When senior defensive back Anthony DeMaze came to Seton Hill University four years ago, little did he realize that a loss would feel so badly.
He wasn't alone.
After Seton Hill lost to West Liberty State College, 35-32, in Saturday in a game for the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title, there were tears and hugs in the locker room at Offutt Field.
It was a testament of how far this young program has come in four seasons of existence.
"There were 176 players in that first camp," DeMaze reflected. "We were a bunch of young guys looking to make a mark and take a chance on a new program."
Senior tackle A.J. Erni said: "We're a family and a team now. We've grown up."
The 2008 Seton Hill football team did make history. A day after feeling they lost a chance at an NCAA Division II playoff berth, the team earned a spot in the playoffs.
Seton Hill (9-2) will travel to Springfield, Mass., to battle American International College at noon Saturday in a first-round game. AIC also is making its first trip to the playoffs.
"We're going to give our best shot," DeMaze said. "I feel bad for the team we play."
Before Saturday's game, the school honored 27 seniors from that group who were playing their final game.
"That's special bunch of players," Seton Hill coach Joel Dolinski said in an emotional locker room. "I'd like to sit down and enjoy what we've accomplished. I love these guys and I wouldn't trade them for anybody."
Dolinski, a first-year coach, molded a team that was just a bunch of players into a unit that believed it could win every year.
Former coach and current Executive Director of Athletics Chris Snyder said nobody expected Seton Hill to win nine games this season and playing for the conference title, not even himself.
"We just envisioned getting better and better each year," Snyder said. "When I decided to step down and interview all the candidates, they all asked me what my expectations were this year, and I told them I'd be disappointed with any thing less than a 7-4 record. Joel was quick to remind me of that when we hit the seven-win mark.
"I'm so proud of him and our players to finish 9-2 when nobody ever would have thought that would happen. It's a tribute to our players who gave their lives four years to get where they are."
Snyder said he feels like a proud father watching the team play and grown.
"I don't have any children, so I kind of (have) taken them all on and watched them grow and develop since they were 18 years old and getting their butts kicked as true freshman," Snyder said. "Where they are now is so rewarding."
Erni vividly remembers those early days. He said a combination of hard work and dedication that has put Seton Hill on the map.
"We've come together as a team," Erni said. "We believe in each other and we learned how to win. We started a winning tradition.
"Four years ago, we were boys playing with a bunch of men. We're grown into men and we expect the underclassmen continue the tradition."
DeMaze said this has been a special year. He was amazed how far the program has come.
"We've come along way," he said. "No one expected us to be 9-2. We proved the critics wrong.
"We didn't have the brotherhood we do now when we started. I consider everyone in here my brother. To come so close and not win the conference hurts really badly."
Defensive back Matt Johnson echoed the feelings of his teammates about the program.
"We made a lot of friends and family," Johnson said. "We've made it has a program. I'm confident this program is just going to go up."
One opposing coach not surprised by Seton Hill's rise is West Liberty coach Roger Waialae.
"When we played them four years ago, I could see they had a lot of talent," Waialae said. "They're well coached, well disciplined. They'll be a threat in the conference for years to come."
Additional Information:District schedule
No. 6 Seton Hill (9-2) at No. 3 American International (9-1)
Noon, Saturday · John Homer Miller Field, Springfield, Mass.
TV: WQED-13 (digital only)
Series: First meeting
Notable: Both teams are making their first appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs. ... The winner will play at No. 2 California (Pa.) on Nov. 22.
Saint Vincent (1-8) at Bethany (2-7)
1 p.m., Saturday · Bethany Field, Bethany, W.Va.
Radio: WCNS-AM (1480).
Series: Bethany leads, 1-0.
Last meeting: Bethany, 66-7 (2007).
Notable: This is the final game of the season for both teams in the Presidents Athletic Conference. ... This will be the second meeting between the programs.
