The Pacific football team wants to go hunting this fall.
 
"The hunt is the idea that everybody has this one common goal we're trying to attain, and for us, that's our best football," Pacific head coach Ian Falconer said "Our best football, we think is trying to find a championship level of football and trying to hunt out the best level of championship football that we can find. I think we're capable of playing that. I think we have some returners on both sides of the ball that are ready to play their best football."
 
The Boxers return a championship level talent in senior running back Brody Bantolina.
 
A D3football.com Preseason All-American, Bantolina led all of Division III with 2,198 all-purpose yards in 2024 and finished second in rushing yards with 1,533, a new Pacific single-season record. 
 
Bantolina's 15 rushing touchdowns tied the school record. He also broke the Boxer record for rushing yards in a game, 256, and the longest run, 99, both coming against Lewis & Clark last September. 
 
Bantolina enters his senior season with 2,917 career rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. 
 
"Being that level of athlete, nationally, is pretty special," Falconer said of Bantolina. "It's great to have Brody back."
 
Pacific also returns First Team All-Northwest Conference wide receiver Josiah Chaffin, who finished his junior season with 55 receptions for 883 yards and eight touchdowns.
 
Seniors Tyce Kaden Pacheco and Brayden Foreman along with junior Kanale Coelho lead the Boxer offensive line into the 2025 season.
 
The biggest question mark comes at quarterback, where Pacific had a three-way competition through fall camp between junior Emana Tarape and sophomores Makana Kamaka-Brayce and Keaton Smith.
 
"Each guy has different strengths," Falconer said. "We need quarterbacks that can play well enough to put us in good situations. The No. 1 thing for quarterback is always decision making. They've all done a good job. I know they all want it."
 
The Boxer defense will have a different look this season under new coordinator John Bates, who takes over the unit after 12 seasons at George Fox.
 
"Coach Bates is doing a really good job," Falconer said. "He's very experienced, and he's played in this league. He knows how to coach young people to play well. I think the buy-in is huge.
 
"It has been encouraging to see the guys really grab a hold of a new style of coaching and play with a new defensive coordinator. They're being held to a really high standard. And I like that. They're playing well together. I've seen some returners really step up leadership wise."
 
Nehemiah Faleulu, an all-conference honorable mention defensive lineman last season, is moving to linebacker after recording 45 tackles and seven sacks as a junior. 

"He's had a great camp. Coaches have been really impressed," Falconer said.
 
Senior Rayne Passi returns on the defensive line after breaking out as a junior with 32 tackles, including five for loss.
 
"He's a little bit bigger and stronger this year," Falconer said. "He's had a really great camp. I'm excited for him. He's learned what it's going to take and is ready to step up as a senior."
 
Linebackers Rylan Ma'ae, Jimmy Green and Avin Tanioka, defensive lineman Xavier Walker and cornerback Everett Ratliff are expected to be impact players on Pacific's new look defense.
 
"We're playing at a level now that is exciting, especially if you forecast it down the road, with that mentality of just continuing to get better and getting more comfortable in the scheme," Falconer said. "The attack mentality is really cool to see them grab onto and enjoy."
 
The Boxers open the 2025 season on Thursday, Sept. 4 in Texas against Howard Payne.
 
 "People seem to really be understanding what is required of them and coalescing around the core things that are going to help us play fast and physical and hopefully really fearless football," Falconer said. "It's just playing wall to wall and competing harder than our opponents, no matter what."

For the latest information on Pacific Athletics, make sure to check out GoBoxers.com. You can also find the Boxers on social media at @GoBoxers on Instagram and Twitter.

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