Call it a comeback
at Mansfield University

By Melissa Yerkov
Times Sports Editor

More than a century after they were the first to play under the lights, the Mansfield University football team was left in the dark.
On Sept. 28,1892, sports history was made in Mansfield, Pa., when the Mountaineers faced Wyoming Seminary in the world’s first night football game. The after-dark game was possible thanks to a single lamppost, erected in the center of the field, and lasted only 20 minutes — ending scoreless after several players had accidental encounters with the light pole.
The unforgettable evening was followed by more than 100 years of football tradition at Mansfield University. That is, until the Mountaineers’ legacy was shattered in 2006, when the school’s football program was eliminated because of budgetary woes.
It was the end of an era.
"When the team was cut, I was lost," said former Mountaineers linebacker Solomon Isom, a Northeast High School graduate. "As long as I can remember, I’ve had football in my life. Once it was over with, I didn’t know what to do. I was really confused."
But football at Mansfield wasn’t down and out for long. It was reborn in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania this year when Mansfield University joined the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) — the only football league in the country where players must weigh 172 pounds or less.
"The program has really exceeded our wildest expectations," said Steve McCloskey, Mansfield’s director of athletic operations. "It was such a difficult thing when the program was dropped in ’06. This new league has just been stunning. Kids are thrilled to have an opportunity to continue their football career, after they thought they would never be able to."
Mansfield is the newest addition to the CSFL, which also includes Cornell, Princeton, Penn, Army and Navy. The Mountaineers are the only public university in the league, and also the only school where sprint football is the sole game on campus. The other schools, in addition to CSFL participation, have their traditional heavyweight squads.
The former football program at MU had been struggling for years, trying to survive on a $500,000 budget but repeatedly coming up short. The squad was estimated to need another $500,000 to become competitive. Sprint football, however, can successfully operate on a $166,000 budget. There are no scholarships and only one full-time employee.
Sprint football originated in 1934 and is played with the same rules and regulations, field size and game times as the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) football. The only difference is the size of the players.
"I’m working with younger men here. Sprint football is known for having self-motivated, go-getter-type guys," said Dan Davis, who accepted the Mountaineers’ head coaching position in March. "These young men have been told their whole lives that they’re too small to play football. This is a chance for them to go out and prove they have what it takes."
Since making Mansfield sports history once again last October with the announcement of sprint football, more than 150 high school players have expressed interest in joining the Mountaineers’ family. According to coach Davis, about 30 athletes are consistently coming to practice, and there is still room for more.
"We’re hoping to find another ten or fifteen before August," he said. "The future looks bright. There’s a lot of advantages we have. Pennsylvania is a great football state. We’re going to have a good group of guys this fall. I think the guys we have are hard-working guys."
Spring practices already have begun for the freshly formed Mountaineers, but with a new coach, new players and a new league, they are dealing with some growing pains.
"It’s interesting to see all the people who actually came out," said Isom, who was part of the original football program at Mansfield and now participates in the sprint league. "We haven’t really put pads on yet. We’re mainly doing agility drills and conditioning. It’ll be interesting to see how the coach gets everybody on the same page."
Originally, when the program was announced to the school’s athletes, it was met with apprehension and doubt. However, as the new sprint team unfolded, most Mountaineers had a change of heart.
"At first I was upset, but what’s the difference? I guess I can understand why they started this league," said Isom. "That’s the main thing, football is football. I’ve been playing against people bigger than me my whole life, and now I’m playing against guys my own size."
After playing with the Northeast High School Vikings for three seasons and graduating in 2004, Isom packed his pads and headed off to join the Mountaineers.
"I knew I wanted to play football in college," he said. "Other schools said I was too small, but Mansfield recruited me. It’s exciting to know that not many colleges do it (sprint league) and we’re one of the few. I’m really glad to be a part of it. It’s going to be fun. I plan on busting a few people up next semester."
After his days as a linebacker ended with the Mansfield football program in 2006, Isom went from hitting on the field to hitting in the ring — he took up boxing as an alternative.
"I just started boxing last semester and I love it," said Isom, who weighs 179 pounds now but plans to lose seven by fall. "Any sport that you can hit people and don’t get in trouble, I like it. I always had some sort of sport in my life, and there was no football, so I had to try something.
"Both sports are fun," he continued. "I’ve always done multiple sports. I like to work year round. Once football is over with, that’s when boxing starts, that way I’ll stay in shape the entire year round."
During his tenure at Northeast, Isom wrestled, played football and ran track for the Vikings. At Mansfield, he’s majoring in business, with a minor in economics.
"I’m glad I came to such a small school," said Isom, referring to the 3,360 students at MU. "Because it’s a small town, there’s not much to do and that allows you to juggle both sports and school. Sports keep me busy. I remember, after they canceled the football program, I just stayed in my room. I was so bored. Before, I had to go to practice, study, go to dinner . . . there was a schedule."
The Philadelphia native will be getting back in the swing of things soon enough. After the semester is over, Isom plans to return to his Philly roots this summer and begin training for his first season back on the football field.
Even with the start of a new generation of football at Mansfield University, the origins of the Mountaineers are still remembered today. The community has an annual 1890s weekend celebration to commemorate that unforgettable night under the lights.
The historic game — which ended after 10 plays — is re-enacted every year and attracts thousands of football fans. Everything from the uniforms to the size of the football, and even the plays, is recreated faithfully to recall how football was played in the late 1800s.
Since that historic night under the lights, the Mountaineers’ football tradition has been enriched with championship victories, unforgettable players and more than 100 years of memories. And despite that two-year hiatus, the game will go on at Mansfield University.
It’s time for more history to be made.
"There’s always going to be a few naysayers saying it’s not real football," said coach Davis. "My only comment for them is to come out and watch these kids and then tell me it’s not a real game." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com