2013-2014 Season: 15-11 (5-5 NESCAC) fifth in NESCAC, reached semifinals of NESCAC tournament
Head Coach: James Cosgrove, fifth season, 48-52 (.480)
Starters Returning: 5
G Jaquann Starks ’16
G Hart Gliedman ’15
F Edward Ogundeko ’17
F Shay Ajayi ’16
C George Papadeas ’15
Breakout Player: G Andrew Hurd ’16
Hurd arrives in Hartford as a transfer from Central Connecticut State, where he played in only eight games last season. The Bantams have four guards back who played at least 17 minutes a game last season, but Hurd will be in the hunt for minutes right from the jump. Hurd will help out Steve Spirou ’15 and Rick Naylor ’16 as the main guards off the bench. Trinity’s biggest weakness is on the offensive end, and Hurd should help an offense that struggled last season.
Projected Starting Lineup:
Jaquann Starks ’16 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
G Jaquann Starks
Starks is returning after starting for two seasons. He has been able to man the point guard position pretty well, leading the team in scoring in 2013-14 while also tallying nearly 100 assists. The Bantams would like to see him take care of the ball just a bit better and get that assist-to-turnover ratio over 2:1, but he’s clearly the engine that makes this team go.
Hart Gliedman ’15 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
G Hart Gliedman
Gliedman is entering his senior year and needs to continue to be a factor for the Bantams. The Bantams need him to continue to thrive on the defensive end. He’s not much of a scorer, but at 6’3″ 200 lbs, he’s a strong, physical guard that fits right in with the Trinity system.
Ed Ogundeko ’17 (Trinity Athletics)
F Edward Ogundeko
Trinity’s success on the boards last season is due directly to Ogundeko and the next two names on this list. Ogundeko’s freshman debut was a very successful one as he was pretty close to averaging a double-double (9.2 points per game and 7.5 rebound per game). Ogundeko is particularly good at creating second chances. He averaged 3.5 offensive boards per game last season.
Shay Ajayi ’16 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
F Shay Ajayi
Ajayi was the Bantams most consistent player last year. The 6’5″ junior was nearly as proficient on the boards as Ogundeko, but brings the added weapon of the three point shot to his game, as he shot nearly 40 percent from deep last season.
George Papadeas ’15 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
C George Papadeas
The Bantam’s big man from Greece is going to have to play like he did in the second half of the season. He’s had a lot of experience in his time in Hartford. There is a lot of height in the NESCAC right now, and Papedeas is going to have to play big for the Bantams to win.
Everything Else:
The Bantams look to control the rebounding battle again this year. Rebounding and defense wins championships, as they say, and the Bantams led the NESCAC in rebounds last year, averaging 43.2 rebounds per game. What’s more, Trinity’s +9.7 rebound margin per game was the second highest in the nation. The Bantams also held the teams to under 62 points per game last season, second in the NESCAC and 13th in the country. As mentioned, Gliedman is critical to the Bantams’ defense, but so is 6’6″ swingman Alex Conaway ’15 who can guard both smalls and bigs. Needless to say, the Bantams are a team that has built its identity around defense.
On the other hand, Trinity struggles offensively. They were last in both points per game and three-point percentage in the NESCAC last year. In order for the Bantams to win games and get their defense recognized they are going to need to score some points. They didn’t lose a single senior from last year, so Trinity fans will have to hope that individual players can make strides offensively and that another year together will mean better chemistry on offense. Starks, Gliedman, Naylor and the sporadically used Chris Turnbull ’17 can shoot the three and stretch opposing defenses, while the starting trio of big men and Conaway will battle for points down low.
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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.
Departed Senior Matt Vadas ’14 (Courtesy of Conn College Athletics)
Editors Note: This article was written by Josh Moss ’18, a Conn College student.
