle to give back to their communities. Around the Nation salutes all of the great charity work being done at their schools and welcomes the Breakfast Bowl to the growing library of #whyD3 causes across the country. 

Seven ways to Saturday 

Whether you need to recap the week that was or get ready for the week to come, D3football.com is your daily source for fresh Division III football content. We’re bringing the content seven ways to Saturday. 

Sunday: New Top 25 Poll

Monday: Around The Nation podcast. Pat Coleman and Greg Thomas recap the weekend that was and preview the weekend to come in Division III football.

Tuesday: Team of the Week Honors

Wednesday: Features columns

Thursday: Around the Nation Column

Friday: Quick Hits featuring our panel’s predictions and insights into the weekend’s games

Saturday: Game Day! The D3football.com Scoreboard has all of your links for stats and broadcasts. 

I’d Like to Thank…

Special thanks to Springfield’s Mike Cerasuolol and Arsen Shtefan for spending time with Around The Nation this week. Additional thanks to Brian Magoffin, Director of Strategic Athletic Communications and Coordinator of College Media Relations at Springfield College for coordinating our conversations this week! 

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There’s nothing small about small college football. Division III is home to 240 teams, and many thousands of student-athletes and coaches. There are so many more stories out there than I can find on my own. Please share your stories that make Division III football so special for all of us! Reach out to me at greg.thomas@d3sports.com or on X @wallywabash to share your stories.