By Bill Vilona
GoArgos.com Senior Writer

His first start four years ago presented offensive guard Mike Dilla the ultimate test drive on a wondrous career path. 

It was Dilla's freshman season at the University of West Florida. Second-round playoff game. On the road in a rematch at West Georgia. Win or go home. 

The Argos won that day, continuing their magic carpet ride in the NCAA Division II playoffs in only their second year of existence. They won twice more to reach the D-2 national title game, thus breaking all precedent among start-up collegiate football programs in the sport's history. 

Dilla has started every game at right guard since that November day in 2017. He's been part of a recruiting class that steered UWF football on this believe-it-or-not journey from infancy into championship glory. 

"It really has just been a dream come true in so many ways," Dilla said. "No one had high expectations for us except ourselves and everyone just bought in. And it took everyone buying into it."

Fast forward to now.

Dilla and 25 other senior teammates, all of whom helped shape UWF's incredible rise, will be honored before Saturday's showdown against unbeaten Valdosta State (9-0) in the Argos' biggest home game at Blue Wahoos 

Stadium since their historic first game in 2016.

This matchup of the No. 2 (VSU) and No. 3 (UWF) ranked teams nationally in the D-2 coaches poll, will decide the Senior Wide Receiver Rodney Coates

Gulf South Conference championship, which team gets a first-round playoff bye, along with home field edge and top tier seed into the Division II playoffs. 

A senior day with highest stakes. 

"It is a great cap to our story," said defensive back Marcus Clayton, who joins with Dilla as one of the fifth-year seniors in playing time.  "From starting everything off and to be to this point where you have opportunity to get a GSC championship -- something we have not gotten – it's very special."

Dilla, along with receiver Ka'Ron Ashley, linebacker Derontae Jordan, defensive lineman Alex Wilcox and Anthony Johnson Jr., the former Pace High star running back, are among five members, whose first playing season was 2017.

Clayton is one of four players -- receivers Ka'Ron Ashley, Rodney Coates and cornerback Trent Archie are the others -- that were part of the team's inaugural season in 2016 and were granted an additional, final year, of eligibility, due to the 2020 season canceled amid the coronavirus pandemic.

There will be 18 other seniors, including transfers, whose eligibility clock expires after this season. Collectively, this senior class has helped create unforgettable memories during their time at UWF. 

"Most of the guys have graduated, they've already got degrees, but they just wanted to be part of something special," said UWF coach Pete Shinnick. "This was an opportunity to do it. 

"As they decided to stay around, they knew they had an opportunity to go out doing something pretty unique. Having their experience to help keep things moving in the right direction and keep guys on track has been huge."

Prior to the team's big win Nov. 6 at West Alabama – a win that essentially sealed a playoff spot – Shinnick reminded his seniors during a post-practice meeting to make the most of final opportunities. 

"It is very sentimental," he said. "My conversation with them was, 'Hey guys, we're down to two Mondays now. If you want to keep adding to them, we just have to keep playing well. This thing isn't going on forever.'

"I told them to cherish this time, cherish the feeling and what we need to get done."

For the seniors like Dilla who have been part of two national championship games, highlighted by winning the 2019 NCAA Division II national championship in Texas, they've set one new standard after another. 

Another presents itself Saturday with the opportunity to win UWF's first GSC title. 

"It literally is the best-case scenario we could have asked for," said Dilla, who will make his 38th consecutive start in Saturday's game against Valdosta State. "When they put our schedule together, we thought this was a good possibility… that playing Valdosta at end of year would be for the conference championship."

Teammates like Clayton can flash back to their first career games at UWF, playing at night in early September with a capacity crowd and loud atmosphere. 

The same sort of setting expected against VSU.

"I can't forget it," Clayton said. "We had it packed out. And it was so loud. I always remember that. Me and Trent (Archie) still talk about how loud it was that night. 

"It really feels like we're part of something special. It feels like we're a family. So, we take a lot of pride in that."

How does all of this happen? How does a football program which began practice on a well-used intramural field with makeshift goalposts rise into one of the elite teams in Division II in less than five seasons?

"It's all about putting the team first," said Dilla, who played his high school football 600 miles away in Hobe Sound, just north of West Palm Beach. "Every one on this team is a team player. 

"The 'Me' guys don't work out at our school. You have to be a 'We' guy. The ride has been so crazy. We should have an ESPN 30-for-30 on us. Nobody has done what we have done.

"This year we didn't buy into the rankings. The only rankings that matter is the one at the end of this year."

To reach that destination, UWF knows Saturday's game against Valdosta State is vital to secure a home-field edge in the playoffs. The Blazers have lost one game in three seasons. The loss? Against UWF in the 2019 second round, after Valdosta State won the 2018 national title. 

"It is everything you want," Shinnick said. "You want to be at the end of the season and have something to play for. With Valdosta, we know the type of team we are going to see. They've had one loss in three seasons and we're it. So obviously they are very aware of that."

The matchup is a senior day for UWF football unlike any other in team history. It's another first time experience the Argos have made habit-forming.