Wesleyan – Page 26 – Nothing But NESCAC

Down to the Wire: Week 7 Weekend Preview, 11/5

Alex Waugh '18 and Hamilton hope to pull off the upset as they host Middlebury this weekend in Clinton (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics) — Alex Waugh ’18 and Hamilton hope to pull off the upset as they host Middlebury this weekend in Clinton (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)

Honestly speaking, this has been the most exciting NESCAC season that I have witnessed in my college career. Looking over the schedule for the final two weeks of season, I am drawn to game after game after game. There are games with championship hopes on the line (both NESCAC and CBB championship hopes); there are games with endless pride at stake; there are in-state rivalry games, conference rivalry games, grudge matches…there’s even some little school in Connecticut that’s trying to finish out an undefeated season. 2016 has given us the rise of a historically less relevant team in terms of championship contention (Tufts), and it has also presented us with an epic fall from grace (Amherst). All in all, it’s hard to objectively look at the 2016 NESCAC Football season and be upset — the competition has been good, great, phenomenal…I can’t wait to see what type of upsets are in store for us over these next two weeks.

Hold your horses though, folks. Before we can get to the decisive Week 8 games, we need to get through this weekend. Good news! There are a number of very important games tomorrow, games that will set the stage for a thrilling final week. The most obvious is Amherst-Trinity, a matchup that features an undefeated group of Bantams looking to win the sole title of 2016 NESCAC champion. Amherst has been on quite the slide as of late, but if they can put together a little Western Mass magic like we remember from the good old days, then Week 8 will be VERY interesting. Elsewhere, Middlebury, Tufts, and Wesleyan all have one loss, and all need to win-out in order to have a shot at taking home at least a share of the title (I’d be unbelievably surprised if there was a sole champion that didn’t hail from Hartford, CT, but I suppose it is possible). The good news for all three of the 5-1 squads is that they play Hamilton, Colby, and Williams respectively. The bad news? Hamilton, Colby, and Williams are ALL looking to spoil some championship dreams. So check out Saturday’s action below – this should be an awesome weekend.

(Per usual, Pete and I split up this weekend’s preview. I wrote about the Colby-Tufts and Wesleyan-Williams games, while Pete wrote the Middlebury-Hamilton, Amherst-Trinity, and Bates-Bowdoin games)

Colby (2-4) at Tufts (5-1), Medford, MA, 1:00 PM

Sebastian Farrell '19 debatably leapfrogged this defender (Courtesy of Colby Athletics) — Sebastian Ferrell ’19 debatably leapfrogged this defender (Courtesy of Colby Athletics)

Well, Pete moved Tufts into the #2 slot in this week’s power rankings, so it’s time for the Jumbos to show everyone that they deserve that nod. While the Trinitys, Middleburys, and Wesleyans of the world have been able to blow out some inferior opponents by ~30 points somewhat often, Tufts has not done so, but that doesn’t mean they’re any worse of a team for it. Scoring 40 or 50 points is not their M.O. – playing solid defense and wearing down opposing defenses is. That’s why Tufts has the lowest point differential per game, an average of just +9.33 per game compared to Trinity (27.00), Middlebury (11.33), and Wesleyan (21.00). It’s also why I think that this weekend’s game could be closer than many people are anticipating. Colby is fresh off a devastating loss to Bates, but the fight they showed in the second half of that game is a testament to their willpower. The Mules are clearly not going to roll over, and whether or not Jabari Hurdle-Price ‘17 is back from injury this week, Colby is going to be ready to play. Expect Coach Michaeles to stick with what’s working – lots of plays drawn up for Christian Sparacio ‘18 to feed Sebastian Ferrell ‘19. Lockdown Jumbo cornerback Tim Preston ‘19 is back to his old ways – once again he leads the NESCAC in interceptions (4), so expect him to line up against Ferrell. The main question, as always, will be whether the opposing D can shut down Chance Brady ‘17… I somehow doubt it.

