No I Won’t Back Down: Bowdoin’s Trey Brown Returns from Injury

Photo courtesy of Trey Brown
Photo courtesy of Trey Brown

Running back Trey Brown entered Bowdoin as a freshman in the fall of 2012 eager to get onto the football field. He was planning on playing football and baseball, but his first love was always football. Brown was especially eager to play because his last season of high school football at Phillips Andover Academy ended way too abruptly. On his very first carry at Andover as a post-graduate student he tore his right ACL in a preseason scrimmage. The game meant nothing, and the injury knocked him out for the entire season and began an eight month rehabilitation. Despite the injury causing him to miss out on the chance to impress college coaches, Bowdoin recruited Brown to play running back.

Brown only heard about Bowdoin as a post-grad at Andover, a prep school that routinely sends kids to NESCAC schools. Brown went to high school in his hometown of Livingston, California, a small city two hours inland from the Bay Area. Far away from the traditional enclaves of East Coast recruiting, he didn’t register on the radars of NESCAC coaches, and it was a family friend who recommended he try the post-graduate year to boost his exposure. His story up to this point is far from unique. Many students take post-graduate years and end up at NESCAC schools. Brown was hoping to go to a a Division-II  or NAIA school where he could get a scholarship, and he had never even heard of the NESCAC before coming to Andover. Tearing his ACL in the first half of a scrimmage erased those ideas of going to a big time football school. He became focused on finding a school that would be a good fit for both academics and athletics. His academic advisor at Andover was a Bowdoin graduate and was the first one to recommend Bowdoin to Brown.

Even though he barely played at Andover, the year at prep school was huge for Brown. He describes Andover as a small college, a rigorous and somewhat specialized place where he had to work harder than in high school. In Brown’s own words: “I don’t think I would have been able to excel here [Bowdoin] without Andover … the curriculum at Andover is hard so I was prepared for college.”

Without football at Andover, he spent the year concentrating on getting good enough grades to get into Bowdoin and making friends who came from places all over the world.

So that’s how Brown ended up in Brunwick, Maine, far away from the Central Valley of California. He was confident coming into his freshman year that he was healthy again. He went through all of the preseason and was primed for significant carries early on because of injuries to upperclassmen. Then it happened again.

On a first half carry, he tore his right ACL once again, ending his season and causing some soul searching.

“I was shook. Yeah I was ready to hang them up. I was ready to hang them up.”

Still wanting to feel a part of a community at a new school, Brown went to all of the football activities for a few weeks after his injury. “I went to the meetings for the first two or three weeks and then I couldn’t be around it,” Brown says. “I was acting like I was in the games but I was on the sidelines.” Even with the two ACL surgeries on the same knee, Brown decided to go through another rehabilitation process with the blessing of the Bowdoin training staff. He couldn’t picture himself not at least trying to play football if it was at all possible.

Although he was cleared to play at the beginning of his sophomore year, Brown did not feel completely healthy entering the season.

“I didn’t feel too confident to make hard cuts off of my [right knee] … I thought to myself, ‘I’m alright, I’m alright,’ but it was false confidence I think.”

Still, he made it through all of preseason camp again and entered the season as the primary backup. He played in four games and ran for 162 yards, including 73 in the third game against Tufts. It was his first time playing football in three years, but he never felt completely right. “It was forced, I tried to do too much.” He was overcompensating for his injury, and on his first carry against Hamilton in Week 4, a 16-yarder, he he felt his ACL tear again, this time in his left knee instead of his right one where the first two tears occurred.

The injury hit Brown extremely hard.

“I wasn’t depressed, but I was different. I was distraught.”

He once again thought about whether he could come back to play football. After both of his ACL injuries at Bowdoin, Brown leaned on a close group of friends who encouraged him to make the decision that he wanted. His roomates, who include players or former players like Greg Thompson ’16, Jibrail Coy ’16 (a player who himself has had to overcome two ACL injuries while at Bowdoin), and Skyler Lee ’16 encouraged Brown to come back if that’s what he wanted, even if the rehab would be long and difficult. Brown knows that he couldn’t have come back without them. He sees the football team as his family at Bowdoin.

His family at home, meanwhile, was much more ambivalent about him trying to continue playing football, arguing that he risked ending up in a wheelchair. His mom especially wanted him to stop playing, but Brown felt the risks are worth it payoff. He knows that studies have linked ACL injuries to arthritis, but he thinks at the end of the day “it’s all worth it.” This is a sentiment that you hear often from Division-III athletes. That all the time spent practicing and training for games that often go unnoticed is always ‘worth it.’ However, most athletes wouldn’t sing the same tune after three ACL tears. Brown does, and he’s started to formulate a plan for returning for his final year.

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Trey Brown (Photo Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)

He worked last season for Bowdoin trainer Dan Davies, somebody with whom Brown has spent a lot of time. Last year he spent his time treating his own injuries, instead of being treated. Meanwhile, being around the football field all the time wasn’t always easy.

“There were times when I wanted to get on the field, but I knew I wasn’t ready. I still was thinking about playing all the time.”

The extra time off was necessary, and Brown was able to take solace in the fact that he would have that offseason to get ready for one last hurrah.

When last winter began, Brown was healthy for the first offseason ever at Bowdoin, and when I asked him what that was like, he just told me that it was “awesome” multiple times. He was in the weight room almost everyday, finally able to do everything with his teammates again. In the offseason, Brown met new coach JB Wells for the first time. The two quickly built a relationship as Wells leaned on the returning juniors who had not gone abroad. Then at the end of the spring semester in a somewhat unusual move, Wells made Brown and Matt Netto ’16 captains. The decision happened in part because all three elected captains were abroad that spring. Wells wanted to recognize Brown and Netto, two players who have been huge parts of the Bowdoin team in different ways. The moment struck Brown.

“I was in shock. I looked around to make sure it was true. It meant a lot to me.”

Despite not having played in 2014, Brown is a Bowdoin football captain.

So far this preseason, Brown has felt good and healthy as ever, but he knows he has to be more careful than ever. He is a physical, down-hill runner who takes a lot of hits, and even with all the advancements in surgery, he is more likely to tear his ACL now than ever before. Already he has been able to take and give some big hits. Wells will have to make sure not to overload the running back, but at the same time Wells is hoping that Brown can help starting running back Tyler Grant ’17 not get as worn down as last season.

For now, Brown isn’t too worried. He is happy to simply be back on the field, playing the sport that has given and taken so much from him. The journey to this point has been a long one, and he is grateful for where he is right now. The biggest lesson Brown has taken from this journey is simple.

“Perseverance is the big word for me, in every aspect: sports, academics, just life.”

When asked about his hopes and expectations for himself and the team this year, Brown paused and smiled.

“Just wait on it. That’s all I have to say.”

20 Stats from 2014 That You Need to Know

MIDDLEBURY, VT (October 17, 2009) - Aerial images of the campus of Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont. (Photo © Brett Simison)
An aerial view of the Middlebury field. (Photo © Brett Simison)

The time has come, football season is finally upon us. FBS college teams begin games tonight, meaning we will get football non-stop for months now. While teams throughout the NESCAC have turned the page on the 2014 season, we want to take one last look at last year and tell you what stats will be crucial to know heading into the 2015 campaign.

17. No better place to start than the defending champs. The steel-curtain defense of the Amherst Lord Jeffs accrued a league leading 17 interceptions last season. Going into this year, three out of the four defensive backs will be returning as seniors – Jaymie Spears ’16, who led the league with six picks last year, Chris Gow ’16 and Jimmy Fairfield-Sonn ’16. Look for this trio to continue to wreak havoc for opposing NESCAC quarterbacks this year.