Connecticut College Camels
2013-2014 Season: 9-14 (2-8 NESCAC), 10th in the NESCAC, missed NESCAC tournament
Head Coach: Tom Satran, 13th season, 117-169 (40.9 percent), Connecticut College Class of 1994
Starters Returning: 3
G Bo McKinley ’16
F/C Zuri Pavlin ’17
F Colin Pascoe ’17
Breakout Player: F/C Zuri Pavlin ’17
Pavlin was overshadowed last year as a freshman somewhat by Hunter Sabety ’17 and Duncan Robinson ’17, but he could be primed for a big season after the departure of all-time NESCAC leading scorer Matt Vadas ’14. He set a program single season rebounding record with 249 rebounds. He ranked first in the NESCAC in rebounding with 10.8 boards per game, and he was the only player to average double digits. He also showed his talent on offense averaging 10.5 points per game, and it is believed that he is the first Camel men’s basketball player to average a double-double in his rookie season. Now that he is the centerpiece on both ends of the court, Pavlin is ready to battle it out with all the other talented young centers in the league.
Projected Starting Lineup:
Bo McKinley (Courtesy of Conn College Athletics)
G Bo McKinley ’16
The junior dished out 3.8 assists per game to rank seventh in the NESCAC, but will have to take on a bigger scoring role after only averaging 8.2 points per game. He went 30-75 from three point distance (40 percent) while making a seamless transition from the 2-guard spot to the point in a breakout sophomore season. He is a leader on a young team and was voted team captain.
Zuri Pavlin (Courtesy of Conn College Athletics)
F/C Zuri Pavlin ’17
You already got a good idea of what Pavlin can do since he is our breakout player. The sophomore should be ready to make a jump after getting his rookie year under his belt.
Colin Pascoe (Courtesy of Conn College Athletics)
F Colin Pascoe ’17
Pascoe is the final sure fire starter for the Mules, and he will have to play a much bigger role this year. He started five games last year and averaged 4.5 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game. He plays a similar position to what Vadas did last year so his minutes should go way up.
The other two starting positions are wide open for right now because of all the young players on the roster.
Everything Else:
Last year, Pavlin had an immediate impact in the post while Vadas enjoyed the finest year of his prolific playing career. McKinley made a seamless shift to the point. Aside from their two NESCAC wins, the Camels dropped a 64-61 heartbreaker to Middlebury at the buzzer and were within two possessions in the final two minutes against NCAA Divisin-III runner up, Williams, before they lost a 98-90 decision to the Ephs on February 14.
The Camels have the potential to be a Cinderella story with their young talent. They are looking to turn heads and definitely could make a surprise run into the NESCAC tournament. We will see how this team meshes after losing Vadas.
Who will step up for the Camels this season? Pavlin and Pascoe will be aided in the frontcourt by the big 6’7’’ transfer Daniel Janel ’17 from Adelphi University. Guard Alex Hall ’17 is a solid shooter who could pick up some of Vadas’ production. He averaged 5.1 points in just 15.6 minuter per game of playing time. He netted 15 threes and poured in 21 points in matchup against Mitchell on February 11.
The team will look to push the tempo with young guns like Isaiah Robinson ’18 (Lynn, Mass., Salisbury School), Justin Holmes ’18 (Malibu, Calif., Malibu HS), Lee Messier ’18 (Narragansett, R.I., Tilton School), and Aaron Swenson ’18 (Waltham, Mass., Middlesex School). The first game is this Saturday November 15 against Framingham St. in the Connecticut College Coaches vs. Cancer Tip-Off Tournament. Opening tip is set for 6:00pm.
Also, the team has used a winter break trip to bond and learn more about the game while training in some historic venues. Last year, the Camels took a trip to North Carolina and even had a chance to practice at Duke.
Editor’s Note: Unlike football, team previews are being released in no particular order.
Tufts Jumbos
2013-2014 record: 13-12 (4-6 NESCAC), seventh in NESCAC, reached quarterfinals of NESCAC tournament
Head Coach: Bob Sheldon, Jr., 27th season (373-277, .574)
Starters Returning: 3
G Ben Ferris ’15
G Stephen Haladyna ’16
F Hunter Sabety ’17
Breakout Player: G Vinny Pace ’18
With three starters returning and Tom Palleschi ’17 back in the mix (more on that later), the starting lineup is fairly solidified, but Pace has the potential to make a huge impact off of the bench. The 6’5″ combo guard brings great size to the backcourt, where he could be a defensive force. His skills are a mix between that of teammates Ferris, a double-double threat, and the sharpshooter Haladyna. He will have to battle classmate Thomas Lapham ’18, a true point guard, and returner Ryan Spadaford ’16 for bench minutes, but after a little over a week of practice Pace is pushing strongly for time.
