Ryan grads prove to
be great Warriors

By Joe Mason
Times Sports Editor

Nick Pinto and Joe Dumas couldn’t be happier.
Both 2001 graduates of Archbishop Ryan High School, Pinto and Dumas were talented players on the Raiders football squad and wanted to continue their careers on the gridiron.
And they found the perfect fit.
Pinto and Dumas are now seniors and contributing football players at Lycoming College, a Division 3 school in Williamsport, Pa.
They join Northeast residents Sean Murphy, Greg Silenok, Paul Roken, Mike Piotrowicz and Brian Mitchell at Lycoming. The team finished 8-1 in the Middle Atlantic Conference a year ago, and 9-2 overall, en route to a berth in the Division 3 playoffs. They advanced to the semifinals of the tournament.
Pinto and Dumas are receiving quality minutes in the Warriors’ defensive backfield. They also know that this will be their last year playing competitive football.
And although both will miss stepping on the field and playing the sport they’ve loved since childhood, they are hoping to go out with a great season before embarking on their futures.
Life at Lycoming, they agree, has been a good experience.
"I love it here," said Pinto, who started at strong safety last season and recorded five interceptions and 45 tackles. "It was nice to have Joe come with me because we are good friends, but this isn’t a school where it’s hard to make friends.
"I’m glad I came here," Pinto added. "We have great coaches, the kids are all really cool, and everyone’s friends with everyone. I think what I like best about this school is that the transition was easy because the seniors were very welcoming. This year, we have to treat the underclassmen the same way."
Pinto and Dumas had stellar careers at Archbishop Ryan for Glen Galeone’s Raiders. But during their college careers, they have endured their share of adversity.
During his freshman year, Pinto was practicing on special teams when he planted his foot the wrong way and tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The injury ended his season, but last year he was back to play the key role in the Warriors’ defense.
Dumas, on the other hand, was injury-free during his first two seasons at Lycoming. But last year, during an early-season game, he dislocated his elbow and missed the rest of the season.
The good news is that both players are now 100-percent healthy, and they are hoping to guide the Warriors to their 10th appearance in the NCAA Division 3 playoffs since 1990.
"I know I have to earn my job back, but I’m working hard and the elbow’s fine," Dumas said. "This is it for the seniors, and we want to do better than last year. This year, my goal is to stay healthy, contribute as much as possible in any way, and, hopefully, win a championship.
"Last year was hard," Dumas added. "The guys did great and I was at every game, watching and helping out, but I couldn’t play. I tried to come back but I got hurt again, and then I was really frustrated. I just hope I can put (the injury) behind me, come out this year and just concentrate on football."
Pinto has plenty of sympathy for his friend.
"I felt bad for Joe because I knew what he was going through last year," Pinto said, recalling how his knee injury disrupted his freshman season. "I’m glad I recovered, and now Joe is completely healed. Hopefully we’ll be able to play well this year."
Pinto and Dumas are doing pretty well off the field, too, keeping up with their classroom studies. Dumas is studying accounting, and when he graduates in May he plans to join the Center City office of Price Waterhouse Cooper as an auditor.
"I worked as an intern there and they offered me a job when I graduate," Dumas said. "It’s perfect because I want to come home after I graduate and I know what’s expected of me there. I still have a year of school, and hopefully a successful year of football, but it’s nice to know what I’ll be doing when I’m done."
Pinto, a criminal-justice major at Lycoming, is making plans for a career in law enforcement. He also would like to come back to the city.
"I really want to work for the FBI at some point, but I’m still looking," Pinto said. "I mean, I would love to continue playing football, but that’s not realistic. Every kid’s dream is to play in the NFL, and it was mine too. Right now, I’m hoping to move back to Philly and get a job in some type of law enforcement and then see what happens." oo
Sports editor Joe Mason can be reached at 215-354-3035 or jmason@phillynews.com