Tag: Will Caffey

The start of a new era: Colby College Season Preview

Colby College Football Preview

The Mules may have a tough road ahead of them, but their program will be on the rise in the coming seasons.

2017 Record: 1-8

Projected Record: 2-7

Starting Offensive Players: (*5  Returning Players):

QB: Jack O’Brien ‘20*

RB: Jake Schwern ‘19*

WR: Bernie Sander ‘21

WR: Andrew DeFranco ‘20*

TE: Ethan Smith ‘21

OT: Shane Normandeau ‘19*

OT: Trevon Bradford ‘20

G: Brandon Leibman ‘21

G: Brandon Troisi ‘19*

C: Rashawn Grant ‘21

Starting Defensive Players: (*5  Returning Players):

DB: Pat Yale ‘19*

DB: Asher Inman ‘20

S: Will Caffey ‘19*

S: Don Vivian ‘19*

LB: Marcus Bullard ‘21

LB: Sean Godin ‘20

LB: Will Turzi ‘22

DE: AJ Carrigan ‘19*

DT: Harrison Verdani ‘21

DT: Patrick Sopko ‘20*

DE: Hans Gabriel ‘20

Projected Special Teams Starters (0 Returning):

K: Walter Thilly ‘21

P: Moises Celaya ‘22

Offensive MVP:

Jack Schwern ’19

RB Jake Schwern ‘19

Jack Schwern was the heart and soul of a lackluster offense for the Mules last season. The running back will return for his senior year after leading the Mules in rushing, receptions, all-purpose yards, and touchdowns. He also returned nine kicks for 183 yards. Schwern does a little bit of everything for the Mules who needed help on almost everything last season. In Colby’s final game of the season last year, their sole win versus Bowdoin, Schwern rushed for 262 yards as well as tied school records for most touchdowns scored in a game and most points scored in a game. In order for the Mules to turn their luck around this year and have a shot at a CBB championship, they will need Schwern to perform well against mid and top tier team as well as bottom tier teams such as Bowdoin.

Defensive MVP:

Will Caffey ’19

S Will Caffey ‘19

Will Caffey will lead a fairly experienced defense for the mules, who return 5 starters. Caffey played in all 9 games for the Mules last season and lead the team in pass breakups with 9 and recorded 2 interceptions. The Mules (along with Bowdoin and Bates) allowed over 30 points per game last season while scoring less than 14. Colby allowed the 2nd most rushing yards per game as well as the 3rd most passing yards. The stats don’t lie, Colby’s defense was really, really bad last year and they’re going to need some new leadership to turn it around. Someone like Caffey who has the experience and the talent to right the ship may be just what they need.

Best Tweet: https://twitter.com/CoachJBrooks/status/1034069989786042373

This tweet comes to us from the Mules’ defensive line coach Jason Brooks. Gotta love that enthusiasm.

Everything Else:

 

Schwern will need to lead an underperforming offensive group, but, hey, everybody loves an underdog.

The biggest X-factor for the Mules this season is their new head coach, Jack Cosgrove. Cosgrove is the winningest coach in the history of the University of Maine, where he had coached for 23 years. This hiring shows that Colby is starting to get more and more serious about their athletics. In the past, especially in football, the Mules have not fared as well as the likes of Tufts or Amherst in NESCAC athletics. with many new coaches, fields and athletic centers coming to Waterville, the Mules are looking to up their game. The Mules have a healthy mix of returning starters and fresh faces on their roster. Jack O’Brien will return as quarterback, last season he put up 130 yards per game and threw for 8 touchdowns as well as 8 interceptions. When it comes to catching O’Brien’s passes, there’s plenty of competition. The Mules list 4 tight ends as well as 10 wide receivers on the roster. Andrew DeFranco should be the WR1 for the blue and gray this year. Last season DeFranco ended with the third most receptions on the team as well as being the go-to punt and kick returner. WR2 looks to be Bernie Sander, who saw limited action as a Freshman last year but the Mules are very excited about him. Jake Schwern will be trying to show the league that he is an elite running back after breaking several school records last season. Defensively the Mules are deep at linebacker, including Sebastien Phileman, Marcus Bullard, Sean Godin and freshman Will Turzi. The offensive line has now had another year to mature and with that hopefully they will be able to help O’Brien have a little more time in the pocket. Colby has an up-and-coming program which they have entrusted to Coach Cosgrove. Don’t be surprised if the former Black Bear is able to pull off a few upsets and possibly steal a CBB ‘ship.

