Week 1 Flashback Moment: Keiser Returns to Action, Defeats Florida Memorial 62-0

WEST PALM BEACH – A return to football may not have always been in the cards for Keiser.

But on Saturday, Sept. 12, the Seahawks made their much anticipated return.

In what was Florida Memorial’s first game as a new football program, Keiser took control of the game from the opening kickoff and carried it to a 62-0 drubbing at its home stadium.

In an offseason with so much uncertainty and question marks, it was a breath of fresh air for the Seahawks to return to the field and open up their season.

“We’ve talked so much about COVID and all the adversity we’ve dealt with. COVID really had to teach us how to take a step back and don’t take anything for granted,” Keiser head coach Doug Socha said over a Zoom call with the media, a new normal during these times.

“We’ve had some things we had to deal with,” Socha continued. “Personally, with our families with COVID and being away from the team. … Some normalcy, getting back into school and back into football. Then obviously, kicking off here and it felt like a normal Saturday afternoon.”

For so many college football programs across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic brought adversity during the offseason. Training camps were cancelled for schools, while the start of the season was delayed or in some cases, cancelled due to concerns with the virus.

In the case of No. 9 Keiser, the pandemic brought a late start to the college football season. The Seahawks normally begin their season in late August, so the post-Labor Day start is new and difficult for some to handle.

“We’ve been with our guys here since Aug. 3 and working hard and obviously trying to get their bodies physically ready to go,” Socha said. “It’s been a slow start to the fall, obviously with school starting. By now, you’re into Week 3 here. … It was good. I told every guy in the locker room before the game, ‘At some point during this game, really just take a deep breath and think about the moment. Think about these last few months that we’ve had to deal with.’”

On the field, it was much of the same from last season for the Seahawks.

By the end of the first quarter, Keiser (1-0; 1-0 Sun Conference) scored four rushing touchdowns en route to a 28-0 lead. The home team carried that success in the second, when a Kade Glenn blocked punt and two Eli Mathews touchdown passes made the score 48-0.

It was a complete performance for the Seahawks, as each phase (offense, defense, and special teams) contributed positively throughout the game.

The Seahawks defense pitched the first shutout in program history, holding the Lions (0-1; 0-1 Sun Conference) to just 219 total yards. The offense, for comparison, gained 467 total yards.