Rory Ziomek: Colby 17, Tufts 24

Pete Lindholm: Colby 10, Tufts 13

Liam O’Neil: Colby 10, Tufts 40

Colin Tiernan: Colby 13, Tufts 31

Colby Morris: Colby 7, Tufts 35

Sid Warrenbrand: Colby 7, Tufts 41

Nick DiBenedetto: Colby 7, Tufts 21

Wesleyan (5-1) at Williams (0-6), Williamstown, MA, 1:00 PM

I have tried to be pretty optimistic about Williams all season long, and they have shown some instances of competitive football in 2016, but overall, I think that Williams’ defense has been their downfall. The Ephs are allowing 29.3 OPPG, largely in part because of the nearly 400 YPG that they allow (381.5). Conceding a league-worst 199.2 YPG on the ground is not a recipe for success against Wesleyan, the third-best rushing attack in the NESCAC (180.5 YPG). And it’s not that the Cardinals can’t pass either! Quarterback Mark Piccirillo ‘19 can pass, he can run, and above all else, he can facilitate offensive flow. If Williams wants to win this game, they are going to need to score the football…unfortunately, I think that could be an issue for them. Though Williams ranks 6th in scoring in the NESCAC, they are a hop, skip and a jump below Amherst’s scoring average, once again highlighting the “league of two tiers” that we have often alluded to this fall. Wesleyan still boasts the best defense in the league, allowing just 7.7 OPPG, one that has only gotten better as the season has gone on. If the rest of the 2016 season is an accurate barometer, Wesleyan should head to Trinity at 6-1.

Rory: Wesleyan 42, Williams 7

Pete: Wesleyan 35, Williams 7

Liam: Wesleyan 27, Williams 10

Colin: Wesleyan 27, Williams 10

Colby: Wesleyan 28, Williams 13

Sid: Wesleyan 38, Williams 6

Nick: Wesleyan 38, Williams 14

Middlebury (5-1) at Hamilton (2-4), Clinton, NY, 1:00 PM

Contrary to the apparent mismatch, this is a crucial game for the Panthers. Last weekend, Trinity Sonny Corleone-d the Panthers to the tune of a 49-13 drubbing that may not even have been that close. The Panthers now must win out (and get a little help from Amherst this weekend) in order to have a shot at sharing the league title. Their biggest obstacle on paper is a home game against Tufts to close the year, but Middlebury would be wise to not discount the Continentals this weekend. Hamilton is a long drive from Middlebury, and the Panthers have had a tendency to start slowly, particularly on the road. Also, Hamilton is truly not that bad. Quarterback Kenny Gray ‘20 has had some impressive connections with receiver Charles Ensley ‘18, and the defense features certified studs Mickey Keating ‘18 and Tyler Hudson ‘19, who are excellent at pressuring the quarterback. The struggling Middlebury offensive line will have to step up their game in order to give Jared Lebowitz time to get back into POY form after a very tough week against Trinity. This should be a tune-up game for Middlebury in preparation for Tufts, but it would be very dangerous for the Panthers to think like that.

Rory: Middlebury 20, Hamilton 23

Pete: Middlebury 23, Hamilton 14

Liam: Middlebury 34, Hamilton 10

Colin: Middlebury 27, Hamilton 10

Colby: Middlebury 38, Hamilton 14

Sid: Middlebury 24, Hamilton 6

Nick: Middlebury 42, Hamilton 0

Amherst (3-3) at Trinity (6-0), Hartford, CT, 12:30 PM

Look, did I expect Amherst to be 3-3 heading into Week Seven? No. Am I happy about it? No, (holding back gleeful laughter) okay maybe a bit, but just because it makes for more interesting #content for us to write about here at NBN. Amherst has lost three of their last four games, with turnovers out of quarterbacks Alex Berluti and Nick Morales being the main culprit. Additionally, running back Jack Hickey ‘19, who was looking like a darkhorse All-League team candidate early in the season, has pretty much disappeared from the offense, posting only 97 yards and one TD over the last three games after 6 touchdowns in the first three games. Amherst simply has no offensive firepower right now, and that doesn’t bode well for a matchup with Trinity’s vaunted defense. However, Amherst still has one weapon left in their arsenal: pride. This is a team that won 21 in a row just a short time ago, and the attitude that makes the rest of the league hate them is still there. If they can summon that attitude, take care of the ball and let their still-excellent defense match up with Trinity’s dominant offense, this could be a classic.