I don’t play football, but I already want to run through a brick wall for this guy.

Another Undefeated Team Will Fall: Week 4 Weekend Preview, 10/13

Courtesy of Amherst Athletics
Courtesy of Amherst Athletics

Editor’s Note:

Below is the weekend preview for this week. Colby Morris wrote the bulk of this article, but Pete Lindholm added in the section about the Tufts-Trinity game. If you’re looking for more in-depth analysis of this game (our pick for this week’s game of the week), check it out here. After two weeks of our writers making predictions before each weekend, here is how everyone stacks up:

Rory Ziomek: 9-1

Pete Lindholm: 9-1

Liam O’Neil: 9-1

Colin Tiernan: 9-1

Colby Morris: 9-1

Sid Warrenbrand: 9-1

Nick DiBenedetto: 9-1

Pretty boring that everyone is on the same page, but the field should start to separate after this weekend. Now, on to Colby and Pete’s analyses…

 

Middlebury at Williams, 1:30 PM, Williamstown, MA

Let’s look at the positives for Williams going into this weekend: It’s a home game. It’s a blunt and harsh analysis, but there aren’t many highlights so far for the Ephs. Their best game was a 9-7 loss to Colby and now they go home to face the hottest team in the ‘Cac. The Panthers had a statement win over Amherst last weekend – especially impressive due to their superb special teams play – eliminating the last weakness in an already strong team. At 3-0 Middlebury should waltz to a win as Williams is on par with both Bowdoin and Colby, whom Midd beat handily. This will be another tough test for rookie QB Jansen Durham ‘20 as he looks to find Adam Regensburg ‘18 through the solid Midd secondary. Regensburg, listed as a DB, is a special teams and offensive weapon, and might just hurt his back trying to carry the team in Williamstown. Prove me wrong Williams.

RZ: Middlebury – 45, Williams – 7

PL: Middlebury – 38, Williams – 10

LO: Middlebury – 40, Williams – 14

CT: Middlebury – 45, Williams – 3

CM: Middlebury – 34, Williams – 3

SW: Middlebury – 38, Williams – 10

ND: Middlebury – 38, Williams – 10

Editor’s Note: I never seen a more popular 38-10 score prediction in my life.

 

Bowdoin at Hamilton, 12:00 PM, Clinton, NY

Jimmy Giattino '17 makes a play on the ball against Trinity (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics/Michael P. Doherty).
Jimmy Giattino ’17 makes a play on the ball against Trinity (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics/Michael P. Doherty).

This has the makings for one of the most competitive games going into the weekend, as each 0-3 team vies for their first win. While Pete picked Hamilton to beat Wesleyan during week two, Hamilton got dominated, as they are on the wrong side of a cumulative score of 105-12 through their first three contests. Unlike Hamilton’s experience thus far, Bowdoin’s 0-3 record doesn’t quite tell the whole story. Sure, they got blown out by Middlebury in week one, but then didn’t do quite as badly against Amherst week two, only losing by three possessions to a great team. Last week against Tufts, the Polar Bears’ offense showed some real prowess, as RB Nate Richam rushed for his first career touchdown. If it wasn’t for an ugly third quarter, the Polar Bears would’ve had a real shot. Granted their defense has been prone to allowing huge offensive days out of opposing teams thus far, but Bowdoin should be able to hold off Hamilton’s weak attack. I’m predicting that the Polar Bears will find their way into the warm, sunny win column.