2,004. While the DBs of Amherst held him to only 67 yards when they played each other last October, Middlebury quarterback Matt Milano ’16 was the only QB in the conference to throw for over 2000 yards in the 2014 season, amassing 2,004 yards through the air. The next closest was Wesleyan’s Jesse Warren ’15 with 1513.

1. On the other side of the spectrum, the Bowdoin offense had a lowly one passing touchdown in 2014. That touchdown went to fullback Jack Donovan ’15, meaning the Polar Bear wide receivers had zero receiving touchdowns all season. With the entrance of JB Wells as the new head coach of the Polar Bears, along with the change in personnel at the quarterback position with Tim Drakeley ’17, look for a drastic improvement from last year’s lowest-ranked offense.

74.6. The number of tackles per game for Tufts. While the Jumbos had the most tackles per game in the NESCAC, they also were the last-ranked team in terms of passing yards allowed (225.1 per game).

34. The Middlebury Panthers, who were among the league’s best offensively, hired a new offensive coordinator in Dave Caputi for 2015. After graduating from Middlebury himself in 1981, 34 years later he finds himself back as a member of Panther football.

33:38. Wesleyan’s lengthy time of possession per game last year, made possible by their second-ranked 18 first downs per game. They will again look to hold the rock for long periods with their talented running back duo of LaDarius Drew ’15 and Lou Stevens ’17.

16. The number of consecutive losses for Hamilton. Although it’s not quite as impressive as Tufts’ 31 straight which ended last year, second year head coach Dave Murray will rest much easier if that 16 doesn’t turn into 24 after this season.

61. Touches for Trinity RB/QB Spencer Aukamp ’18 last season. Expect that number to rise, but it’s unclear whether that will be via the run or passing game. Aukamp is a weapon and will see a lot of snaps for the Bantams, but they most likely won’t take place under center this season.

71.5. Receiving yards per game for Bates’ Mark Riley ’16, who led the league in this category as well as total receiving yards with 572. The Bobcats are also in the midst of a change at the quarterback position, so it’ll be interesting to see how the loss of Matt Cannone ’15 affects Riley’s 2015 numbers.

2Straight years Williams has been below .500, an occurrence that had not happened for 15+ years.

533. Total yards for Colby RB Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17, who broke out his sophomore year as the Mules’ premiere back. Keeping an eye on Colby, it will be interesting to see how the ground load will be split for Hurdle-Price and fellow classmate Carl Lipani who, although he had fewer carries (37 compared to 131), averaged more yards per touch (4.9) than Hurdle-Price (4.1). Lipani is healthy again after missing the second half of the season.

23. Fourth down attempts were not rare for Middlebury, and they led the league converting 12 of their 23 tries. The next closest team was Bates with 12 attempts. Keep in mind the change at O-coordinator for the Panthers this season, and consider whether that might have an impact on their fourth down strategy.

226. Bowdoin running back Tyler Grant ’17 had his work cut out for him last year, carrying the ball 226 times, the most of any back in the league. In addition to having his number called early and often, he produced, leading the league in both yards (893) and yards per game (111.6). Don’t expect Bowdoin to lean quite so heavily on him this year.

54. That’s how many points  top-ranked Wesleyan kicker Ike Fuchs ’17 had in 2014, who was good for 10 out of 13 field goals on the year. With the amount of time the Cardinal’s offense had possession of the football, coming away with points at the end was a big part of their game last season.

4. Number of sacks for Amherst’s 300-pound defensive tackle Paul Johnson ’17. With the graduation of defenders Chris Tamasi ’15 and Max Lehrman ’15, who had five and 4.5 sacks last year, respectively, the pass rushing load will depend even more on Johnson this season.

60.  The  number of solo tackles for Tufts’ sophomore defensive back Mike Stearns ’17, which put him at the top of the conference in that category. It is incredibly rare for a defensive back to led the league in tackles, and Stearns might shift from corner to safety this year.

3653. The top-ranked average amount of fans in attendance for Amherst. The real question is do championships help bring the fans, or do the fans help bring the championships? Either way, the Lord Jeffs will go into the 2015 season looking to capture their third consecutive conference championship.

299. Hamilton’s LaShawn Ware ’18, who, despite starting in only one game last season, led the Continentals in rushing yards with 299.

50%. Colby’s red-zone touchdown percentage, which was the worst in the NESCAC. Not only could the Mules not get the ball in the end-zone, but also they failed to kick any field goals from inside the 20 as well.

298. Days since the last NESCAC football game was played, only 24 more to go.

Welcome to 2015

Amherst reigned at the end of last year, but 0 promises much uncertainty.
Amherst reigned at the end of last year, but 2015 promises much uncertainty. (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)

Eight games. The NESCAC football season lasts all of eight games. That is nothing. Eight games is half of an NFL season, at which point we usually think the Giants still have a shot at the playoffs and are also debating whether Tom Brady is no longer an ‘elite’ quarterback. Yet eight games is all we get in the NESCAC, for reasons that extend well off of the playing field. In an average NFL game, only 11 minutes of actual live action happens. So if that holds true for the NESCAC (there are reasons why the NESCAC might have slightly more time per game), a team has less than 100 minutes of actual live football in their entire season. All of the weight room sessions, preseason practices, positional meetings, late night calls by coaches to recruits around the country, and the countless hours of watching tape boil down to less live action than the length of your typical popcorn movie.

That of course is a very reductive way of looking at things, and it makes the amount of time and effort poured into NESCAC football by players, coaches, parents and fans seem silly. Not to mention what it says about us, the people who spend long hours writing about that 88 minutes of actual football. What the short season does mean is that every little thing matters, and things that might appear inconsequential can quickly become season-changing.

Take for example the rainstorm that befell northern Vermont on October 4, 2014, interferring with the Middlebury vs. Amherst game that afternoon. The headline from that game read something like this, “In a big rainstorm, Amherst escapes with win to remain perfect while the loss drops Middlebury to 1-2.” By the end of the season and with 20-20 hindsight, the headline could have read, “Rainstorm grounds Middlebury aerial attack and robs Panthers of share of the NESCAC title.” Scribes of the first title did not foresee that Middebury would end the season on a five-game winning streak that included snapping Trinity’s 51-home-game winning streak to end the season as the hottest team in the league. Amherst went on to finish the season undefeated and won another league title.

Turning to 2015, that same Middlebury team enters the season as (spoiler alert!) our favorite to climb all the way to the top and capture the league title and complete their first undefeated season since 1972. Not that there aren’t questions around the roster. The biggest one is at the quarterback spot where normally one would presume Matt Milano ’16 would remain the signal-caller after a spectacular finish to his first season as a starter. However, the arrival of transfer Jared Lebowitz ’17 from UNLV means Milano is not guaranteed that starting spot. One should still consider Milano the favorite given that he is entrenched as the starter currently. That Middlebury has the most enviable quarterback situation in the league only two seasons removed from Mac Foote ’14, one of the greatest NESCAC quarterbacks ever, is ridiculous. The offensive line has to replace all three interior starters, and the defense lost some valuable contributors. Yet the core of that defensive unit returns in defensive end Jake Clapp ’16, middle linebacker Tim Patricia ’16, and safety Dan Pierce ’16.

The main competition for Middlebury should be the reigning champs, Amherst. The Lord Jeffs have made it a habit of making prognosticators look silly by continually exceeding already high expectations, so I don’t feel comfortable putting Amherst anywhere besides the favorite. The Jeffs have to replace their linebacker duo of Chris Tamasi ’15 and Ned Deane ’15 that led their defense, as well as three offensive lineman and quarterback Max Lippe ’15 who provided a huge spark for the offense last year. Having skill players like running back Nick Kelly ’17 and receiver Jackson McGonagle ’16 around should make things easier, and a straight-up filthy secondary will make throwing the ball a dangerous proposition (look out, Midd). Amherst always plays its backups a decent amount so all the new starters have game experience.

