Pacific Index

Brody Bantolina wins NWC Student-Athlete of the Week

Many people would consider 168 yards and two touchdowns to be a stand-out performance. 

But Pacific’s junior Brody Bantolina is not like most running backs. Bantolina averages those numbers each game—except in week two against the Lewis and Clark Pioneers, when Bantolina rushed for 256 yards and punched the ball into the endzone twice, breaking a 72-year-old record for rushing yards in a single game. The record was previously held at 234 yards by both Al Navarro, who tied the record in 1989, and Frank Buckiewicz Sr. who initially set it back in 1952.

But a single-game rushing yards wasn’t the only record broken that afternoon. During the second quarter, the Boxers were pinned at the one-yard line after a great kick and roll by the Lewis and Clark punting squad. On the next play, with fans worried about the offense potentially giving up a safety, Bantolina found a crease, and saw nothing but green grass ahead of him. Without hesitation, he hit the hole full speed and was off to the races. After a 99-yard sprint, Bantolina made his way to the endzone untouched; the longest offensive play in school history and a big momentum swing that helped the Boxers cap a 34-24 win.

After this game, Bantolina was named Northwest Conference (NWC) Student Athlete of the Week. 

Going into this season, Bantolina has played with a chip on his shoulder. He isn’t happy about the 2-7 record the team finished with last year. “I think we could have done a lot better as a team. I was a little salty. I am sure the whole team was disappointed in how we performed last year,” Bantolina told me. “But being able to perform how we did in this game felt really good.”

Currently, the Boxers are 2-1, and Bantolina has 506 total rushing yards, with six touchdowns to go with that; currently on pace to finish well over his first-team all-conference season last year. Although one of his goals coming into the year was to finish the season with 1,000 yards, he has a new goal in mind. “Honestly, I wasn’t ever really thinking about it, but that’s being an All-American. As of now, it’s a little bit more real.” 

Indeed: Three weeks into the season, Bantolina is currently third in the country in rushing yards. All-American is very much a real possibility at this point. 

The Boxers travel to Tacoma on Saturday, October 5 to play the Puget Sound Loggers.