RZ: Bowdoin – 17, Hamilton – 20

PL: Bowdoin – 10, Hamilton – 20

LO: Bowdoin – 17, Hamilton – 24

CT: Bowdoin – 16, Hamilton – 13

CM: Bowdoin – 24, Hamilton – 7

SW: Bowdoin – 21, Hamilton – 13

ND: Bowdoin – 28, Hamilton – 13

 

Wesleyan at Bates, 1:00 PM, Lewiston, ME

Frank Williams was this week's offensive player of the week after a huge game against Williams (Courtesy of Josh Kickers/Bates College)
Frank Williams was this week’s offensive player of the week after a huge game against Williams (Courtesy of Josh Kickers/Bates College)

The Bobcats finally made their jump into the win column last weekend against Williams, thanks to a big breakout performance by Sandy Plashkes ‘19. For the first time he showed that he can throw the ball pretty well, quadrupling his previous two games’ passing yards by going 10-24 for 240 yards and 4 TDs. He already showed us that he can fly, breaking off a big 57 yard run against Trinity, and had another 27 yard run last weekend, emerging as a dual threat QB. While their win against Williams doesn’t prove much, they had a similar outcome against Tufts that Wesleyan did, showing that they should be able to compete well this weekend. Wesleyan has rattled off two dominant wins in a row, and Nate Taylor ’18, who broke out with two picks, will be ready to pounce again on Saturday. Wesleyan has only allowed 213 yards per game this year, and with their streaking offense led by team passing and rushing leader Mark Piccirillo ’19, they should be able to hold off the dangerous Bates team. Wesleyan shouldn’t struggle to score, and if they can contain Plashkes, they should come out on top.

RZ: Wesleyan – 27, Bates – 21

PL: Wesleyan – 17, Bates – 13

LO: Wesleyan – 27, Bates – 10

CT: Wesleyan – 33, Bates – 17

CM: Wesleyan – 20, Bates – 17

SW: Wesleyan – 28, Bates – 17

ND: Wesleyan – 28, Bates – 17

 

Colby at Amherst, 1:00 PM, Amherst, MA

Coming off of their first loss in three years, I do not expect Amherst to waste any time in starting a new streak. They are going to be angry and determined to keep the NESCAC crown, and with only one loss, it’s still possible for them. This means bad news for the visiting Mules as they roll into away territory riding a two game losing streak, after an important, albeit shaky, season opening win against Williams. Jabari Hurdle-Price ‘17 is one of the bright spots for Colby as both a rushing and receiving threat, leading the team with 440 all purpose yards on the year. If Colby is going to make this close, which would be a small miracle, they will need to see some more INT’s from their DB’s Will Caffey and Ian Dickey like in week one. It is bad news for the Mules that third stringer turned starter Nick Morales ‘19 did as well as he did last weekend, and if not for a late pick vs. Middlebury, he would’ve had a flawless day. Jack Hickey ‘19 continued to show that he is a TD machine, making me wish that he was on my fantasy team instead of the disappointing Lamar Miller of the Texans. If Colby can’t stop him, Amherst will surely roll to another blowout win in their quest to climb back up the NESCAC standings.

RZ: Colby – 3, Amherst – 30

PL: Colby 3, Amherst – 45

LO: Colby 7, Amherst – 42

CT: Colby – 14, Amherst – 27

CM: Colby – 6, Amherst – 35

SW: Colby – 7, Amherst – 42

ND: Colby – 7, Amherst – 34

 

