COLLEGE FOOTBALL: TIOGA'S BENJAMIN-DOYLE SIGNS TO PLAY SPRINT FOOTBALL AT MANSFIELD UNIVERSITY (2 PHOTOS) (2024-06-11)

By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTRAL - Sprint football offers 170-pound linemen the opportunity to play football in college, and Tioga senior Josh Benjamin-Doyle is eager to continue his playing days at Mansfield University.

Benjamin-Doyle signed a National Letter-of-Intent here Monday afternoon during a ceremony in the middle school auditorium that featured 13 Tioga seniors signing to play at the next level in four different sports.

"I was looking around. I looked at Cortland, but it really didn’t fit my personality.

Then I went to Mansfield, and I knew that was it," said Benjamin-Doyle. "The campus is amazing, the dorms are really nice.

"And, I have the chance to play football there; that was a big draw," he added.

Benjamin-Doyle said there will still be a bit of a transition from high school to college football.

"Right now, I’m being told I’ll be on the offensive line, but there’s a chance I’ll be moving around a bit to see where I fit best.

"I think it’s going to take some getting use to," he noted. "In high school, the linemen I was playing against were bigger, but slow. With sprint, it’s going to be faster, but I’ll get use to it."

Sprint football has a weight limit of 178 pounds for its players.

Tioga coach Nick Aiello is thrilled Benjamin-Doyle will get to continue his football career.

"I’m real excited about Josh.

"He was a lineman for us, and sprint football is perfect for him," said Aiello. "He was one of our tougher kids, and he has a motor that is on full throttle from whistle to whistle.

"I think he’ll really enjoy sprint football," noted Aiello. "I think he’ll feel like he belongs with those other guys because of the weight limit, and he won’t be the smallest guy out there.

"And, he’s always been very dedicated to the weight room," Aiello added. "I think it’s a perfect combination for him to really go to (Mansfield) and excel."

Aiello has little doubt Benjamin-Doyle will succeed at Mansfield.

"I think if he keeps doing what he’s doing, stays dedicated in the weight room and such, I think he’ll be fine.

"There may be a learning curve in terms of Xs and Os, but to me, he’s like the perfect mold of a sprint football lineman because he’s played the line as a smaller guy, his effort is tremendous, and he’s a tough physical kid; that’s a pretty good combination for sprint football," said Aiello.

Benjamin-Doyle knows he still has some work to do before playing at Mansfield.

"I’m trying to get into the best shape I can, and I’m trying to get as close to the weight limit as I can," he said.

"I’m going to have to compete against all the new guys coming in, as well as the juniors and seniors already on the team," added Benjamin-Doyle. "I’m going to have to prove I’m worthy of being there."

Benjamin-Doyle will major in strength and conditioning, with the aim of being a strength coach.

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IN PHOTO 1: Tioga senior Josh Benjamin-Doyle. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.


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