After last year at Georgetown, the words victory and football rarely found themselves in the same sentence. Yet, after talks of cutting the 136-year-old program, time has been a saving grace. This season has proven more than the team’s worth – it has showcased their recently harnessed talent.After a winless 2009 season that left the team at the bottom of the Patriot League, Hoya football is now leading the pack after a hard-fought 3-1 start to the season and an incredible homecoming game.

Let’s hear it for the team, its coaches and its fans.

The football program, as commemorated in the university fight song, is a Georgetown tradition dating back to the team’s founding in 1874. By the 1940s, the Hoyas were one of the premier teams in America, competing in the Orange Bowl and the Sun Bowl as contenders. Temporarily disbanded for financial reasons during the World War II era, the program was reformed in 1964 at students’ urging.

This season began with shake-ups, including the addition of 34 new freshmen and a new and very able offensive coordinator, Dave Patenaude. The combination of fresh blood and experienced veterans in the 2010 season has delivered a second wind to a program most had written off. And the wins have caught the attention of even the most casual fans.

The homecoming game on Saturday – sold out and chock-full of supporters clad in blue and gray – was a moment that lifted university spirit and shocked naysayers. For a team that went 0-11 last season, the first return home game was inspiring to fans and well deserved for players, their first homecoming victory since 2006. When the crowd chanted the fight song together at the end of the game, it was an unforgettable moment for seniors and alumni. Most importantly, it was vindication for a program that has seen more than its fair share of struggles.

A winning program is more than just its players and coaches; our community should continue supporting its team throughout the season, by attending games and cheering on the Blue and Gray. We commend the team on their performance this homecoming and look forward to the remainder of an already incredible season. Hoya Saxa. “