The St. Thomas football team beat the Dayton Flyers 32-9 on Saturday at O’Shaughnessy Stadium, a satisfying win to end to an unsatisfying season.
The Tommies were expected to contend for a Pioneer Football League championship this season, only to finish in the middle of the pack with a 5-3 league record (6-6 overall).
While Division I football is a result-driven commodity, on a day when the program said goodbye to 17 seniors, St. Thomas coach Glenn Caruso was more interested in focusing on the love he had for his players than wins and losses.
“The level of expectation is very high,” Caruso said of the Tommies’ program. “The biggest thing for us is to keep things in perspective. This senior class has allowed us to see things in a different perspective.
“When we fall short we don’t shy away from it,” Caruso added. “One of the things I love about our guys is that they stand up to their shortcomings and they’re willing to grow from it.”
The Tommies were led once again by senior running back Hope Adebayo, who rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Afterward, he acknowledged that the Tommies fell short of expectations.
“It’s life,” Adebayo said. “It is sad that we weren’t able to finish the season the way that we know that we can, but I’m thankful for the guys in the locker room. A championship would be good, but in the long run, the brotherly love that we have for each other is going to surpass that.”
Adebayo, who said he hopes to get a chance to play professionally, will be remembered as one of the greats to play for the Tommies. He also has a special place in his coach’s heart.
“There are now 440 guys who have graduated through the program the last 17 years,” Caruso said. “I don’t know if there is another single young man who has sacrificed and given of himself more than Hope Adebayo — physically, mentally emotionally.
“His reach goes far past 127 yards and 22 touches. He is the best this school and this program has to offer.”
Adebayo said his coach will have a everlasting affect on him as well.
“Coach Caruso took a chance on me coming out of high school when a lot of schools didn’t,” he said. “I’m forever grateful for that. I’m forever grateful that after four-and-a-half years, I leave this place a much better man than when I came in because of him.”
The game began on a sour note for the Tommies when a fumble by quarterback Tak Tateoka led to a Dayton field goal. But the Tommies were in control the rest of the way.
Adebayo’s first touchdown, an 11-yard run off of a direct snap, gave them a 7-3 lead after the first quarter. They scored 18 straight points in the second to take a 25-3 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Tateoka connected with wide receiver Colin Chase on a 42-yard touchdown pass early in the quarter. Safety Ryan Calcagno then returned a fumble 34 yards for a touchdown. Caruso elected to go for a two-point conversion, and it was successful, with Grif Wurtz running the ball in.
Ben Hoiland connected on a 31-yard field goal with a minute to play in the first half.
Adebayo’s second touchdown came on a 1-yard run early in the fourth.
The Tommies’ defense had a big day. It kept the Flyers out of the end zone until late in the game and had three interceptions to go with Calcagno’s fumble recovery.
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