Rory: Amherst 13, Trinity 31

Pete: Amherst 10, Trinity 28

Liam: Amherst 13, Trinity 28

Colin: Amherst 24, Trinity 33

Colby: Amherst 13, Trinity 27

Sid: Amherst 14, Trinity 21

Nick: Amherst 17, Trinity 38

Bates (2-4) at Bowdoin (0-6), Lewiston, ME, 12:30 PM

There’s a battle for Maine brewing in Lewiston this weekend, as well as a battle for Bates to have one of their best seasons in the last ten years. The second game of the CBB (Colby-Bates-Bowdoin) series features Bates coming off a hard fought 21-19 win over Colby, and Bowdoin coming off a shellacking at the hands of Wesleyan. Bates has a great opportunity in the next few weeks to finish at .500, as they play Hamilton in Week Eight. Bowdoin, on the other hand, has an opportunity against Bates or Colby to leave 2016 with a win, potentially two, which would be a tremendous moral victory in a season that was doomed from the start. The key for the Polar Bears will be keeping Bates QB Sandy Plaschkes from breaking away for big plays. Plaschkes 42% completion percentage looks bad on paper (and honestly is pretty bad,) but he has eight touchdowns and only four interceptions on the year, and has a knack for coming up with big throws when the team needs it. The stakes in this game are not high rankings-wise, but they are for the teams involved, making for a hard fought game.

Rory: Bates 27, Bowdoin 21

Pete: Bates 24, Bowdoin 7

Liam: Bates 26, Bowdoin 8

Colin: Bates 17, Bowdoin 20

Colby: Bates 17, Bowdoin 13

Sid: Bates 16, Bowdoin 9

Nick: Bates 28, Bowdoin 14

The Times, They Are A’Changing: Week Six Power Rankings

Hamilton is looking for their third straight home win this weekend as they try to upend Middlebury (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)

Week Six solidified several hypotheses about the 2016 NESCAC football season. It definitively proved that Trinity is the class of the league. We learned that Tufts doesn’t need to choose between two somewhat ineffective quarterbacks to be a contender, and that even Amherst can’t overcome the loss of their top two quarterbacks (though Alex Berluti ’17 was back in action this weekend). It also proved without a doubt that my dad and I shouldn’t watch tense Middlebury sporting events in confined spaces (sorry about the TV remote Dad, I’ll pay for a new one.) Here on the opening day of NESCAC Winter Sports practices, we bring you the third to last football Power Rankings

1: Trinity (6-0)

Many experts (mostly me) were saying that Middlebury would come out on top in the NESCAC Super Bowl that took place in Hartford on Saturday, effectively clinching the league championship. However, the Bantams made those experts (again, mostly me) look pretty foolish. Trinity vaporized Middlebury on Saturday to the tune of 49-13. It was 28-0 at the end of the first half, causing my father, a Middlebury fan of over 50 years, to go out and rake leaves rather than watch the third quarter on webcast. Running back Max Chipouras was simply unstoppable (186 yard and two touchdowns) and quarterback (and Tony Soprano’s “waste management” associate) Sonny Puzzo was his usual solid self, passing for two touchdowns and running for another. It was their defense that starred, however. They pressured Jared Lebowitz and nearly every throw, forcing him into three interceptions. Trinity closes the season still needing to play Amherst and Wesleyan to seal up the league title, but at this rate I think they could take on Alabama and come out on top.

2: Tufts (5-1)

Next up in the “lessen Peter’s credibility as an analyst” division is Tufts. For much of the season I’ve been saying that Tufts’ inconsistency at quarterback would prevent them from entering the elusive “Top Tier” that we write so vaguely about here at NBN. However, the Jumbos’ performance against Amherst last weekend made me look like the ESPN writers who thought that Tom Brady would be rusty after Deflategate: loudly and abrasively wrong. Chance Brady (no relation) had another POY level performance with 157 yards on 24 carries and two touchdowns. Quarterback Ryan Mcdonald offered a surprisingly solid performance, both throwing and running for over 100 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers. And the defense collectively starred, forcing two interceptions and four sacks against the vaunted Amherst offense. It is possible that beating Amherst is not quite as powerful a showing in reality as it sounds on paper, but Tufts put the league on notice this weekend.

