Daniel Papantonis has rushed for more than 3,000 yards in his four seasons in a Yellowjackets uniform. University of Rochester athletics photo

By Brian Lester
D3sports.com

Daniel Papantonis always believed that somehow, some way, Rochester would push past the challenging moments over the last few years and eventually bask in the glow of success.

The veteran running back held onto that hope even when the Yellowjackets were a three-win team, or when they were 5-5 a year ago.

Through four games this season, Rochester is 4-0 and feeling good about where it’s at, riding a wave of optimism heading into the start of Liberty League play this weekend.

“Getting through the hard parts was difficult, but having those tougher conversations and trusting every guy on the roster made it easy to get through the tough parts,” Papantonis said. “And seeing how much better we’ve gotten year after year, it made it all worth it. I don’t think anyone doubted we would get here at some point.”

Fifth-year defensive back Simon Weeren agrees there was a prevailing feeling the day would come when the team would flip the script.

“Coming off some tough years and feeling like we were climbing every year and getting better, it’s been great to see the hard work pay off,” Weeren said. “Starting 4-0, looking at our schedule, we thought we could be here going into league play. We’re happy to accomplish that goal.”

Coach Chad Martinovich said the success this year is a result of the work that has been poured into the program since he arrived here in 2018.

“It’s been a process in rebuilding the program over the last six years, and these seniors and fifth year guys have been through a lot, playing early in their careers,” Martinovich said. “Now it’s a veteran group ready to take the next step.”

Martinovich knows about building programs. He did it at MIT for nine seasons, winning a New England Football Conference championship in 2014 and taking the program to the NCAA Division III playoffs for the first time that season.

“It’s the same blueprint from when I was at MIT. There have been a lot of parallels,” Martinovich said. “This is about the same time we started to turn the corner there.

“It starts with recruiting,” Martinovich continued. “We’ve done a good job of finding the right kids from around the country. We’re looking for the best and the brightest to come here and get a great education, and play football at a high level. Our experience and talent is at the point where we can compete with anyone on the schedule.”

That includes in the Liberty League where the task is more difficult.

“By no means is it going to be easy. The Liberty League is very strong week in and week out, and we know it’s a big challenge,” Martinovich. “I feel we have the type of athletes that can match up with anyone we play in the league. Where, three, four, five years ago, that definitely was not the case.”

Rochester has scored 28 or more in each of its first four games while posting one shutout (against Alfred State) and holding another team (Salve Regina) to six points.

Papantonis has been a big part of the offense. A veteran running back who is a three-time all-league pick, he has rushed for 407 yards and five touchdowns in 2024.

With 24 rushing touchdowns in his career, he gives a ton of credit to the offensive line, which has the Yellowjackets averaging 304 yards per game.

“Those guys have made me look very good over the last four years,” Papantonis said. “There is never a doubt when I’m touching the ball that there is going to be a crease somewhere.”

Papantonis said everyone is on the same page as well when it comes to the offense and that there aren’t any players you can overlook within the offense.

“With the amount of talent and skill we have at each position, it makes it easy for the offense to generate plays,” Papantonis said. “You can’t take your eyes off anyone on the field for a second. We have guys who can make a play at any time.”

The same can be said about the defense, which is giving up 270.5 yards per game and has produced 50 points off turnovers.

Weeren leads the defense with 29 tackles while Jordy Tawa has picked off a pass in four straight games. He leads the team in that department.

Weeren said the defensive unit points to the experience factor as the reason the Yellowjackets have been so good on that side of the ball.

“We’re just an experienced group,” Weeren said. “We don’t flinch when things are thrown at us, like sudden changes or giving up big plays. “We are confident as a group. When we step on the field, we have the ability to not only stop the opposing offense, but we can really make a difference and help out our own offense.”

Martinovich said the experience factor is huge when it comes to how well Rochester has played on both sides of the ball, and that plays into the Yellowjackets doing their jobs at a high level.

“We preach about being disciplined and avoiding pre-snap and post-snap penalties,” Martinovich said. “We’ve been efficient on third down with the defense getting off the field and our offense staying on the field and moving the sticks. We also preach ball security, and we are doing pretty well there. It’s a formula for winning football that we have to continue on a weekly basis.”

Papantonis came back for a grad school year rather than walk away from football. He did it to be part of a season he knew had the potential to be special.

“It means the world to me,” Papantonis said. “You hear a lot that winning is addictive, and we aren’t satisfied with 4-0. We want to go 1-0 every week. To share this experience with my younger brother (Aidan) and with teammates who I have grinded with for so long, it’s a great thing to be a part of.”

Weeren is grateful to be on the team still as well. A two-time all-league selection, he said it feels good to see the team turn the corner after some not so easy seasons.

“We have a great group of seniors and fifth-year guys who have bought in,” Weeren said. “We get to showcase what we’ve been working on. Anytime you win a college football game, it’s great, but it’s even better after coming off the hard years where you are getting beat pretty good.

“We’ve taken that next step and we are ready to challenge the usual contenders in our league.”