EYES ON THE PRIZE
“I actually don’t know whose fight song it is,” the 6-2, 225-pound running back with 4.7 speed in the 40-yard-dash said. “(My brother) put it on. I think it might be Indiana’s.”
While the tune may not ring a bell with DiBona, it does provide a clue as to where he may play next fall: the University of Iowa or Boston College.
The Hawkeyes, who want him as a fullback, have extended a scholarship offer, and DiBona said the Eagles, who see him as a linebacker, have courted him for three years.
‘‘I pretty much have my mind set on going to Iowa,’’ said DiBona, who is listed as the 21st-best fullback prospect in the nation by ESPN.com and rated higher at inside linebacker by rivals.com. ‘‘Whenever they call me, I’ll end up committing.
‘‘If (BC) makes me an offer, I’d have to think about it, but as of now that’s where I’m at. I’m happy with that. The first time I went out there (Iowa City), it was unbelievable. I can definitely see myself out there. It’s a lot nicer knowing where I’m going to go. The whole recruiting thing is hectic.”
“I don’t think he ever thought of himself as a being recruited by a Division 1 team. He was humbled,” DiBona’s father, Al, said. “You don’t hear of many Division 1 players coming out of this area. When it happened, he was thrilled with it. It just kind of opened up the whole world for him as far as what could happen.”
After DiBona collected 1,029 yards and 14 touchdowns on 120 carries his junior season, despite playing on a sprained ankle for much of the year, he sent out film to about 20 schools and was contacted within a week by Iowa, which wanted to know if he was serious about playing in the Midwest.
DiBona, however, didn’t realize how good he was until he scored three rushing touchdowns, including the game winner, against Xaverian the first week of this season. The game has already become somewhat legendary in Green Dragon lore. Trailing 24-14 with six minutes left, Duxbury dashed off a quick score before forcing Xaverian to go three-and-out. Duxbury converted a 33-yard pass on fourth and 9 before DiBona’s 5-yard TD scamper secured the 27-24 victory with 41 seconds remaining.
DiBona has been frustrated by teams overloading the box with as many as nine players, but he has still posted 100 carries for 950 yards and 12 TDs, helping Duxbury to an 8-0 record. The Green Dragons share the top spot in the Keenan Division of the Patriot League with Silver Lake and both teams will put their 4-0 league marks on the line Friday night when they tangle in Duxbury.
“People write a lot about you, and you gotta back it up,” DiBona said. “I felt like I could live up to it. I’ve been to (Division 1) games and I’ve watched a ton of them on TV. Given the chance, I felt like I could live up to that level, but coming out of where we come from, it’s kind of tough to get noticed.”
That all changed after DiBona logged 155 yards on 24 carries against Xaverian.
“I didn’t know what to expect because Duxbury didn’t even play teams of that caliber,” DiBona said. “The first drive we drove right down on them and it clicked, I began to say ‘Wow we can actually do that. Wow, I am a Division 1 player.”
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