3: Middlebury (5-1)

The Panthers were outmatched from the opening kickoff against Trinity, giving up two long touchdowns in the first quarter on a 34 yard run from Max Chipouras and a 46 yard pass from Sonny Puzzo to Bryan Viera. Trinity intercepted Middlebury quarterback Jared Lebowitz 3 times and backup Jack Meservy twice, and recorded five sacks in a dominating all around performance. The lone bright spot for the Panthers was another strong outing for sophomore running back Diego Meritus, who put up 70 yards on 14 carries and scored a touchdown. Look for Meritus to possibly get even more work as the Panthers attempt to remain in the running for a share of the league title in a road trip against Hamilton, and a crucial matchup at home against Tufts in the final week of the season.

4: Wesleyan (5-1)

Before Wesleyan fans kill me for dropping them after they put up 39 points in a win, let me remind them that I have always loved their uniforms. Red and black is a fire combination, and adding the “Cardinals” mascot (one of the better animal mascots in sports) makes the whole ensemble even better. That said, Wesleyan dominated Bowdoin at home in a performance that can only be described as “expected.” You don’t get glory for beating up on one of the two worst teams in the league at home. The Cardinals got an impressive performance from quarterback Mark Piccirillo, and should use this game and their matchup with Williams next weekend as a tuneup for their final week showdown with Trinity, which may actually be the championship of the league (I know we said that about Middlebury-Trinity, but we got excited.)

5: Amherst (3-3)

If you approached me in a the saloon from Westworld during the offseason, as I nursed a whiskey with my cowboy hat tilted low over my eyes, and told me that after Week Six I’d be writing a Power Rankings column with Amherst fifth, I would have told you to stop telling me about NESCAC football while we’re in a robotic world of adventure and mystery. And also that you were wrong. But here we are in regular old 2016 America, with Amherst having lost three of their last four games and falling completely out of contention for the league championship. The culprit the last two weeks has been turnovers, as Amherst has coughed up the ball 7 times in the last two weeks. This gives their defense, which is still among the best in the league, very little rest or field position to work with, accounting for Chance Brady running all over them like Usain Bolt last weekend. Amherst still has an opportunity to be a major spoiler next weekend, as they take on Trinity. If they can muster some of the Amherst swagger that was present during their 21 game winning streak, they can throw a major wrench into the Bantam’s march to the title.

6: Bates (2-4)

Bates is prepared for their second CBB matchup this weekend against Bowdoin (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

Bates put up one of their best halves in several years this past weekend against Colby, leading 21-3 at the end of two quarters. Sandy Plashkes had over 170 yards of total offense and a touchdown, and Bates overcame a rally attempt by Colby in the second half to win 21-19. With matchups against Hamilton and Bowdoin to end the year, Bates has a very real chance to finish .500. And with Amherst still needing to play Trinity, Bates could very well end up with the same record as Amherst. By the way, as I wrote that last sentence, a wormhole opened and irreparably damaged the space-time continuum. Time now runs backwards, all precipitation is now in the form of fire. Earth has become a living nightmare. So my bad I guess. Seriously though, Bates is hot. Let’s see if they can carry that fire into their final CBB matchup this weekend.

7: Colby (2-4)

The Mules finished on the other end of the “Second Tier Super Bowl” in Lewiston last weekend. Unable to overcome a slow start, Colby’s comeback attempt fell just short, ending in a 21-19 loss. Colby’s offense pretty much entirely consisted of throws from quarterback Christian Sparacio to wide receiver Sebastian Ferrell (who has flown under the radar this season, but is 5th in yards and third in yards per catch as a sophomore). Farrell and Sparacio hooked up 11 times for 183 yards and two touchdowns, giving the Mules a fighting chance to come back from an early 21-3 deficit. If Ferrell and Sparacio can keep up this repartee, the Mules have an opportunity to play a major spoiling role for Tufts next weekend, and also finish at .500, the golden mark for several historically lesser programs.

8: Hamilton (2-4)

Hamilton took care of business this weekend against Williams, beating the Ephs 16-6 in what was a wholly unremarkable game. Hamilton freshman quarterback Kenny Grey continued to show solid promise, and Hamilton was able to constantly pin Williams deep in their own territory. The Continentals may have a chance to pick up another win against Bates in the final week of the season, and face off with a wounded Panthers pride this coming Saturday. Middlebury has a tendency to get off to slow starts, particularly on the road, so if Hamilton plays perfectly, they could pull off the biggest upset of the season.

