WORCESTER — The expectations were high for the Assumption College football team coming into the 2018 season after a stellar 2017 campaign.
Assumption went 8-1 during the 2017 regular season and won three NCAA Division II Tournament games before watching its postseason run end in a quarterfinal round loss to Indiana (PA). There was no shortage of changes for the Greyhounds this year, including a new coaching staff led by head coach Andy McKenzie.
It took Assumption a week to find its footing after dropping its season-opener to Kutztown (PA) but Revere native Kaleb Silva and the Greyhounds have rolled to five consecutive victories since then.
“We just had to get comfortable,” Silva, a senior, said. “We found ourselves after that first loss and we tweaked a couple things. We saw what we needed to fix and from there, we started rolling and we got really comfortable on defense.”
A starting strong safety, Silva has helped anchor Assumption’s defense with 35 tackles, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one sack in six games played this fall. The 2015 Revere High graduate and former varsity starter for longtime Patriots coach Lou Cicatelli forced a fumble and logged eight tackles in last Saturday’s 26-20 overtime win against Southern Connecticut State.
“Coming into the season knowing I knew it was a new defense,” Silva, who was named to the Northeast-10 All-Conference team last year as a junior, said. “My goal was to make sure I have it down, know what’s around me and get comfortable to the level where I can play fast and play how I know I can play.
Silva added, “It’s been a good year, I’m just trying to play my role, do my part and do what’s needed by me so we can be a complete defense and just win games.”
Assumption’s defense has locked down since allowing 28 points, a season high, in its Week 1 loss to Kutztown. Since then the Greyhounds have kept opposing teams to 21 points or fewer in each of the past five games.
“I think it was realizing that if we play to our potential as a defense we can accomplish good things,” Silva said. “At first it was just getting comfortable. Now it’s week by week, knowing what we can do as a team and individually. Now we’re playing ball.
“Something we’ve been talking about here is playing to our own standards,” Silva added. “We’re playing to our own standards and not worrying about who we have during the week. We settle down and accomplish the things we know we can accomplish.”
Silva said the Greyhounds aren’t placing too much focus on what they accomplished last year. Although Assumption’s hoping to jump back into the NCAA Tournament, Silva and his teammates are taking a week-by-week approach.
“There’s no pressure,” Silva said. “We’re going to take the season week-by-week, play well, focus on our standards. We focus on doing what we need to do, not worry about what’s later in the season. We focus on the week that’s up.”
With his college football career soon coming to a close, Silva has made it a priority to enjoy himself in his final go-round at Assumption. Silva’s on track to graduate with a degree in organizational communication in May.
“I’m just taking it day by day and enjoying it day by day,” Silva said. “There’s very few left so I’m just making sure I have fun with it.”
The Greyhounds, 5-0 in NE-10 Conference play, visit New Haven Saturday afternoon (1) before closing their regular season with tilts against LIU Post, Bentley and Stonehill.