The Connecticut teams, Wesleyan and Trinity, have to answer questions about whether they should still be considered in the elite echelon of the NESCAC. Wesleyan transitions to new Head Coach Dan DiCenzo, though the transition is not a hard one as DiCenzo was the Defensive Coordinator for former HC Mike Whalen. The real transition is on the field where the Cardinals lost more significant contributors than it is possible to count. Having running back LaDarius Drew ’15 return after an injury knocked him out of all of last year will be a huge help, but running back was the only position where the Cards returned any depth. In Hartford, Trinity lost an unfathomable three games and saw that home winning streak turn into a two-game losing streak. The return of several skill players like Sonny Puzzo ’17 after a year away from Trinity will be critical to getting the Bantams back on top of the NESCAC. The defense lost seven starters and will need the back seven to improve mightily by the time the heavy weights at the back end of the schedule come around.

The return of a healthy LaDarius Drew buoys Wesleyan's optimism. Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
The return of a healthy LaDarius Drew ’15 buoys Wesleyan’s optimism. (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

Those four represent the teams with a realistic shot at the NESCAC title, but the other six teams have plenty to be excited about. Multiple NESCAC Head Coaches have said they believe the bottom of the league is stronger than it has ever been. The team that for a long time represented that basement, Tufts, will look to reprise whatever alchemy made them go 4-0 at home last year. Alex Snyder ’17 looks to be the new starting quarterback, though he could be pushed by Dartmouth transfer Jonathan DiBiaso ’17. The Jumbos can also get their first road win in forever opening week at Hamilton, but the Continentals will fight hard trying to get second year coach Dave Murray his first win at the helm. Hamilton has almost every starter returning as the program hopes to make strides in Central New York.

Williams was the biggest disappointment a year ago, and a season without clear improvement will make the rumblings for a coaching change in Willy World harder to ignore. The hopes of the Ephs hinge largely on a big season from quarterback Austin Lommen ’16 and a talented and big group of receivers. On defense, defensive end James Howe ’16 has to regain his 2013 form and get some help from those around him.

Finally, the CBB (Colby, Bowdoin, and Bates) appears to be wide open. Bates has been ascendant in the series and has controlled the crown for the past three seasons, but they lose quarterback Matt Cannone ’15 and eight of their starters from a very good defense. Receiver Mark Riley ’16 and linebacker Mark Upton ’17 have to be leaders, and the replacements have to grow up fast on defense. Colby will want to take the pressure off of quarterback Gabe Harrington ’17 by relying on the two-headed attack of running backs Carl Lipani ’17 and Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17. Bowdoin enters a new era with Head Coach JB Wells coming from Endicott College. Wells will have to find other options on offense besides workhorse running back Tyler Grant ’17.

As excited as we are to watch some DIVISION III FOOTBALL!, we have the same level of excitement about the group of writers we have for this fall. We have six people who are some of the most knowledgeable people about the league as a whole. With that being said, that doesn’t mean we aren’t still looking for more. If you are interested in writing, or know someone who might be, or would like to help out in other ways – web design, graphic design, Tweeting games, reporting games, etc. – email us at nothingbutnescac@gmail.com. We are constantly striving to improve our coverage, so if you have any suggestions or article ideas that we should do, please email us also.

Looking forward to a great year – Adam Lamont (Bowdoin ’16) and Joe MacDonald (Middlebury ’16)

Revenge of the Nerds

It escaped our notice for a little bit, but the NESCAC announced the Fall All-Academic team a few weeks back meaning it is time for us to put our own little spin on it. Just as we did back in the spring for baseball, we are going to make two hypothetical teams. One team is made up solely of players who made the All-Academic team and also happen to be pretty good at football as well. The other team is filled with players who, while they are surely great people and students in their own right, did not make the All-Academic team but still are very good at football.

What is the point you ask? Well it is fun first of all. More importantly, it reminds us that NESCAC athletes are really students and not athletes masquerading as students. The guys who dominate on Saturday also often dominate the classroom and library every day of the week.

Reminder that freshmen are not eligible for the All-Academic team.

Offense

All-Academic Everyone Else
POS Player School POS Player School
QB Jack Doll ’15 Tufts QB Matt Milano ’16 Middlebury
RB Tyler Grant ’17 Bowdoin RB Chudi Iregbulem ’15 Trinity
FB Jack Donovan ’15 Bowdoin FB Michael Budness ’15 Trinity
WR Grant Luna ’17 Middlebury WR Mark Riley ’16 Bates
WR Brendan Rankowitz ’15 Middlebury WR Gene Garay ’15 Amherst
WR Steven Kiesel ’15 Williams WR Matthew Minno ’16 Middlebury
OL Scott Mergner ’15 Amherst OL Pat Dimase ’15 Wesleyan
OL Lyle Seebeck ’15 Bates OL Dan Finta ’15 Middlebury
OL Connor Clancy ’15 Colby OL Joe Magardino ’15 Trinity
OL Blake Shapskinsky ’15 Middlebury OL Nick Noonan ’15 Hamilton
OL Sam Hart ’16 Amherst OL Alan Felix ’15 Williams

Three quick observations before moving onto the defense.

1. One would expect quarterbacks, a position so often associated with intelligence in the media, to be all over the All-Academic team. However, Jack Doll ’15 is the only QB who saw any significant playing time make it. Fortunately for the hypothetical coach of the All-Academic team, Doll is a good one who is more than capable of leading the offense.

2. The All-Academic team includes five players who were also All-NESCAC. Three of those five are on the offensive line with Blake Shapshinsky ’15 and Connor Clancy ’15 on the second team and Scott Mergner ’15 the lone representative from the first team. In fact, the offensive line is the strongest unit considering Sam Hart ’16 started at left tackle for Amherst while Lyle Seebeck ’15 started multiple years for Bates.

3. So yes, the talent level on the All-Academic team is a notch below the Everyone Else team, but it is only a notch really. In our opinion, Tyler Grant ’17 was snubbed first team All-NESCAC honors, and the receiving trio sets up nicely with Doll’s skill set of short crossing routes.

 Defense

                             All-Academic                                                   Everyone Else

POS Player School POS Player School
DE Nik Powers ’15 Wesleyan DE Jimmy Brao ’15 Tufts
DE Max Lehrman ’15 Amherst DE Gil Araujo ’16 Middlebury
DT Paul Johnson ’17 Amherst DT Lyle Baker ’16 Trinity
DT CT Harris ’15 Colby DT Michael De Percin ’15 Hamilton
OLB Alex Daversa-Russo ’16 Wesleyan OLB Tom Szymanski ’15 Trinity
OLB Chris Tamasi ’15 Amherst OLB Mark Upton ’17 Bates
MLB Tim Patricia ’16 Middlebury MLB Ned Deane ’15 Amherst
CB Tom Cabarle ’15 Williams CB Jake Bussani ’14 Wesleyan
CB Dan Pierce ’16 Middlebury CB Jaymie Spears ’16 Amherst
SS Matt Benedict ’15 Middlebury SS Donnie Cimino ’15 Wesleyan
FS Mike Mancini ’15 Trinity FS Jason Buco ’15

Three thoughts on the defense

1. The difference between these two teams is miniscule. 10 of the 11 All-Academic team were also All-NESCAC, including five on the first team All-NESCAC. Dan Pierce ’16, the only player who didn’t make All-NESCAC,  still enjoyed an incredible year and had a strong argument for making it.

2. Safety was the deepest position for the All-Academic team while corner was the weakest. So we cheated a little bit and decided that we are simply going to have four safeties in the secondary. While the all safety secondary might give up a little in the passing game, try running outside against it, I dare you.