9: Williams (0-6)

The Ephs missed their last and best chance to get a win in 2016 when they fell to Hamilton. From the beginning of the season this was going to be a rebuilding year for Williams, as they transition into the Mark Raymond era. And there have been some bright spots, particularly the emergence of Tyler Patterson ‘19, an end who missed the first few games but is a dynamic offensive talent. Williams may not be able to win one in 2016, but honestly neither has the rest of the world really. The Ephs have no reason to hang their heads. However, you can never count Williams out for their Week 8 matchup with Amherst, The Biggest Little Game in America.

10: Bowdoin (0-6)

The same cannot quite be said for Bowdoin. The 2016 season was also doomed from the start for the Polar Bears, but in large part due to a plagiarism scandal that resulted in the loss of several starters. For anyone wondering, this is a worse excuse than a new coach. Aside from a 26-25 loss to Hamilton, Bowdoin has not lost by under 20 points this season, and gives up an almost unfathomable 466 yards per game. Bowdoin does have games left against Bates and Colby, but they’d have to figure some things out real fast to have a shot against even those middle of the pack teams.

An Update on the Offensive Player of the Year Race

Chance Brady won the Offensive POY Award last year, and he took home the Golden Helmet Award after his Week 5 performance. Is another piece of hardware going to find a home on Brady's mantle? (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics) — Chance Brady won the Offensive POY Award last year, and he took home the Golden Helmet Award after his Week 5 performance. Is another piece of hardware going to find a home on Brady’s mantle at the end of the season? (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)

Back in September, Rory previewed the Player of the Year race. He hit the nail on the head with Brady, Chipouras and Puzzo as contenders, but two new candidates have emerged throughout the first six weeks of the season. So now, with two weeks left of football it is time to update our readers on the player of the year race…

Tufts RB Chance Brady ’17:

It is to no surprise that Brady is a finalist for player of the year after the numbers he has put up thus far in his senior campaign. Leading a run-heavy offense, Brady has shown opponents that there is really no way to stop him. He is second in the NESCAC in Rushing Yards (740) and first in Touchdowns (11). If it weren’t for “Mad Max” Chipouras down in Hartford, I’d be pretty confident in saying that Chance has more than locked up his second consecutive player of the year award. Brady faces a favorable Week 7 matchup against a pretty porous Colby rush defense.

Trinity RB Max Chipouras ’19:

Max Chipouras '19 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics). — Max Chipouras ’19 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics).

Only a sophomore, Chipouras is the other favorite for player of the year. Chipouras has a slight lead in Rushing Yards (746), but has done so in 18 fewer carries than Brady. He has also found the end zone 8 times this season. It would be almost too hard to determine who has the lead in the player of the year race between Chipouras and Brady, and I expect huge numbers from both of them in week 7 and 8. Chipouras faces the two best run defenses in the league to end the season, Week 7 against Amherst and Week 8 at Wesleyan, so it’s a tall task to ask him to maintain his efficiency. That being said, if he has a better finish to the season than Brady, he deserves the award.

Middlebury QB Jared Leibowitz ’18:

Jared Lebowitz '18 (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics) — Jared Lebowitz ’18 (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)

Going into week 6 it was hard not to have Lebowitz as a favorite for player of the year. He was averaging 327 YPG with 20 Touchdowns to only 5 interceptions. Then he hit a setback in Week 6 when Trinity’s defense dominated Middlebury the entire day. Given that there are two weeks left Lebowitz, can still make up for this down game, but he will need to have his week 1-5 stuff in order to do so. Regardless of one bad week, 21 touchdowns in 6 games is nothing to sneeze at.

Trinity QB Sonny Puzo ’18:

Sonny Puzzo '18 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics). — Sonny Puzzo ’18 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics).

Through 6 weeks of football, Puzzo has been nearly perfect for the Bantams. Puzzo has the edge over Lebowitz in completion percentage (60%) and his TD:INT ratio is also better (13:2). The junior quarterback is a huge reason why Trinity remains undefeated: he provides a legitimate pass threat in a run dominant offense, and he also has the athleticism to move out of the pocket to make a play. Puzzo has run for over 200 yards, 3 touchdowns, and he even broke off at 69 yard run earlier in the year. Don’t be surprised if Sonny Puzzo sneaks up to grab the player of the year award following week 8.

