Sheldon Loughner and his Saint Vincent College teammates now have something to play for.

Saint Vincent is now an official member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference. The Bearcats have moved from provisional status to full conference membership.

"It's more exciting now that we're out of that probationary period," said Loughner, a senior wide receiver who played high school ball at Leechburg. "Now we really do have something to play for, and that's the [NCAA] playoffs."

Saint Vincent first sponsored varsity football in 1923, but dropped its program in 1962. The program was resurrected in 2006 with the hiring of current head coach Bob Colbert.

The Bearcats returned to the gridiron in 2007 and joined the PAC, but were relegated to probationary status, which meant they could not compete for the conference title and were not allowed to have players recognized on the postseason all-conference team.

"It's hard when you don't have that playoff picture to play for," Loughner said. "As a new team, we were playing for respect, but most importantly we were playing to win."

Unfortunately, Saint Vincent hasn't done much winning. In three seasons, the Bearcats have a 1-29 record.

"It was a little difficult the first few years because we were all new," said Loughner, who started out as a tight end. "We were trying to come together, but the chemistry wasn't there.

"As every year went by, it got better. This year will be the best."

Loughner was a three-sport star at Leechburg. He also lettered four times in baseball and twice in basketball. He earned All-Eastern Conference honors in his final two seasons with the Blue Devils football team.

"One of the main reasons I came to Saint Vincent was the challenge of playing for a team in its infancy," Loughner said. "It hasn't been easy, but I wouldn't trade this experience for anything."

Loughner played tight end as a freshman and was a PAC Coaches Honors recipient after catching six passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. One of his touchdowns was an 80-yarder, which came in the season finale against Thiel.

In 2008, he split time between tight end and wide receiver. He finished the season with nine catches for 115 yards and scored once, in the season finale against Thiel.

"Sheldon has played a big part in our offense since his freshman year," Colbert said. "I think he's played in every game. He's made steady progress every year and has become a big weapon in our offense."

Last season, Loughner was recognized as a PAC Coaches Honors recipient again. He led the Bearcats in all three receiving categories with 29 catches, 437 yards and three touchdowns. He also became the school's modern day leader with 44 career receptions.

"My prediction for the season is good," Loughner said. "I expect to win more games than we lose. I expect us to play better than we have been playing. I expect us to come together more than we did in the past. I expect the chemistry between us to be high."

Lougner is one of 20 returning starters for the Bearcats.

"Returning 20 starters is huge," Loughner said. "And everyone of us has significant experience. I'm really looking forward to the season, especially since it's my senior year."

Loughner will graduate at the end of the upcoming school year.

"My major is in anthropology with a minor in biology," said Loughner, who plans to continue his education after graduating from Saint Vincent. "I'm trying to get into physician's assistant school. That's my future plan, my career path at the moment. I'm still looking at schools, but Seton Hill and the University of Pittsburgh are my top two choices."

Loughner has enjoyed playing for Colbert.

"Coach Colbert is a tough coach. He doesn't let anything slip," Loughner said. "He makes us work hard. We can see how much he wants to win. That translates to us and we want to win."

Sheldon Loughner caught 29 passes for 437 yards for Saint Vincent College last season.

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