Projected Starting Five:
Tarik Smith (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
G Tarik Smith ’17
Smith has big shoes to fill with distributor Oliver Cohen ’14 gone, but he is next level quick, shoots the ball well from deep and got plenty of seasoning under his belt last year (25 games, 18.8 minutes per game). Smith will have the ball in his hands to start most possessions.
Ben Ferris (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
G Ben Ferris
Ferris, the 2011-12 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, is the undisputed leader on the floor for the Jumbos. The guard missed the first half of last season due to injury, and never got fully into the swing of things. Though he put up points and rebounds similar to what he achieved during his sophomore season, he was much less efficient from the floor. However, after undergoing hip surgery during the summer, reports are that Ferris is as healthy as ever and ready to take this team to the next level.
Stephen Haladyna (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
G Stephen Haladyna
Of the starting five, Haladyna is the best long-range shooter, and he should get plenty of open shots off of passes from the two big men. He might be the fourth option on this offense, which is a scary thought for opposing teams.
Hunter Sabety (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
F Hunter Sabety
In the majority of seasons, Sabety would have been the hands down choice for Rookie of the Year after averaging 14.8 points per game (tops on the team) on 65 percent shooting and 6.6 boards per game. Unfortunately for Tufts, the hopes of a third straight ROY honor were dashed by Duncan Robinson. Sabety presents a huge matchup problem for almost every team in the league, and had stretches of dominance in 2013-14.
Tom Palleschi (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
F Tom Palleschi
Palleschi is the Jumbos’ X-factor, as well as the biggest question mark. He brings size and double-double potential to the front court. A heart condition held the big man out last season, and it’s an amazing story that he will even be on the court again. Palleschi is 100 percent cleared to play, but head coach Bob Sheldon, Jr. estimates that he has not quite returned to his former level of play just yet. That being said, Sheldon also expects the sophomore captain to return to form and be better than ever before long.
Everything Else:
The Jumbos were a sexy pick by some to make a surprise run at the NESCAC title last season, but the squad never got healthy at the same time. Ferris missed almost half the season, Haladyna was sidelined for a handful of games, and, of course, Palleschi never saw the floor. However, if Tufts can avoid the injury bug this season then they have a shot to realize those lofty expectations.
Expect the offense to work inside out on most possessions. It will be a challenge for Palleschi and Sabety, both 6’8″ and about 240 pounds, to mesh together, but if they do then their offensive potential is sky high. Expect a lot of high-low action from the big men, and open shots for the guards. Sabety brings more athleticism to the floor than Palleschi, so he might also be employed to run the base line while Palleschi works to get position inside.
Drew Madsen ’17 will be the primary reserve big man, and the aforementioned Pace and Spadaford should see a decent amount of minutes. The scoring should be spread out fairly evenly across the board, as every player in the starting five is strong offensively.
Look for the Jumbos to get better as the year goes along, as this group builds chemistry that is just now getting the opportunity to foster.
One sport ends, another one begins. In part because of time issues, our basketball coverage will be a little bit different than our football preseason coverage. We will still have complete team previews for every team in the NESCAC. For more league wide coverage we decided to try something new and make some videos about a variety of topics. Keep checking back all week for lots of material as we stuff all of our coverage into five days.
If you want to skip around in the video, here are the topics that we cover.
0:30: Williams: We have talked at length about the losses Williams endured in the offseason so we go over the guys coming back and where Williams stands right now.
4:26: Amherst: Aaron Toomey ’15, Tom Killian ’15 , and David Kalema ’15 are all gone, while two new Division 1 transfers come in. Amherst is still one of the most talented teams out there.
9:50: Big Men: 2014-2015 could go down as a year dominated by play inside with most of the returning stars from last year being forwards and centers.
11:40: Matt Hart’s Departure: The former Hamilton shooting guard leaves a massive void in Clinton that someone will have to fill quickly.
15:00: Tom Palleschi ’16 Returns: A great story makes Tufts the wildcard of the league this year.
Maybe it was the game being played under the lights or the NESN TV camera crew, but the NESCAC season ended on a high note with Amherst claiming the undisputed NESCAC championship and Little Three championship by beating their archrival Williams.