Tufts @ Trinity, 1:30 PM, Hartford, CT

For a longer preview of this game, check out Rory’s piece.  It’s not better written or particularly well-researched, but it is longer and does exist (Editor’s note: Pete is just jealous that I actually have a stake in this game).  Anyway, the Bantams’ eyes lit up last weekend when Middlebury ended Amherst’s reign of terror atop the league.  Trinity has flown under the radar this year as Middlebury and Amherst have battled at the top of the league, but the boys from Hartford have been as impressive as either of those two squads.  Quarterback (and rejected Godfather character name) Sonny Puzzo ‘18 leads the offense, with heavy aid from running back Max Chipouras ‘19.  Of course, it’s important to note that Trinity has played three of the worst teams in the league thus far.  Tufts is far from that ignominious status.  The Jumbos also come in at 3-0, with a quality win over Wesleyan under their belts.  However, they barely eked out a 12-7 win over Bates, whom Trinity put in their front pouch like a mother kangaroo to the tune of 38-7.  Tufts’ offense is dominated by rushing duo Chance Brady ‘17 and Ryan McDonald ‘19, who have scored six of Tufts’ eight touchdowns.  However, Trinity’s more balanced offense and stout defense should be able to overcome that attack.  Look for the Bantams to win handily.

RZ: Tufts – 13, Trinity – 21

PL: Tufts – 14, Trinity – 28

LO: Tufts – 24, Trinity – 26

CT: Tufts – 23, Trinity – 24

CM: Tufts – 10, Trinity – 31

SW: Tufts – 16, Trinity – 14

ND: Tufts – 10, Trinity – 31

Turnaround time for the Mules? Colby Season Preview

Preseason All-American Jabari Hurdle-Price '17 will be the focal point of the Colby offense once again in 2016 (Courtesy of Colby Athletics).
Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17 will be the focal point of the Colby offense once again in 2016 (Courtesy of Colby Athletics).

Projected Record: 1-7

Offensive Starters(*Six returning)

QB: Gabe Harrington ’17*
RB: Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17*
WR: Ryder Arsenault ’17
WR: Alex Kramer ’17*
WR: Mark Snyder ’18
TE:  Braden Wilson ’17
LT: Shane Normandeau ’19
LG: Will Julich ’17
C: Mike Roberts ’17*
RG: Anthony Cappellino ’17*
RT: Larry Patrizio ’17*

Defensive Starters(*Seven returning)

DE: Ben Hartford ’18
DT: Chris Marano ’17*
DT: Sam Gomez ’18
DE: Henry Wallrapp ’17*
OLB: Justin Lamere ’17*
MLB: Sam Friedman ’19
OLB: Bryan Mcadams ’18*
CB: Adam Balaban ’18*
SS: Will Caffey ’19*
FS: Ian Dickey ’18*
CB: Patrick Yale ’19*

Specialists (*Two Returning)

PK/P: John Baron ’18*

KR/PR: Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17*/Mbasa Mayikana ’18

Offensive MVP: Running Back Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17 

Colby’s offense is led by 2015 First Team All-NESCAC running back, Jabari Hurdle-Price. Hurdle-Price had a monster year in 2015 leading the mules in rushing, receiving and returns on special teams. The only factor preventing Hurdle-Price from these numbers in 2016 is the left side of the offensive line, which remains a big question mark for Colby. With consistency on the offensive line for the Mules, expect Hurdle-Price to put up even bigger numbers than he did last season. It will be interesting to see how opposing defenses prepare for the ground attack against Colby, as they were able to find the end zone ten times on the ground and only two times in the air.

Defensive MVP: Safety/Linebacker Ian Dickey ’18

Ian Dickey had a breakout season in 2015 and was second on the team with forty-three tackles. With leading tackler, Stephen O’Grady graduated, the Mules will depend upon Dickey to make even bigger plays for them. Last season, Dickey anchored a secondary that consisted of two freshmen. Having a full season of experience under his belt expect Dickey to have a breakout year for Colby.

Biggest Surprise of Camp: Injury Bug nowhere to be found.