3. The defensive line for the All-Academic team is slightly stronger. Nik Powers ’15 and Max Lehrman ’15 were first team while CT Harris ’15 and Paul Johnson ’17 were second team. Harris also made first team last season and Johnson might have been first team if not for NESCAC coaches preferring to honor seniors on the first team.

 Special Teams

                         All-Academic                                                        All-NESCAC

POS Player School POS Player School
KR Chris Gow ’16 Amherst KR Zack Trause ’15 Tufts
P David Kurey ’15 Bates P Kyle Pulek ’16 Trinity
K Joe Mallock ’15 Williams K Phillip Nwosu ’15 Amherst

Looking down the rosters of both teams, the All-Academic team certainly would give the Everyone Else team a run for their money on most days. If we were setting the line for the game, it would settle in around -6 in favor of the Everyone Else team. The key to the game would likely be how Matt Milano ’16 was able to throw against the secondary made up completely of safeties. One would guess that the All-Academic team would be able to get good pressure on Milano because of their strength on the defensive line and the presence of Chris Tamasi ’15 coming off of the edge.

Another note of importance is that Amherst, the NESCAC champions, also tied for the most players on the All-Academic team with their rivals Williams. Both placed 20 football players on the team.

Finally, what we wrote back in the spring still holds.

“One last note is that many of the athletes who did not make the All-Academic team still work incredibly hard in the classroom. Keep in mind that the difficulty of achieving the requisite 3.35 GPA fluctuates between departments, majors and professors. This isn’t to disparage anyone who did make the All-Academic team because a 3.35 isn’t easy no matter what classes you take. I want to make clear that I’m not putting down The Everyone Else roster for their performance in the classroom. A lot of factors besides a student’s intelligence and work ethic go into what a final GPA looks like. With that being said, a huge congratulations to all of the students for their great work both on the field and in the classroom.”

Football End-of-Year Awards: The Definitive Edition

The committee of two has met and after much deliberation has made their decisions. All decisions on awards are final and complaints should be addressed to 472 Smith Union, Bowdoin College. Or the comments section works, too. If you want, take a look at our Mid-Season Awards to see what’s changed. Lastly, these are our own personal opinions of who should win each award. They are not predictions on what we think the NESCAC coaches will decide.

Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics
Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics

Offensive Player of the Year: Quarterback Matt Milano ’16 (Middlebury)

“Another Middlebury quarterback? Really original pick there guys.” Well, Milano didn’t really leave us with much of a choice given how he performed in the month of the year. In fact here are Mac Foote’s stats from last year and Milano’s from 2014.

Player A: 179-289 (61.9 percent), 2004 yards, 6.9 yards per attempt, 24 touchdowns, 3 interceptions.

Player B: 259-421 (61.5 percent), 2766 yards, 6.6 yards per attempt, 26 touchdowns, 12 interceptions.

Player B has a huge lead in yards overall and a slight lead in touchdowns, but Player A was better in yards per attempt and threw a quarter of the interceptions. You could probably tell, but Player A is Foote and Player B is Milano. We don’t put the comparison there to argue that Milano had a better year than Foote did last year, but we just want to put the numbers there so people don’t say Milano was merely a product of the Middlebury system.

The junior took a little time to get settled, but once he did, Middlebury morphed into the hottest team in the NESCAC. Milano put up 18 touchdowns over the last four weeks to go with just one interception, and his yards per attempt rose every week from Week 3 until the end of the season. His play is made even more impressive by the fact that the Panthers averaged only 2.6 yards per rush, worst in the NESCAC, putting even more pressure on the gunslinger. Milano should be even better next year when he and most of his receivers return.

Also considered: Tyler Grant ’17 (Bowdoin), Chudi Iregbulem ’15 (Trinity), Jesse Warren ’15 (Wesleyan) and Mark Riley ’16 (Bates)

Jake Bussani '14 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
Jake Bussani ’14 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

Defensive Player of the Year: Safety Jake Bussani ’14 (Wesleyan)

The NESCAC website only lists the top 50 tacklers, and Bussani falls well short of making that with only 30 tackles on the year. So how does a player who was only sixth on his own team in tackles win DPOY?

Well, first of all, Bussani won by the narrowest of margins over a host of other worthy players. Then it is important to understand Bussani’s role in the Wesleyan defense; a role that requires him to patrol the deep part of the field. He did that to near perfection with seven interceptions and five pass breakups. Bussani also returned two of his interceptions all the way back for touchdowns. Also, he was part of a secondary that was a good rung or two above everyone else and allowed a minuscule 124.0 yards per game through the air.

Bussani and teammate Justin Sanchez '17 smother Alex Way '16 in the Cardinals' Week 8 shutout. (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
Bussani and teammate Justin Sanchez ’17 smother Alex Way ’16 in the Cardinals’ Week 8 shutout. (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)

Conference coaches know how good of a player he is considering he has made the All-NESCAC team three times already. Last year his stats were even less impressive with 27 tackles and four interceptions. Given how he has been even better this year, the coaches should recognize him once again.

Also considered: Chris Tamasi ’15 (Amherst), Jaymie Spears ’16 (Amherst), Dan Pierce ’16 (Middlebury) Mark Upton ’17 (Bates)

Coach of the Year: EJ Mills (Amherst)

Head Coach EJ Mills (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
Head Coach EJ Mills (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)

Below is the conversation that we had when talking about Coach of the Year. We weren’t planning on publishing it at the time, but it’s just so juicy that we could not resist.

Adam: Alright, Coach of the Year is another interesting one. Ritter has a strong argument because of how well Middlebury did, but I think Mills deserves it.

Joe: Amherst was expected to be near the top again and Middlebury was supposed to be much worse this year.

Adam: Maybe so, but Amherst went through a lot to be undefeated. They played three QBs and switched their lead running back as the season went along. In close games they went 5-0 which is a testament, too, to Mills’ coaching. When I look at Amherst’s season it seemed like they always played a little better than I was expecting or somehow managed to win games when they got outplayed. The coach deserves credit for that.

Joe: I guess. I just feel like the Coach of the Year award is almost equivalent to a team overall achievement award, because we can’t quantify from the outside how much of a team’s success is due to the coach. I expected Amherst to beat everyone but Trinity and Wesleyan at the beginning of the year. As the year went on I got to realizing that Amherst was the best team, but I was always skeptical of Middlebury. I had them middle of the pack but they clearly overachieved. I don’t want Mills to win just because he coached the best team.

Adam: My argument would be that it wasn’t necessarily clear that Amherst really was the best team. Middlebury got better as the year went along and I think mostly because Milano got more comfortable. I didn’t expect he would get so good so fast and that is why I think Middlebury finished with six straight wins. Obviously coaching matters there, but just seems like the player still has a lot of agency, also.

Joe: True….splitting hairs here at this point. I think both are great coaches and just like talking about it.

Drew Jacobs (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
Drew Jacobs (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)

Rookie of the Year: Running Back Drew Jacobs ’18 (Middlebury)

There wasn’t an absolute standout first year this season that burst onto the scene like QB Sonny Puzzo last year or LB Tim Patricia ’16 the year before, but Jacobs was productive for the pass-heavy Panthers, and among first-year players he was first in rushing yards and third in receiving yards. His production was all over the map, as his total yards went 113, 55, 43, 154, 62, 82 and 8, as he left the game early in Week 7 and sat out all of Week 8. With another year under his belt, though, Jacobs could turn into one of the league’s best backs, but he will still have to fight off the presence of teammate Jonathan Hurvitz ’17 and classmate John Jackson ’18 for playing time.