Like so many other games, the Jeffs did not look great winning the game, but that does not really matter when you go 8-0. An early miscue put Williams up 3-0, but Amherst scored the next 17 points to gain a comfortable 17-3 lead. The Ephs managed to fight back and score a touchdown with under three minutes left to make things interesting, but Jaymie Spears ’16 recovered the onside kick to ensure the victory for the Jeffs.
In a lot of ways the game was a microcosm of the season for Amherst. They leaned heavily on their defense to come up with stops, and while Austin Lommen ’16 was able to throw for 197 yards, his two interceptions were costly for Williams. Amherst finishes the season with 17 interceptions with Jaymie Spears ’16 leading the way with six on the season and one Saturday. Max Lippe ’15 was efficient but not explosive in the passing game with Gene Garay ’15 his favorite target. Williams slowed down their running game enough which was a major reason for why the game remained close.
Looking back across the season, the Lord Jeffs were not a dominant juggernaut that ran through their schedule, but they remained perfect week after week in different ways. The one constant for Amherst was their defense. The Jeffs were the only team allow less than 10 points per game, and they were able to suffocate teams like Middlebury and Williams. But even the defense faltered a little in the biggest game of the year against Wesleyan. The Cardinals scored 30 points and had 433 total yards in the game, meaning that the offense and special teams needed to come through. And they did just that with the kicking game playing a major role in the victory
The Jeffs were a team that did just enough. They didn’t necessarily control games and finished eighth in the NESCAC in time of possession, but that defense was so good that it didn’t matter most of the time. Against Williams, Amherst only held the ball for 23:54 (less than 40% of the game). The key for the Jeffs was their 5-0 record in games decided by less than 10 points. Amherst never made a mistake that cost them the game, something that is easy to take for granted until you see things like Trinity missing a game winning field goal in the final minute. The Jeffs maintained a mentality that they would never beat themselves, and won games because their opponents struggled to do the same.
That mentality starts with no-nonsense Head Coach EJ Mills and trickles down to the senior leaders on the team Max Lippe ’15 did not play in the first three and a half games, but when called upon he showed no rust and helped to steady the offense in the second half of the year. Phillip Nwosu ’15 struggled at the beginning of the year (Check out our Stock Down section from October 6) but then was carried off the field by his teammates two weeks later after hitting four field goals including the game winner. Chris Tamasi ’15 was a terror off the edge all season tying for the league lead in sacks with five. And Ned Deane ’15, although often overshadowed by Tamasi, played equally well in the middle of the Amherst defense
Almost under the radar, Mills has created a dynasty at Amherst. Before the season we spilled a lot of ink concentrating on how Wesleyan and Trinity appeared to be close to separating themselves from the rest of the NESCAC. Amherst made that look silly. Since 2009, Amherst has collected four of the last six NESCAC titles, three of them undisputed. In 2009, 2011, and now 2014 they finished with a perfect 8-0 record. Since 2009, the Jeffs’ record is 43-5 (89.6%), and the class of 2015 goes out with a 29-3 record and three NESCAC championships.
At a time when Williams has gone through one of its worst downswings in decades, the Jeffs are riding as high as ever. Mills deserves much of the credit for that. He has built a program that is built to contend year after year. Despite playing three different quarterbacks and playing the third string running back for most of the Williams game, the depth of the Amherst program made sure the Jeffs could survive those problems. Mills has done an incredible job recruiting and 2014 was another representation of what a special coach he is.
Stock Up
Linebacker Joe Diaz ’15 breaks up a Wesleyan pass Saturday. Courtesy of Greg Sullivan (http://sevenstrong.net/)
These will be short because of time constraints, but we do want to mention some of the stars from this week.
Wesleyan Seniors: The most exciting game of the day came between Wesleyan and Trinity with the fourth quarter offering more than enough excitement to go around. Go ahead and read about the whole thing here. The ending was a sweet one for the best senior class at Wesleyan in a really long time. This class coincided with Coach Mike Whalen taking over, and he has a special connection with them. The accomplishments of Wesleyan over the past two years are numerous. Some of the most impressive are in 2013 the first Little Three title in 43 years and beating Trinity for the first time in 14 tries this season. The Cardinals were never able to complete an undefeated season, but that should not diminish their legacy.