Wesleyan WR Devon Carrillo ’17:

Devon Carrillo '17 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics) — Devon Carrillo ’17 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)

Some may question this choice, but it’s definitely justified. Simply put, Carrillo is one of the most versatile players in the NESCAC. Wesleyan fans have been calling him the Jabrill Peppers of the NESCAC (minus the defense part). Carrillo has made an impact as a passer, receiver, rusher and returner, accounting for 11 touchdowns (9 rushing, 2 passing) on the season. He leads Wesleyan in points scored with 54, good for third in the league. Carrillo’s Week 8 performance in a potential NESCAC title game against Trinity will likely determine if he has what it takes to be the player of the year.

Stay tuned for the defensive POY race update next week.

It’s Trinity’s Title To Lose: Stock Report 10/31

Max Chipouras '19 ran away with the NESCAC POY title in Week 6 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics) — Max Chipouras ’19 ran away with the NESCAC POY title in Week 6 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

It feels like every week has consisted of better and better football this year, and I, for one, am pretty happy about it. The thing about the NESCAC, however, is that the best games are not always the ones you expect them to be. Everyone had their sights set on Middlebury-Trinity this weekend in anticipation of an all-time classic. In theory, it made sense – the two top teams duking it out – but in practice, it didn’t quite work out this way, and the Midd-Trin game actually ended up being the biggest blowout of the weekend. This weekend, it was the Bates-Colby game the presented the biggest thrill factor, including furious fourth quarter comeback and a number of crucial defensive stands. Despite the final score, Amherst-Tufts was also a very close game, and it really wasn’t until the last few minutes that Tufts was able to pull away, something they might not have done if not for a key stop following a Tufts turnover in the fourth. It’s sad that only two weeks remain in the NESCAC football season, but if the upward trend of the games so far this fall is any indication, these last two weeks will be the best two weeks yet.

Stock Up:

Trinity

Without a doubt, this is Trinity’s biggest win of the season. Middlebury has been the only team to rival Trinity in the top-dog conversation throughout the year, but Saturday ended that argument. Not to be outdone by Chance Brady’s performance last week, Max Chipouras ran for 186 yards and 3 touchdowns, reconfirming to everyone around the league that the Offensive POY race includes more than just one tailback. Sonny Puzzo had a low-key day, but he was effective when he needed to be, providing just enough of a change of pace for the ground attack to thrive. But forget the offense, the defense was outstanding on Saturday. The Bantams allowed just 13 points, all of which came in the third quarter. Middlebury was held to just 3/18 (17%) on 3rd down, largely due to the Trinity pass-defense forcing mistakes out of Jared Lebowitz, who was just 12/38 on the day. Now all that is great, but I gotta say, the most impressive player on Trinity this year has been Eric Sachse. The sophomore kicker is now 11/11 on field goals and 28/28 on extra points this in 2016, giving him the second most points in the league with 61 (trailing only Brady, who has 66). It didn’t quite matter on Saturday, but Sachse’s consistency is pretty incredible.

Bates when facing Colby

Heartbreak City, Utah. That’s where the Colby Mules traveled this weekend as they lost their third straight matchup against CBB rival Bates, all of which have come down to the wire. With previous wins of 10-9 (2015 score) and 34-28 OT (2014 score) against Colby, Bates knew that this weekend would be a tight one, but with the confidence gained over the past two seasons the Bobcats were able to fend off a late comeback on their way to a 21-19 victory. While they got off to a hot start and led 21-3 at halftime, the Bates offense couldn’t muster up any points in the second half. Devastated by injuries to starters and seniors alike, the Mules fought, scratched, and clawed their way back into the game, and found themselves within 8 points with just under 6 minutes left. The Mules drove down the field, and Christian Sparacio found Sebastian Ferrell in the endzone to put Colby within 2. But that’s when the Bates defense put their foot down. Colby looked to pass on the ensuing two-point conversion, but the Bobcats were ready and forced an incomplete pass, essentially locking up a victory for the home team. That’s now three one-possession wins in a row against Colby, and Bates has put themselves in a phenomenal position to win the CBB Championship heading into their Week 7 game against Bowdoin.