Also considered: Slotback Frank Williams ’18 (Bates), K Zach Altneu ’18 (Hamilton), RB/KR Amman Weaver ’18 (Hamilton), WR  Mbasa Mayikana ’18 (Colby)

Zach Trause (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
Zach Trause (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)

Special Teams Player of the Year: KR/PR/RB Zack Trause ’15

Ike Fuchs ’17 made a push for this award in Week 7 when he broke a Wesleyan record with five field goals in one game (and by going 7-7 FG and 8-8 XP in the last three weeks), but Trause’s body of work is enough for him to get the nod. Though most of the fireworks came in Week 2 when Trause followed up his third quarter kick return TD with a punt return TD early in the fourth quarter to seal the Jumbos’ victory, he was an explosive returner all year. His 32.1 yards per kickoff return were tops in the NESCAC and seventh in all of Division-III. Players need 1.2 attempts per game to qualify for leaderboards, so Trause failed to qualify with only eight punt returns, but if he had qualified, his 19.6 yards per punt return would have placed him fifth in the nation.

Trause taking back a punt 49 yards to the house against Bates in Week 2. (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
Trause taking back a punt 49 yards to the house against Bates in Week 2. (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)

Also considered: Ike Fuchs ’17 (Wesleyan), WR/KR/PR Ryan Rizzo ’17 (Middlebury) and K Phillip Nwosu’ 15 (Amherst)

Feel free to tell us how wrong we are in the comments section.

Fantasy Report Week 7: The Semifinals

The fantasy playoffs got under way this week with a pair of low-scoring rematches of Week 6 contests. Regular season champ Foye Story (MacDonald) matched up with Lord of the ‘CAC (Lamont), while Team Lindholm and The Bantams (Meekins) met for the third time.

1. Foye Story (MacDonald) vs. 4. Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont)

Foye Story had its second-worst week of the season while The Fellowship had its second-best, riding the strong legs of running backs Lou Stevens ’17 and Tyler Grant ’17. Only seven players across both teams were in double digits, as it was, overall, a pretty poor offensive week around the league. Lamont moves on to the championship with the easy victory over the top seed.

Foye Story (MacDonald) Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship
Pos. Player Pts. Player Pts.
QB G. Harrington 4 M. Cannone 9
QB A. Lommen 1 C. Rosenberg 13
RB A. Scyocurka 0 L. Stevens 25
RB C. Iregbulem 4 T. Grant 21
RB C. Brady 4 M. Gaines 0
WR M. Minno 28 B. Ragone 0
WR S. Kiesel 0 L. Duncklee 4
WR N. Joseph 0 M. Riley 6
TE B. Kurtz 2 N. Dean 0
FLEX D. Jacobs 0 D. Barone 2
FLEX J. Hurdle-Price 6 R. Arsenault 0
K I. Fuchs 16 L. Scheepers 1
D/ST Middlebury 15 Wesleyan 16
80 97
It was a big weekend for fantasy defenses across the board, including Wesleyan, which swarmed QB Mark Pomella '15 on this play. Courtesy of Williams Athletics
It was a big weekend for fantasy defenses across the board, including Wesleyan, which swarmed Williams all game.
Courtesy of Williams Athletics

2. Team Lindholm vs. 3. The Bantams (Meekins)

It was a tough week for Meekins, whose team fell flat and posted the second-fewest points of any team all season. When your defense is the only position in double figures, you know that there is a problem. You’ve got to hand it to Lindholm though. Despite some questionable draft picks (originally, Williams fullback Qadir Forbes ’14 was in place of Zach Trause ’15, but a mulligan was called on that one; and the early round choice of Trinity utility man Michael Budness ’15, who’s not what you’d called a “fantasy” stud), a complete lack of attention paid and absolutely zero free agent acquisitions, Lindholm’s squad is in the finals. I’m not even mad, I’m impressed.

Team Lindholm The Bantams (Meekins)
Pos. Player Pts. Player Pts.
QB M. Lippe 5 J. Warren 7
QB M. Milano 29 M. Caputi 3
RB J. Semonella 0 N. Kelly 5
RB Z. Trause 10 K. Gibson 0
RB L. Ware 0 G. Ackley 0
WR H. Murphy 0 G. Garay 7
WR J. Hurwitz 1 I. Dugger 0
WR J. Fabien 2 J. McGonagle 8
TE J. Day 0 B. Oliver 0
FLEX M. Budness 0 D. Myers 8
FLEX R. Hislop 0 D. Sime 2
K M. Dola 7 P. Nwosu 0
D/ST Amherst 16 Trinity 16
70 56

Power Rankings: 10/30

A new number one highlights the Power Rankings this week as Amherst deservedly moves into the top spot. For the first time this year, the two top teams in our Power Rankings will go head-to-head as Trinity looks to start a new home winning streak against Amherst.

1. Amherst (6-0) – The Lord Jeffs dominated the Jumbos at home to remain undefeated. The game was virtually put out of reach by halftime when they were up 24-3. Although the Lord Jeffs actually had less total offense than Tufts, they had 3 drives result in TDs that were less than 43 yards as well as one interception returned for a TD. The Jeffs’ secondary was dominant recording 4 interceptions to boost their overall NESCAC leading total to 13 on the year. The NESCAC title may be on the line in Hartford this weekend for the Jeffs.

2. Trinity (5-1) – Finally some team broke the “No poop in the Coop” mantra and snapped the 53 home game win streak for the Bantams. The Bantams were outplayed on both sides of the ball which came as a real shocker to most people who follow the league. This team has the talent to win the league but in order for that to happen they must beat Amherst at home this weekend.

3. Wesleyan (5-1) – The Cardinals had an excellent day on both sides of the ball this weekend. They executed on 10 of 17  3rd down conversions and held the Polar Bears to only 170 yards of total offense which was crucial to their domination. Right now the Cardinals are on the outside looking in on the NESCAC title chase, but they have a Little Three game against Williams this weekend that could be a trap game before the finale vs. Trinity.

4. Middlebury (4-2) – Impressive win for the Panthers who needed a signature victory. They completely shut down the Bantams league leading rushing attack to a mere 85 yards with Chudi Iregbulem ’15 active. Matt Milano ’16 now has back-to-back weeks with 4 TD passes. His success was critical for the Panthers to pull the upset. Should be a relatively easy week for the Panthers as they take on Hamilton.

5. Tufts (3-3) – The Jumbos play on the road was yet again not great, dropping them to 0-3 away from Medford. The big problem for Tufts was their lack of 3rd down conversions (3-19) and throwing 4 INTs which set up Amherst with great field position. Luckily for them, they return to Zimman field for this weeks matchup versus Colby.

Williams notched their second win of the season last week.
Williams notched their second win of the season last week. (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)

6. Williams (2-4) – Finally the Ephs were able to snap their four game losing streak with a win at Hamilton. After going the first four games without a TD grab, Steven Kiesel ’15 now has 3 TDs in two games. Even though they won, a bit of concern for the Ephs is the lack of a rushing attack, which has gained less than 50 yards in 3 of 4 games. Regardless, they have a Little Three rivalry game this weekend so the Ephs should be ready to go in the final game at the new Weston field for the season.

7. Bates (2-4) – In a back and forth affair, the Bobcats pulled out a victory in OT vs. rival Colby. Bates’ offense exploded for over double their season average in points (16.5) this weekend. This was due in part to the play of Matt Cannone ’15 who had a big day in the air throwing for 203 yards on 18-32 passes and connecting for 4 TDs. The Bobcats look to win the CBB this weekend at Bowdoin.

8. Bowdoin (2-4) – The Polar Bears were completely dominated by the Cardinals this weekend. Nothing went well for them on both sides of the ball, which was disappointing after playing so well against Trinity the week before and almost pulling off the upset. After picking up 52 yards on the ground, Tyler Grant ’17 is now the leading rusher in the NESCAC, which is the one bright spot for Bowdoin after this week. They begin their quest for the CBB title this weekend with a home game vs. Bates.