Coach Whalen after yesterday’s win- “These seniors completely changed the culture of the football program here…
Quarterback Matt Milano ’16 (Middlebury): The junior completed his first season as a starter in style by finding open receivers all day long. He finished with an insane 6 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and 442 yards through the air. Milano came into his own as the season went along despite some early season struggles. He has more than confirmed that he is the next in line to be remembered as a great Middlebury QB. Is it enough for him to take home NESCAC Player of the Year honors? We will release our awards and All-NESCAC team tomorrow while the official announcement will come later this week.
Linebacker Mark Upton ’17 (Bates): Upton has been a rising star for much of the season on a really good Bates defense, and he played his best game of the season Saturday. He had 11 total tackles, a sack, two pass breakups, and a fumble recovery and return for 34 yards. The fumble recovery was his first of the season after he forced four fumbles over the course of the season. His production was incredibly steady throughout the year as he never finished a game with fewer than 8 tackles. Bates will lose a good amount of players off their defense so Upton will take on even more importance next year.
Stock Down
NESCAC Seniors: Go ahead and call us saps for doing this, but we don’t see any real reason to break down who had a tough game in the final weekend of the season. The only reason that we put NESCAC seniors here is because they unfortunately have played their last game of college football. They all played for varying reasons, but for most of them it came down to loving the game too much not to play it. We would just like to thank them for everything they have given to us over the past four years.
The penultimate Power Rankings offer us our clearest picture yet of where each team in the NESCAC stands. Amherst now sits clearly on top, even if their victories have come by the slimmest of margins.
1. Amherst (7-0): The Jeffs don’t win pretty, that’s for sure. Their margin of victory against Middlebury, Wesleyan, and Trinity was 11 points total. Even against Bates, Amherst struggled to pull out the victory. And yet, they are 7-0 and appear to be on their way to the NESCAC title. If we use halftime of the Colby game as the starting point of Max Lippe’s ’15 time as the QB this year, Amherst was averaging 14.6 points per game before Lippe became the starter. Since he took over, the Jeffs have averaged 30 points per game.
2. Wesleyan (6-1): This Wesleyan team did another thing that a Cardinal football team has not done in a long time last week as the Wesleyan victory at Williams was their first in Williamstown since 1984. The Cardinals also are trying to snap a 13-game losing streak against Trinity on Saturday. On his way to winning NESCAC Special Teams Player of the Week Honors (along with a host of others) last week, Ike Fuchs ’17 kicked five field goals, the most ever in a single game by a Wesleyan kicker.
3. Middlebury (5-2): Structure the schedule a little differently so you don’t play Wesleyan Week 1 and don’t play Amherst in a driving rain storm and maybe Middlebury is the class of the NESCAC. They are certainly playing as well as any team in the NESCAC right now. An underappreciated part of that success has been their veteran offensive line. Four of the five starters are seniors, and that has been a big part in making the Panthers an offense capable of both throwing and running the ball.
4. Trinity (5-2): Has Trinity slipped after losing two games in a season now in consecutive years? The Bantams did only have five losses total from 2008 to 2012. More likely, however, these last two years are more just an unusual string of unfortunate events converging. After having 10 touchdowns in the first four games of the year, Chudi Iregbulem ’15 has none in the past three in large part because of injury. Just like they did last year, Trinity will look to end their season on a high note by spoiling Wesleyan’s final game of the year.
5. Tufts (4-3): Anybody who said Tufts would be 4-3 at this point in the season can come collect their $1000 dollars right now. Offer excludes coaches and players for Tufts, though I am guessing even some of them are at least a little surprised by how successful they have been. And their level of play has risen throughout the season. A year after finishing last in the NESCAC with 11.8 points per game, the Jumbo offense has turned it around and is third in the NESCAC with 22.6 points per game.
6 Bates (3-4): After falling to 1-4, Bates turned the season around in the CBB beating Colby and then Bowdoin in hard fought victories. Another home victory to close out the season would bring Bates to 4-4 and mark the third consecutive season the Bobcats have finished .500 or better. Mark Riley ’16 has continued his great play all season and has been the best wide receiver in the NESCAC with 95 yards more than the next closest player.