Wesleyan Quarterback Mark Piccirillo ‘19

While Wesleyan hosting Bowdoin wasn’t the most highly-anticipated matchup of the weekend, it certainly still mattered. To keep their playoff hopes alive, Wesleyan pretty much needs to win the rest of their games. Well, right on cue, Piccirillo stepped up and had a heck of a game. The sophomore dual-threat QB threw for 220 yards and a pair of touchdowns on an impressive 22/32 throws. Piccirillo also led Wesleyan in rushing, running the pigskin 8 times for 67 yards and a TD. I know that Bowdoin is a team that Wesleyan should beat, but one thing I’ve learned about NESCAC sports over the years is that you can’t take any team lightly – when you lack a killer instinct is when you get upset by an inferior team. Well, Piccirillo must be drinking the same Kool-Aid, because once the Cardinals had the lead heading into the second half he stepped on Bowdoin’s throat, absolutely crushing any momentum the Polar Bears might have had. While his numbers don’t jump off the charts like those of Puzzo or Lebowitz, Piccirillo is quietly in the discussion for best quarterback in the NESCAC.

Stock Down:

Middlebury

Since their win against Amherst, Middlebury has shown subtle flashes of vulnerability. First, against Williams – after three quarters, the Panthers only had a 28-23 lead, until they finally figured it out in the fourth – and then again against Bates – the Bobcats actually got out to a 9-0 lead against Midd until Coach Ritter’s offense was finally able to put some points on the board in the second quarter. Well, as a baseball player, I am very familiar with the old adage, “three strikes and you’re out,” and that seems to be the case for Middlebury. After two slow starts in a row, the Panthers began with a third on Saturday, and Trinity punished them for it. After one quarter, it was 14-0 Bantams. After two, it was 28-0, and Trinity never looked back. All year, Middlebury has been a team that has worn teams down as the games have gone on, but against a team as strong as Trinity, that’s just not really an option. The Panthers still have a shot at winning the title, but they are going to need an absolutely superb effort out of a slumping Amherst team in Week 7 in order to get the ball rolling.

NESCAC Schedulers

I know hindsight is 20/20, but the fact of the matter is that we have two matchups of extreme importance that simply aren’t on the schedule this year. It’s a shame, a damn shame, that we will not see Wesleyan play Middlebury this season, and also that we will not see Williams play Bowdoin. Let’s look at the former game first. There is no denying that Wesleyan-Middlebury would have an enormous impact on the way the standings shake out at the end of the year. Both teams are 5-1, and each team has yet to play the team the other has lost to – both of these matchups take place in Week 8, when Wesleyan faces Trinity and Middlebury travels to Tufts. It’s frivolous scheduling like this that results in three-way ties…ANYWAYS. As for the other game, Williams and Bowdoin are both winless at this point, but they are also both hungry for their first W. While there is no guaranteeing the results of the final two weeks one way or the other, it’s frustrating that these two will not face off in 2016. Who knows, both teams could end up at 2-6, this is the NESCAC after all. But with 10 teams and just 8 games, it seems pretty darn easy to add a week to the regular season so that everybody plays every other team.

The Quasi-Championship Game Heads to Hartford: Week 6 Weekend Preview

NT Matt D'Andrea '17 looks to continue getting pressure on the quarterback this weekend against Middlebury (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics). — NT Matt D’Andrea ’17 looks to continue getting pressure on the quarterback this weekend against Middlebury (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics).

Week Six is here, and it is shaping up to be a doozy. In a largely predictable NESCAC season, three top tier teams have their day of reckoning this Saturday. Middlebury and Trinity square off in the league championship (barring some wild results in Weeks Seven and Eight), and Amherst faces Tufts in an effort to make 2016 not a total lost cause of a season. There is also an intriguing matchup at the bottom of the league, as Williams and Hamilton battle for the right to stay out of the cellar. There is only one probable blowout this weekend, as Wesleyan will most likely take Bowdoin behind the dumpster like Joe Biden would Trump if given the chance. The stresses of being an editor have finally gotten to Rory and he’s laid up in the health center, so cut him some slack when his analysis is inevitably wrong; he took care of the Tufts-Amherst, Bowdoin-Wesleyan, and Williams-Hamilton games this week, while I wrote up on Middlebury-Trinity and Colby-Bates. We’ve got you covered with the preview of a potentially thrilling weekend down below, as well as our score predictions.

Here are the standings as they are now (keep in mind that Rory compiles all the predictions, so can these numbers even be trusted?)

