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Heenan thrust into starting role

A case can certainly be made that quarterback Drew Heenan scored the most significant touchdown in the history of the Springfield College football program when he raced 55 yards to erase a one-point deficit against second-ranked Cortland State in the third round of the NCAA Division III playoffs last Saturday.

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The TD gave Springfield a 34-28 lead early in the third quarter and the Pride extended their season by posting a 40-28 victory. The win, which came against last year’s Division III national champion, improved Springfield’s record to 12-0 and marked the first time Springfield has won 12 games in a season.

“That TD came at a massive point in the game,” Springfield coach Mike Cerasuolo said. “Really big moment for the team.”

Heenen, who played football and baseball at Londonderry High School, scored two touchdowns in the victory, which the Springfield website described as “the biggest win in program history.”

What makes the story even juicier is the fact that Heenan wasn’t the team’s starting quarterback until the playoffs arrived. Heenan, a sophomore, took over when starter Jacob Silvester sustained a season-ending knee injury during the first quarter of Springfield’s final regular season game against SUNY Maritime.

Heenan helped Springfield earn an NCAA playoff berth by beating SUNY Maritime, 55-20. After a bye week, he was the starter for a 54-27 triumph over UMass-Dartmouth and then had his best game at the collegiate level against Cortland State when he ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries, and completed 3-of-4 passes for 33 yards.

“Great win, great environment,,” Heenan said. “It was awesome.

“I tried not to put pressure on myself (when Silvester was injured). Just go out there and play the game I love. Just compete and produce the best I can for the team.

“I was comfortable with the offense. I was definitely a little nervous (against SUNY Maritime), but as the game went on and I got my feet under me I felt  a lot better. By my second drive, third drive, I felt very comfortable and I was just playing ball at that point.

“The bye week lined up very well for my situation, especially. Having the bye and getting those reps with the starters, building that trust and that connection with them for that week was really nice, and then obviously another full week of practice after that. Having those extra practices to get on the same page as all the guys who have been playing together for three or four years was really huge.”

Cerasuolo said he had full confidence in Heenan’s ability to run the offense when Silvester was injured.

“No concern whatsoever,” Cerasuolo said. “Drew’s worked extremely hard to become the player he is. Very knowledgeable. Smart. Cares. Passionate about the game, and obviously came from a great program. He’s used to big games and pressure situations, so I don’t think that was a factor at all coming from Londonderry and the success he had there.

“The more reps he gets he sees things a little bit better. They become a little bit more clear for him. The first game there were a lot of checks going on. He got us into the right play pretty much every single time because he sees how the defense is aligned and he’s able to put the ball in the right person’s hands based on what the defense is giving us. His confidence continues to grow with each rep, whether it’s practice or game situations as well. It’s been special to see. 

“He’s running the show now.”

Springfield, which is known for its triple-option/flexbone offense, set an NCAA Division III record for rushing yards in a season this year (5,327). Next up for the Pride is a matchup at top-ranked North Central College (Ill.) in Saturday’s Division III quarterfinals. The Cardinals (12-0) won the national championship in 2019 and 2022, and lost to Cortland State in last year’s Division III championship game.

“We always say it falls back to our core values: attitude, effort and match that with our execution,” Cerasuolo said. “This team is No. 1 in the country for a reason. If we bring a positive attitude and a tremendous effort – relentless effort – and if we can match that with our execution we’ll give ourselves a chance. We’re just fighting for another week of football.”

North Central has advanced to the national quarterfinals in each of the last five seasons. The Cardinals have won 12 straight playoff games at home.

“Each game I’ve gotten more and more comfortable, more and more confident, and going into this weekend I’m excited for the opportunity to play a great team,” Heenan said. “We’re going to have to make plays, but you have to do that every game. 

“It’s exciting because it’s my first time being on a plane going to a football game. Being able to experience this with the team and playing a game this late in the year is really awesome. It helped coming to the realization that it’s just football. It’s not anything different than the game I’ve been playing my whole life.”

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