With a dominating performance in every sense of the word, Penn sprint football annihilated Princeton 70-0 Friday at Franklin Field to earn a share of the Collegiate Sprint Football League championship.
The Quakers haven’t received the honor in 10 seasons, as Navy has maintained a stranglehold on the title in recent years.
After falling to one-loss Army last week, the Red and Blue (7-1, 4-1 CSFL) needed a win against Princeton to claim the title. In front of the fans, parents and alumni that have been the backbone of this close-knit squad, the team earned that victory in a crushing manner.
“We just really wanted to end the season on a high note, go out with a win for the coaching staff and for the seniors,” said sophomore wide receiver Whit Shaw.
After a scoreless seven-and-a-half minutes, senior Zak Klinvex blocked a Princeton (0-7, 0-5) punt. Just two plays later, Mike Bagnoli ran 17 yards into the endzone to put Penn on the board.
From that point on, the Quakers never looked back, racking up 10 touchdowns and allowing none. Bagnoli ran for 266 yards — the second-most in a single game by any Penn player — and four touchdowns. Overall, Penn netted 410 yards on the ground compared to the Tigers’ 43 and amassed a total 632 yards.
Records fell across the board for the Quakers. Quarterback Todd Busler set a record for career passing yards, earning 218 on Friday to put him at 2,742 over three years.
A 60-yard pass to Shaw put him atop Penn’s career receiving yards as well, reaching 1,404 yards in only his second season.
In total, five separate Penn players scored touchdowns, with two each from Shaw and running back Chris Twombly. Wide receiver Joe Squadroni and linebacker Alexander Starr both added touchdowns of their own — Starr’s came off an interception return.
But for coach Bill Wagner, the numbers on the scoreboard weren’t the real story of the game.
Instead, Wagner focused on the true team aspect of the victory, in which every player saw time on the field.
“It felt great for all of our kids — for 45-plus kids to get into the football game and have a part of the championship in their final game for this season,” Wagner said.
As Army defeated Navy 32-30, both Penn and the Black Knights will share the championship, giving Penn its first title since 2000. The Quakers also finished with the best record of the CSFL’s three Ivy League teams.
Outward accolades were not the main focus of the team, however, which is known for a close, familial atmosphere.
“It was an outstanding year, a great way to finish the season and a great way for our seniors to graduate,” Wagner said.
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