9. Colby (1-5) – Disappointing OT loss for the Mules who looked like they were going to win the game until Bates tied up the game with 33 seconds left. Even though they lost, we’ve seen very good development from the offense, which was averaging 7.8 PPG two weeks ago and now is averaging 17.7 PPG. The problem for the Mules doesn’t appear to be offense anymore; rather it is the defense which is allowing 28.3 PPG, the second worst in the NESCAC.

10. Hamilton (0-6) – The Continentals surprisingly made a game out of it last week against the Ephs in the 4th quarter after being down 21-0. Although they couldn’t complete the comeback, the defense played well allowing a season low of 45 yards on the ground and holding the Ephs to 1-10 on 3rd down conversions. Unfortunately for them, they are playing the red-hot Panthers Saturday.

10 Statistics That Might Surprise You

The Crowd storms the field after Tufts' first win of the season (courtesy of Tufts University)
The Crowd storms the field after Tufts’ first win of the season (courtesy of Tufts University)

Editors Note: This article was co-written by Joe MacDonald and Adam Lamont

Between our statistics page and the wealth of information over at the NESCAC site, a football aficionado can spend hours pouring over statistics if he/she were to feel so inclined. However, most of us don’t have that kind of time to do that type of thing. Fortunately for you, we make it our job to do just that. So here are 10 statistics that don’t jump out but nevertheless tell us a lot about how the conference has been shaking out, and frankly are just plain interesting.

1. Wesleyan Defensive 3rd Down Percentage: 23 percent

This is the lowest mark in the NESCAC by a good deal and is an insanely low percentage in general. The lowest NFL percentage is the Indianapolis Colts at 31.1 percent, and Wesleyan is sixth nationwide in Divison-III for defensive third down percentage. Even in Amherst’s victory over the Cardinals, the Jeffs only converted 3-14 third downs. Primarily responsible for this is the Cardinals all-star secondary which is the best in the NESCAC. Windows simply don’t exist downfield on clear passing downs. Another statistic for how good the Wesleyan secondary is: they are allowing 4.6 yards per passing attempt, the only team allowing fewer than five yards.

2. Williams Tackles For Loss Per Game: 4.33

Coming into the season the expectation was that the William defensive line was its strongest unit, capable of keeping the Ephs in games. After all it was a unit that had 19 sacks in 2013 and returned their three top sack performers this year. But the line has not repeated its production from last year. James Howe ’16 has enjoyed steady play but has not had a single sack after his breakout campaign last year. That has not necessarily been because of offenses focusing on him since nobody else has seen an uptick in production this year. A big reason for Williams’ disappointing season is their inability to make big plays on the defensive front.

3. Hamilton First Downs Allowed Per Game: 15.16

Given the Continentals record of 0-6, it would seem likely that the defense allows a lot of first downs per game, but their defense actually ranks second behind Trinity (13.83) in the category. Maybe they just let up a lot of big plays? That has something to do with it but not a lot as Hamilton is still only fifth in opponents’ yard per game. The reason for it is that the Hamilton defense doesn’t see many plays. Opponents only run 63 plays against them a game, the lowest mark in the NESCAC.

4. Number of Consecutive Years that Middlebury Has Had the NESCAC’s Leading Passer: 6

And Matt Milano ’16 appears ready to make it seven years in a row. Mac Foote ’14 led the league for three years in row after Donnie McKillop ’11 started the streak in 2008. Jesse Warren ’15 is only 64 yards behind Milano and Austin Lommen ’16 is also only 92 yards back. Still those two have to face very tough defenses in their remaining games while Milano has to face Hamilton and Tufts, two defenses that he should be able to exploit. The most likely possibility that keeps Milano from winning the passing crown is if the Panthers get up big early in both games and they run the ball the entire second half.

5. NESCAC Rank of Middlebury’s Top Receiver: Ninth

Last year Middlebury boasted three of the top four receivers in terms of yards, but this year has not seen any one player dominate. Grant Luna ’17 was the number one target the first couple of weeks, but injuries have kept him out the last two games. In his absence Matt Minno ’16, the team’s leading wideout last year, has risen to the occasion with Luna out and supplied five touchdowns in two weeks. Brendan Rankowitz ’15 has been a consistent threat having multiple catches in every game. Those three rank ninth through eleventh in receiving yards. Following them, running back Drew Jacobs ’18 is the safety valve tied for the lead in receptions for Middlebury, and Ryan Rizzo ’17 has come on strong in the past two weeks with 14 catches in place of Luna. Oh, by the way, with the exception of Rankowitz, all of these guys are back next year.

6. Solo Tackles for Mike Stearns ’17 (Tufts): 56

The next closest total in the NESCAC is 41 by Dan Pierce ’16 (Middlebury). What makes it so amazing it is that Stearns plays corner. The Tufts coaches trust his instincts and give Stearns free reign to come up quickly on run plays in order to seal off the edge. Stearns’ ability to avoid blockers and make a sure-handed tackle also helps the Jumbos to send extra pressure up the middle because they know they won’t be burned on the edges. Two things to keep in mind however: firstly, Tufts faces the most plays per team and secondly, Stearns’ solo tackles are likely inflated a little by scorekeepers because they are able to clearly distinguish his plays.

7. Carries for Bowdoin’s Tyler Grant ’17: 162

That’s 134 more carries than the next man on the depth chart, Garrett Thomas ’17, and Grant has accounted for 70 percent of the Polar Bears’ carries in 2014. Grant has 53 more carries than Chudi Iregbulem ’15, who is second in the NESCAC. His six touchdowns are tied for second in the league. And Grant has already surpassed last year’s carry total by 65. Time to give credit where credit is due to this Bowdoin workhorse.

8. Colby’s Field Goal Percentage: 25 percent

Granted, kicker Louw Scheepers ’15 has only attempted four field goals, but he’s still only knocked one through. Funny enough, his make, from 46 yards, was longer than any of his misses (42, 40, 31). Scheepers has been solid on his extra points though, making 11-12. Scheepers miss in OT from 42 last week was the only real significant miss he’s had, but still he could be called on over the final two weeks to make a big kick or two. What’s surprising is that Scheepers was 7-11 on field goals last season, so he’s better than he’s put forward so far.

9. All-Purpose Yards for Tufts’ Zack Trause ’15: 871

Trause leads the league in all-purpose yards, and it’s not particularly close. The utility man averages 145.2 yards per game, while Iregbulem clocks in at second with 122.4. Trause is the league’s leading punt returner and is second in kick return yards (but first in average with 36.4 yards per kick return) in addition to his efforts on the offensive side of the ball.

10. Tufts’ Total Attendance: 10,993

We can’t put too much stock into the recorded attendances for NESCAC football games, because there’s no gates and spectators often come and go. But just have faith in the numbers for a moment. That Tufts has put 3,000 more proverbial butts in the seats than any other team in the NESCAC goes to show how the football culture is shifting in Medford. It also helps if you win.

The Stakes Rise: The Weekend Preview 10/18

As we move to the stretch run, the biggest games of the season are still in front of us. When Wesleyan and Amherst meet on Saturday, more than just the Little Three will be on the line. The winner will have the best victory of the year and a good shot at going undefeated.

All eyes will be on Middletown, but a lot of other games will offer intrigue as well. Bates visits Middlebury in a game that should stay close if the Bates defense can play like they did for the better part of last week. Trinity makes the trip north to Maine for a game that could be tricky against a Bowdoin team that has now won two in a row. The other two games should be close as well.

