The New Hampshire

Issue date: 9/19/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Chris Shipley / Courtesy Photo Sophomore R.J. Toman has will most likely be behind center when the Wildcats record their 500th win in team history.

It's been a long time since UNH football won its first game (almost 114 years to be exact). As things stand now, it shouldn't be long before the Wildcats celebrate their 500th.

The Wildcats, who currently stand at 496 wins all-time, have been through a lot en route to this plateau. They've seen big wins, like the 66-0 route of Lowell way back in 1936, embarrassing losses, an 83-0 loss at the hands of Tufts in 1914, and everything in between.

More recently, they've seen players with a knack for breaking records like Dave Ball and Ricky Santos. They've seen players take their career to the next level, most notably Jerry Azumah. They've seen emotional wins and they've seen heartbreaking losses (last year's playoff loss to Northern Iowa). Allow this to serve as a "greatest hits" of UNH football.

The Wildcats saw their first of two Northeast Conference championship seasons under head coach William Cowell in 1929. Led by Captain John Shea, UNH went 7-2 before repeating the feat in 1931 behind captain Dick Eustis.

The Wildcats joined the Yankee conference in 1947 and were 11-time conference champs before moving to the Atlantic 10 in 1997, coming off an 8-3 season under head coach Bill Bowes in 1996.

UNH didn't enjoy a pleasant transition to the Atlantic 10, as they finished 5-6 in 1997 and 4-7 in 1998, Bowes' last season with the team. The struggles continued initially under new coach Sean McDonnell, but all of that changed when Santos arrived on the scene.

As a freshman, Santos led the Wildcats to a 10-3 record in 2004, the second winning season under McDonnell. From there the Wildcats established themselves as a playoff team, making it every year with Santos at quarterback. On October 7, 2006 Santos' favorite target, David Ball broke Jerry Rice's all-time record for touchdown receptions when he caught his 51st against Richmond.

Ball went on to distance himself in the record books, as he finished his Wildcat career with 58 touchdown grabs before landing in the NFL with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent. Sadly, his tenure didn't last long in the NFL, as he was cut by the Bears and eventually the New York Jets.

The Wildcats have still seen their fair share of players who have gone on to play in the NFL. Azumah, who currently holds the Wildcats career rushing record, went on to become a very successful defensive back and return specialist with the Chicago Bears from 1999-2005 before retiring due to injury.

Fullback Dan Kreider won a Super Bowl ring with the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the St. Louis Rams. Other Wildcats who went on to play in the NFL include Jason Ball (Chargers) and Corey Graham (Bears). Santos and Ball have found a home in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes.

With the long history of this program, the future looks bright for Coach McDonnell's team, but whether it be the success that they've had or the players they've produced, Wildcat fans can be sure of one thing- their team isn't going to stop at 500.

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