In 2015, Colby lost many valuable players throughout the season via injuries. Losing players to injury coupled with a lack of both depth and experience resulted in a 1-7 season which put them dead last in the NESCAC. This past Saturday, Colby had a joint practice with Bates, and arguably the biggest positive coming out of this is that there were no injuries. Coach Michaeles remains optimistic about his program and knows the capability they have if they remain healthy in 2016.

Biggest Game: Bowdoin at Colby, 12:30 PM November 12, Waterville, Maine (Maine’s Super Bowl)

Colby starts their 2016 season in a hectic fashion. Normally, opening at Williams would be a good thing, but Williams recently hired the former St. Lawrence head coach, Mark Raymond. Raymond is one of the better division three football coaches and is known for his success in turning St. Lawrence into a winning football program. This will not be an easy opener for the Mules. Things do not get easier for Colby as they play Middlebury, Wesleyan and then Amherst in weeks two, three and four.

Fast Forward to week eight: A home CBB rivalry finale against Bowdoin. This game does not only mean a lot to the Colby football program, but it is one of the most highly anticipated events in Maine. In 2015 both teams were 1-6 going into this game and Bowdoin ended up winning 35-13. Colby was unable to score until late in the 3rd which summed up their lack of offense the entire season. Having the home field advantage and experience in both the offense and defense, expect this week eight battle to go down to the wire.

Best Tweet:

I believe the saying goes: “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning, Colby opponents take warning.”

 

Summary: Colby’s 1-7 season in 2015 was attributed to their inability to find the end zone. They were struck with the injury bug early on and were unable to adjust from there. In order to improve from their disappointing season, Colby will need more production and consistency from their offense as well as to remain healthy throughout. They have the talent to win some quality NESCAC football games, but they need their offense to produce. Although his 2015 numbers are discouraging, coach Michaeles has full faith in senior Gabe Harrington to lead the offense. Harrington had a solid season in 2014 and his performance will determine whether or not the Mules’ offense will succeed. Michaeles also has the option of junior Christian Sparacio who gained some experience in 2015 and will definitely compete for snaps. The one position that has been locked in since the end of 2015 is the starting running back position. Jabari Hurdle-Price looks to continue where he left off last season as he was arguably one of the best athletes in the NESCAC. Hurdle-Price was the only consistent spark in the Mules’ offense a year ago. Behind Hurdle-Price is running back Carl Lipani. Lipani provides Colby with plenty of depth at running back. A big asset for the Mules offense this season is the return of wide receiver Ryder Arsenault. Arsenault missed major time in 2015 due to injury and has been a consistent target for them in the past, leading the team in receptions in2014. Alex Kramer and Mark Snyder will look to compete for reps at wide receiver. Braden Wilson will be at tight end for the Mules after starting the final four games of last season. With improvements in the air attack, Colby could be a dangerous football team on offense.

On defensive, Colby will look to fill the void of leading tackler and captain Stephan O’Grady as well as All-NESCAC defensive end Ryan Ruiz and defensive tackle Harry Nicholas. Replacing the graduated O’Grady will be Sophomore Sam Friedman. As a Freshman in 2015, Friedman recorded nineteen tackles in six games. Additionally, the Mules will look towards senior Bryan McAdams and junior Justin Lamere to produce for them at linebacker. Senior Henry Wallrapp provides experience on the defensive line at strong side defensive end. Replacing Ruiz and Nicholas will be Gerry Nvule, Chris Marano, Sam Gomez and Ben Hartford. Colby’s secondary was filled with underclassmen in 2015. Ian Dickey started all eight games at safety as a sophomore and was second on the team in tackles behind O’Grady. The youngest part of their secondary was Will Caffey and Patrick Yale who started at both cornerback positions as freshmen. These three are locks for starting jobs this season but the other safety position is up for grabs. John Baron will be the place kicker and punter for the mules in 2016. Last season, Baron went four for five in field goal opportunities, including a thirty-seven yarder against Tufts. He was seven for eleven in extra point opportunities. With a more productive offense in 2016, Baron will have more opportunities to put points on the board for Colby.