Three to Watch

Running Back Devon Carrillo ’17 (Wesleyan): The salve to Wesleyan’s running problems might be the Middletown, Connecticut native. Last week Coach Mike Whalen used Carrillo as a wildcat quarterback in certain situations. The formation gave Bates fits with the highlight being a 66 yard run in the second quarter that saw Carrillo weave his way through the Bobcat defense. He accounted for 92 of Wesleyan’s 143 rushing yards (64.3%). After a freshman year that saw him return kicks and be the second leading tackler on defense, his role has shifted to the offensive side of the ball. On the Wesleyan website he is listed as a linebacker, and he played both ways in the first two weeks of the season, but he did not record a tackle last week. If Wesleyan can’t get traction running the ball with Jesse Warren ’15 under center then they will turn to Carrillo for a spark.

Linebacker Tim Patricia ’16 (Middlebury)- The leading tackler in the NESCAC over the last two years, Patricia has seen his production dip slightly as others on the Panther defense have emerged. Yet the junior could have a big game production wise on Saturday against Bates. Linebackers like Chris Tamasi ’15 and James O’Grady ’16 have enjoyed some of their best games this year against Bates because the run heavy offense gives linebackers a wealth of opportunities to make plays. The loss of Ryan Curit ’14 and Shawn Doherty ’14 has hampered Bates so far, but Middlebury will still have to bring their best game on Saturday. The skill level all around the Panther defense is much higher than it was two years ago. The reputation of a finesse team that they gained in past years does not ring true now. Patricia has been a big part of that change.

Defensive Tackle Tom Wells ’15 (Bowdoin)- A 2013 second team All-NESCAC performer, Wells is one of three seniors on the defensive line for Bowdoin that will try to stop the vaunted Trinity running game. The last time the two teams met in Brunswick the Polar Bears held Trinity to 3.4 yards per rush, and Trinity had only a 13-10 lead at halftime. Wells has three tackles for loss on the year, and along with lineman Jake Prince ’15 and Brian Golger ’15, will take on the vaunted Trinity offensive line. Right now the Polar Bears rank last in the NESCAC in defensive yards per rush at 3.9. Against Trinity the front seven will have to step up for Bowdoin to spring an upset.

The Picks

Game of the Week: Amherst (4-0) at Wesleyan (4-0)

Last year this was the game when Wesleyan broke through and showed that they had truly joined the top echelon of the league. A late Amherst rally fell short of succeeding, and two weeks later the Cardinals were celebrating their first Little Three title in 41 years.

Yet Amherst really outplayed Wesleyan in that game but lost for two big reasons – turnovers and field position. Amherst had four turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble) to Wesleyan’s zero. Then Wesleyan converted two short fields after Amherst punts into touchdowns which proved to be the difference.

Therefore, punter/receiver Jackson McGonagle ’16 and quarterback Max Lippe ’15 are the keys for the Jeffs. McGonagle has a great leg and can boom punts when he hits it right, but he is inconsistent and too often ends up hitting the ball poorly. Lippe reclaimed his position after not playing at all in the first three weeks and changed the look of the Amherst offense. He made good reads and solidified the passing game.

We fully expect Lippe to get the nod to start, but if he struggles Alex Berluti ’17 or Reece Foy ’18 should be ready to go. Lippe went 20-35 for 195 yards and had two touchdowns and two interceptions against the Cardinals in 2013. He spread the ball around last week which is a must against a Wesleyan secondary capable of turning any mistake into six points the other way.

Amherst has likely spent a lot of time in practice getting ready for Carrillo and the wildcat, but stopping it will still not be easy. Whalen likely did not want to run the wildcat so much last week, but the lack of any other running game forced his hand. Losing LaDarius Drew ’15 has cost Wesleyan more than expected with Kyle Gibson ’15 unable to find lanes of space.

Jesse Warren ’15 has proven in the first half that he is not merely a beneficiary of a strong running game and has been the best quarterback in the NESCAC. He set a new personal record in attempts (38) and completions (24 – the first time he has had more than 20) against Bates, making big throws one third down and long.

These are the two best statistical defense in the NESCAC at this point, and both offenses carry heavy question marks. Though it is Wesleyan’s homecoming, students are on fall break so the crowd might be large but not necessarily loud. Amherst hopes that Lippe can continue his play from last week, and we think he makes enough plays to carry them to victory in a low scoring game.

Prediction: Amherst 17 over Wesleyan 13

Bates (1-3) at Middlebury (2-2): The overtime victory for Middlebury last week was thrilling and represented another step in Matt Milano’s ’16 development. Now the Panthers have to turn around and protect their home turf against Bates. No word on whether Matt Cannone ’15 will play, but Patrick Dugan ’16 is capable of making plays as well. Our mid-season Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Newson ’15 will need to play well to keep Milano and company in check. These two teams have played three common opponents and played them similarly.

Prediction: Middlebury 21 over Bates 13

Williams (1-3) at Tufts (2-2): Even though they lost at Trinity 35-14, the Jumbos won respect for how they played the Bantams in Hartford. It took Trinity a while to pull away. Williams looked much better back at home, but the Ephs need to see results soon. Tackling in space is a must for the Williams secondary as Tufts will consistently run screens to their wide receivers. QB Austin Lommen ’16 has to take some of the load off running back Alex Scyocurka ’14. Williams averages the fewest tackles for loss per game on defense and Tufts is allowing the most first downs per game in the NESCAC so the potential is there for some fireworks.

Prediction: Williams 34 over Tufts 28

Trinity (4-0) at Bowdoin (2-2): The Bantams take their roadshow north to face off against a Bowdoin team that has turned around their season after a slow start. The announcement by Head Coach Dave Caputi that he would be stepping down at the end of this year could lead to a fired up Bowdoin squad. Trinity has started slow in a lot of their games, but they wear teams down over the course of their season. The weather will be a factor especially on the grass field. Trinity will load the box to stop Tyler Grant ’17 and see if Mac Caputi ’15 can make throws to his receivers in one on one coverage.

Editors Note: the game prediction is by Joe MacDonald.

Prediction: Trinity 35 over Bowdoin 17

Hamilton (0-4) at Colby (0-4): As meetings between two 0-4 teams go, this is a much better game than you might expect. Colby has finished their murderers row of an opening schedule, but the physical toll was heavy with the Colby staff having to resort to playing some players both ways. The Colby offense should be better after having to face four great defense. Hamilton look like they have a very good player in running back LaShawn Ware ’17 who has now lead the Continentals in rushing two of the last three weeks.

Prediction: Colby 24 over Hamilton 20

Last Week: 4-1

Season Record: 17-3

Fantasy Report – Weeks 2-4

For the better part of two weeks, my time was occupied by swimming with sharks on the Great Barrier Reef and cruising around the beautiful Whitsunday Islands on a sailboat, among other activities (Editors Note- That sentence made me die a little inside). Admittedly, NESCAC football took a backseat on the list of my priorities for a short time. But no longer! Even while I was away, the season soldiered on, as did our fantasy teams. I must say, even in my absentee status, I run a damn good squad.

Week 2

Foye Story (MacDonald) vs. Team Lindholm

My team (read: Chudi Iregbulem ’15) put up solid numbers in Week 2, but the matchup was really sealed more by Peter’s ignorance than my own management. Thanks, bud!

Foye Story (MacDonald) Team Lindholm
Position Player Points Player Points
QB G. Harrington 7 M. Lippe 0
QB H. Foye 13 M. Milano 26
RB A. Scyocurka 4 K. Adinkra 3
RB C. Iregbulem 36 R. Hislop 0
RB D. Jacobs 11 J. Semonella 0
WR M. Minno 3 H. Murphy 0
WR G. Luna 17 J. Hurwitz 4
WR S. Kiesel 0 J. Fabien 2
TE B. Harasimowicz 6 J. Day 5
FLEX C. Brady 9 M. Budness 0
FLEX N. Joseph 3 Z. Trause 9
K J. Mallock 0 M. Dola 9
D/ST Bates -5 Williams -8
TOTAL 104 50

The Bantams (Meekins) vs. Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont)

Meekins puts up 82 in Week 1 and 93 in Week 2 and can’t vulture a win either week. The Fellowship was carried by Lamont’s dominant QB duo, as Matt Cannone ’15 and Jack Doll ’15 alone outscored Lindholm’s team this week.