7. Williams (2-5): The Ephs did not look competitive last week against Wesleyan, but as seen above, Amherst tends to play tight games. The offense has been good against most teams, but the elite defenses (Trinity and Wesleyan) have shut them down. James O’Grady ’16 has emerged as one of the better middle linebackers in the league and leads the Ephs with 58 tackles
8. Bowdoin (2-5): The Whittier field magic did not appear on Saturday for Bowdoin as the Polar Bears could not mount a late comeback against Bates. Inconsistency in the passing game, a problem all year, reared its head again because of the weather. The linebacker trio of Brendan Lawler ’16, Branden Morin ’16, and Bjorn Halvorsen ’17 have settled into their roles and are the three top tacklers on the Bowdoin defense.
9. Colby (1-6): The Mules offense broke out in Week 6 going for more than 400 yards after not going over 300 in their first five weeks. Two weeks ago Colby was again above 300 yards, but things went south again as they only managed 190 yards against Tufts. Gabe Harrington ’17 is the only qualified passer completing less than 50 percent of his passes.
10. Hamilton (0-7): Barring an upset of Bates, the Continentals will have gone two straight years without a win, but the arrow appears to be pointed in the right direction. Five of the top six tacklers on a sneaky good defense will be back in 2015. John Phelan ’16 has played an All-NESCAC caliber season with two fumble recoveries and two interceptions to go along with his team-leading 57 tackles.
As evidenced by our legendary inability to find a time to sit down and talk for this article, Hamilton alumnus Kori Brown ’95 is an exceedingly busy man. And no wonder. Brown is the brains behind the Boston Colts, a new semipro football team that will be playing in the Eastern Football League (EFL) next season. But the Colts are about far more than just football. Ideally, the team will be a non-profit organization that is just as invested in giving back to the Eastern Boston community as it is in scoring touchdowns.
Colts’ co-owner Kori Brown with his mother and cousin after a game.
Although he is a lifelong athletic standout, playing three sports in high school and varsity basketball at Hamilton, Brown didn’t get interested in football until he graduated and moved to Boston. As about 50 percent of NESCAC alums do when they graduate and move to Boston, he found work as a bartender, and it was there that one of his managers convinced him to try out for the Charleston Townies, the oldest semipro football team in the EFL. Brown was hooked, and rose through the ranks of the team to become a player/general manager, a post he served for the past 12 years.
Though you might not have heard of it before, the EFL is no upstart trend. The EFL came together in 1961, and now includes seven teams in towns around Boston, such as Quincy and Worcester. Brown and his co-owner Mike Gentili will present their case for admission to the league at the owner’s meeting in January.
A major component of the legitimacy of the league is the talent of the players in it. Players come from a diverse array of backgrounds and have varied purposes, from locals looking to have fun and represent their communities to ex-college players looking to return to the limelight. This is where Brown’s NESCAC credentials will come in handy. He intends to reach out to both the Hamilton basketball program (which he is still involved with) and the football program to make sure that graduates are aware of the opportunities the Colts offer in terms of extending athletic careers, and making a real difference in the community. As Brown says, NESCAC graduates are “smart kids who want to give back and push an organization forward,” and the values that NESCAC schools espouse are right in line with those on which the Colts will be founded.
Colts Co-owner Mike Gentili, Bridgewater State ’13
Although the team is designed to be a non-profit, there are obviously still expenses that need to be met, such as uniforms and stadium fees. This funding will come from the same community spirit that the entire organization is based around. Brown has several sponsors lined up, which have been found through his connections from the Townies, and some of the local Colts players’ relationships with local businesses.
He also intends to reach out to larger corporations in Massachusetts who already have deals with the charitable organizations the Colts will work with, in an effort to come together and help the East Boston area. The organizations include the local Boys and Girls Club and Veterans League, to whom Brown has already offered a sizable chunk of the team’s time. He also hopes to establish a mentorship program, where a local high school age student is paired with one of the team’s veterans. The Colts players would have the opportunity to assist the student with the college process, whether that’s through schoolwork or getting the word out about their athletic talent. Brown doesn’t want the team to be “just this team that plays in this town.” He wants the team to gain a reputation as a pillar of the community, as sports so often can do for a town.
NESCAC sports have the beautiful ability to foster a sense of inclusiveness. Sure, you have your great players, but those great players are students off the court, just like the fans in the stands are when they leave the bleachers. And furthermore, the community support of the teams reflects the (delicate at times, but still) bonds that the town has with the college. Growing up in a NESCAC town, I have seen first hand how Middlebury’s hockey and now basketball teams have become community gathering points, and the players heroes for local kids in the stands.