Jack Doll went 29-39 for 267 yards, 3 TD's and 0 INT's as Tufts went 2-0 for the first time since 2008. Courtesy of Tufts Athletics
Jack Doll went 29-39 for 267 yards, 3 TD’s and 0 INT’s as Tufts went 2-0 for the first time since 2008.
Courtesy of Tufts Athletics
The Bantams (Meekins) Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont
Position Player Points Player Points
QB J. Warren 17 M. Cannone 25
QB M. Caputi 7 J. Doll 31
RB K. Gibson 25 T. Grant 8
RB J. Rivers 2 C. Lipani 11
RB N. Kelly 11 L. Drew 0
WR G. Garay 9 B. Ragone 2
WR I. Dugger 4 L. Duncklee 3
WR C. Ragone 2 E. Drigotas 1
TE B. Oliver 0 A. Way 1
FLEX D. Von Euw 0 D. Barone 6
FLEX D. Sime 1 M. Rando 3
K P. Nwosu 6 Scheepers 1
D/ST Trinity 12 Wesleyan 15
TOTAL 93 109

Week 3

The Bantams (Meekins) vs. Team Lindholm

There were a pair of blowouts in Week 3, and Meekins got his first victory despite a few goose eggs on his scoresheet. Nick Kelly ’17 has proven to be a big pickup for Meekins, and his contributions grew every week over the first three weeks.

Team Lindholm The Bantams (Meekins)
Position Player Points Player Points
QB M. Lippe 0 J. Warren 19
QB M. Milano 3 M. Caputi 10
RB K. Adinkra 4 K. Gibson 14
RB R. Hislop 0 J. Rivers 0
RB J. Semonella 5 N. Kelly 20
WR H. Murphy 0 G. Garay 2
WR J. Hurwitz 8 I. Dugger 1
WR J. Fabien 8 C. Ragone 2
TE J. Day 7 D. Von Euw 0
FLEX M. Budness -2 B. Oliver 0
FLEX Z. Trause 15 D. Sime 0
K M. Dola 0 P. Nwosu 0
D/ST Williams 10 Trinity 12
58 80
The Bantams (Meekins) got their first W in Week 3 as the Trinity D, shown here swarming QB Chase Rosenberg '17 and blanketing his receivers, racked up 12 points. Courtesy of Greg Sullivan (http://www.sevenstrong.net/TrinityFootball)
The Bantams (Meekins) got their first W in Week 3 as the Trinity D, shown here swarming QB Chase Rosenberg ’17 and blanketing his receivers, racked up 12 points.
Courtesy of Greg Sullivan (http://www.sevenstrong.net/TrinityFootball)

Foye Story (MacDonald) vs. Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont)

I didn’t get the usual 30+ points from Iregbulem in Week 3, so I was bound to take my first loss. Tyler Grant’s ’17 Offensive Player of the Week performance was nearly enough to top my team on its own.

Foye Story (MacDonald) Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont)
Position Player Points Player Points
QB G. Harrington 1 M. Cannone 18
QB H. Foye 11 J. Doll 15
RB A. Scyocurka 16 T. Grant 44
RB C. Iregbulem 6 C. Lipani 0
RB D. Jacobs 3 L. Drew 0
WR M. Minno 0 B. Ragone 1
WR G. Luna 1 L. Duncklee 1
WR S. Kiesel 6 E. Drigotas 0
TE B. Harasimowicz 0 A. Way 1
FLEX C. Brady 8 D. Barone 4
FLEX N. Joseph -2 M. Rando 0
K J. Mallock -1 Scheepers 1
D/ST Bates 13 Wesleyan 19
TOTAL 62 94
Tyler Grant '14 had the game of his life against Tufts. Forty-three carries for 208 yards and 4 TD's. Courtesy of CIPhotography (http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/fball/2014-15/photos/0002/index)
Tyler Grant ’14 had the game of his life against Tufts. Forty-three carries for 208 yards and 4 TD’s.
Courtesy of CIPhotography (http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/fball/2014-15/photos/0002/index)

Week 4

Foye Story (MacDonald) vs. The Bantams (Meekins)

I finally gave up on Gabe Harrington ’17 and subbed in the rookie Reece Foy ’18. I was hoping the rhyming combination of Foy and Foye would finally get me some production out of the QB slots. Alas, I was disappointed, but Iregbulem once again carried my team to victory. I also have to give a shoutout to Alex Scyocurka ’14, who’s averaging 15.0 points per week for me. I need to start getting some QB and TE production, and my rotating defenses haven’t been doing me much good, but nonetheless I’m feeling pretty good atop the league standings to date.

Meanwhile, Meekins was yet again topped despite a strong showing. He’s put up 348 points through four weeks, good for second-most and just 17 behind myself, and yet is 1-3. Tough luck. One interesting note, Jesse Warren ’15 is just as consistent in fantasy as in real life. He’s put up scores of 20, 17, 19 and 19.

Foye Story (MacDonald) The Bantams (Meekins)
Position Player Points Player Points
QB H. Foye 3 J. Warren 19
QB R. Foy 1 M. Caputi 17
RB A. Scyocurka 16 K. Gibson 9
RB C. Iregbulem 42 G. Ackley 1
RB C. Brady 17 N. Kelly 11
WR G. Luna 5 G. Garay 11
WR B. Berey 0 I. Dugger 4
WR S. Kiesel 3 C. Ragone 0
TE T. Miletich 0 D. Von Euw 0
FLEX D. Jacobs 20 J. McGonagle 0
FLEX J. Hopsicker 3 D. Sime 0
K I. Fuchs 4 P. Nwosu 3
D/ST Tufts -4 Trinity 18
110 93

Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont) vs. Team Lindholm

Lindholm’s “loyalty” to Max Lippe ’15 finally paid off, as the senior QB led his team with 20 points, and despite a few zeros, and even some inactives, in his lineup, Lindholm bested Lamont for the second time this season. Matt Milano ’16 rebounded from a clunker against Amherst to have a solid fantasy week, and Lindholm even got a few points from Mike Budness ’15 who completed a 28-yard pass in Week 4.

On the other side, The Fellowship continues to suffer from the injury bug. LaDarius Drew ’14, Carl Lipani ’17 and Mike Rando ’17 were all inactive. That’s too much lost production for which to make up. Grant put up another strong week, though, and is looking like a back than can be relied upon now.

Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship Team Lindholm
Position Player Points Player Points
QB M. Cannone 0 M. Lippe 20
QB J. Doll 2 M. Milano 19
RB T. Grant 21 K. Adinkra 0
RB C. Lipani 0 R. Hislop 0
RB L. Drew 0 J. Semonella 0
WR B. Ragone 6 H. Murphy 0
WR L. Duncklee 0 J. Hurwitz 6
WR E. Drigotas 3 J. Fabien 12
TE A. Way 0 J. Day 1
FLEX D. Barone 9 M. Budness 4
FLEX M. Rando 0 Z. Trause 1
K L. Scheepers 5 M. Dola 5
D/ST Wesleyan 20 Williams 6
66 74

After four weeks of NESCAC football, the standings are as follows. Lindholm holds the tiebreaker over Lamont for beating the latter twice. There are two more weeks in the regular season before the fantasy playoffs commence, so stay tuned.

Team Record Points Scored
Joe 3 – 1 365
Pete 2 – 2 268
Adam 2 – 2 341
Sean 1 – 3 348