It is this powerful bond that makes the Boston Colts such a noble cause. All sports teams should give as much support to the community as the community does to them, and Kori Brown’s Boston Colts will strive to do that, just as the Middlebury Panthers, or the Williams Ephs, or the Tufts Jumbos should. NESCAC values should not exist solely in the NESCAC, they should extend to the wider athletic world, and the Boston Colts are a wonderful step in that direction.
If you want to find out more about the Boston Colts, check out their Facebook page:
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 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.
Editor’s note: This article was a team effort by the listed author, Sean Meekins, and Carson Kenney
Well, as most of you know, Trinity lost a heartbreaker last weekend at Amherst. This weekend Trinity will head up to Middletown to try to play spoiler on any hopes that Wesleyan has of a repeat of a NESCAC championship. Because of the late start in Amherst on Saturday, all eyes will be on this game. If Trinity leaves with a win, Amherst’s outright title will be secured, but if the Cardinals are victorious, they will be glued to their television sets all afternoon, rooting for the Ephs. Trinity had the same record at this time last year and embarrassed Wesleyan at The Coop with a stunning 40-10 victory, stealing the Cardinals’ outright crown. There is definitely no love lost between both teams, as the Connecticut rivalry will provide fans with a hard-nosed game.
Mike Weatherby ’14 Pressures Jesse Warren ’15 in last year’s game (Courtesy of Greg Sullivan http://www.sevenstrong.net/)
Wesleyan:
Wesleyan will come at Trinity with a well-balanced offensive attack. Jesse Warren ’15 is the anchor behind center putting together some very impressive statistics. Warren has thrown for 14 touchdowns this season and averages over 186 yards a game through the air. The Trinity defense will have to force Warren to make mistakes because he has only turned the ball over twice in seven games. Wesleyan also looks to come at Trinity with a strong running attack. Lou Stevens ’17 has taken over as the feature back for the Cardinals, tallying 78 carries and 393 yards (5.04 yards per carry) over the last three weeks. Stevens’ productive running opens up windows for Warren to throw to his big-time receivers, Jay Fabien ’15 and Josh Hurwitz ’15. They have combined for nine touchdowns this season, with Fabien at second in the league with 61.7 yards per game. The Cardinals’ offense was slightly better statistically in 2013, but compared to the rest of the league, the Wesleyan offense has been far more impressive, averaging 5.8 more points per game than second-ranked Middlebury.
Once again, Wesleyan’s defense has been elite, allowing more than 21 points only once this season. In the last two games the Cardinals have outscored their opponents 57-0, albeit against the league’s seventh and tenth-ranked offenses. Wesleyan is now on top of the league in yards allowed per game. Trinity’s offense has struggled mightily in their last few games, and if Wesleyan’s defense continues to step up to the challenge another shutout could be possible.
On another note, Wesleyan is also playing for a share or potential outright title of the Little Three crown. Having already lost to Amherst a few weeks back, the Cardinals will need a win and an Amherst loss to steal the Little Three crown while also nabbing a share of the NESCAC title.
Trinity:
What will Trinity have to do to win this game? They will need to rely on the defense, best against the run in the NESCAC, to stop Stevens. If there was ever a bigger time for the Trinity defense to step up and prove a point, it will be now. Led by the three big senior linebackers Mike Weatherby ’15, Tom Symanski ’15 and Rob Gau ’15, Trinity’s defense is going to have to dominate on that side of the ball. Amherst could not get it going at any point during the Bantams’ last game, but neither could the Bantams’ offense. With QB Henry Foye ’15 sidelined last week due to a neck injury during the Middlebury game, the Bantams attempted just nine passes, throwing as many interceptions as completions. What’s more, since Chudi Iregbulem ’15 missed Week 5 due to a leg injury, he has yet to score a rushing TD and has seen his yards per carry drop from 5.46 to 2.71. Last week Iregbulem still saw the ball plenty with 29 carries, but Darrien Myers ’17, normally a WR/KR, and Spencer Aukamp ’18, who came into 2014 as a quarterback, were much more effective running the ball.
Prediction: Trinity 13 – Wesleyan 6
Trinity still struggles offensively, but even though the Cardinals’ offense has been proficient, the Bantams showed last season that they have the guts and talent to stop the Weselyan attack.