Rory (18-2)
Pete (17-3)
Nick (17-3)
Liam (17-3)
Colin (17-3)
Colby (16-4)
Sid (15-5)

Middlebury (5-0) @ Trinity (5-0), 12:30 PM, Hartford, Connecticut

Colby tackled this one in depth in the Game of the Week blog that went up this morning, but this would be a difficult one for us to overcover. This game represents as close as we can get to a NESCAC Super Bowl. Both teams enter the game undefeated, and have shown themselves this season to be the class of the league. Middlebury and Trinity both pride themselves on their offenses, as they are 1 and 2 in the league in total yards. They are both led by stellar quarterbacks in Jared Lebowitz ‘18 and infamous Chicago “sanitation specialist” Sunny Puzzo ‘18. Trinity may have the edge in the running game, as Max Chipouras ‘19 gives them a deadly ground attack to compliment Puzzo’s passing abilities. Middlebury will need to put up a considerably better defensive performance than they have in the last couple weeks in order to clinch (for all intents and purposes) the league title. And if the Panthers are reading, I’d like to point out to them that only Colby and I (the two Middlebury writers) have picked them to win. Put it on the bulletin board, boys!

Rory: Middlebury 31, Trinity 38

Pete: Middlebury 31, Trinity 28

Liam: Middlebury 18, Trinity 27

Colin: Middlebury 17, Trinity 20

Colby: Middlebury 30, Trinity 28

Sid: Middlebury 26, Trinity 28

Nick: Middlebury 14, Trinity 20

Editor’s Note: I truly apologize for Pete’s 50th joke in a row about Sonny Puzzo’s name being reminiscent of some sort of Chicago racketeer/Godfather character/1970’s gangster. If you’re reading this Sonny, I’m sure it would mean the world to Pete if you could autograph a ball and have one of the Middlebury players deliver it to him when they get back to school.

Colby (2-3) @ Bates (1-4), 1:00 PM, Lewiston, Maine

Call this one “The Battle for the Middle.” Or call it “The Battle for Maine.” But DO NOT call me about it during the Middlebury-Trinity game. Bates and Colby have been going back and forth all year as the top of the lower tier of NESCAC teams, which is not exactly a sexy war to be waging, but it is a war nonetheless. It’s like if Macbeth was fighting Macduff for the right to be a duke rather than King. Both have at times looked ready to make a large step forward, and both teams have at times disappointed. Bates’ inconsistent season can be summed up by quarterback Sandy Plaschkes (it’s 2016 and we have starting NESCAC quarterbacks named Sandy and Sonny. What a world.) He has made some very exciting plays, and shown an ability to improvise and keep plays alive with his feet that few QB’s have. However, he has been far too inconsistent with his accuracy this season. Colby has two wins this season, and has a real chance to finish .500 or better, which would be a huge victory for the program. This will be a hard fought game, but I don’t think many people win tune away from Middlebury-Trinity to catch it.

Rory: Colby 21, Bates 17

Pete: Colby 6, Bates 17

Liam: Colby 10, Bates 17

Colin: Colby 17, Bates 15

Colby: Colby 9, Bates 17

Sid: Colby 10, Bates 17

Nick: Colby 12, Bates 13

Tufts (4-1) @ Amherst (3-2), 1:00 PM, Amherst, Massachusetts

This is a must-win game for both schools. Tufts is still in the title hunt technically, but more importantly, they are trying to prove that they know how to beat a top team on the road, a skill they have yet to demonstrate since their resurgence in the past couple years. The squad on the other side of the field is on a slippery slope right now, and though it’s weird for me to write this having grown up in Amherst, the ex-LJs have not yet beat a top half team this season (maybe they need to decide on a new mascot ASAP). So what are we going to see on Saturday? Per usual, I expect a run-heavy attack from the Jumbos, but Amherst has eaten run-first teams for breakfast this year. I know Tufts has Chance Brady, who is fresh off a 165 yard/4 TD week that earned him the honor of receiving the Gold Helmet Award from the New England Writers Association, but Amherst is allowing just 25.2 YPG on the ground – through five weeks of action, that’s a pretty ridiculous stat. When possession changes, I expect Amherst to attack more through the air than on the ground, and as long as Nick Morales takes care of the ball, the Purple and White should have pretty decent success, much like Trinity did against the Jumbos. A potential curveball this weekend is that it snowed in Amherst yesterday. Will the turf be clear by Saturday? Likely. But you never know what’s going to happen in Western Mass, and if there is a light layer of snow on Pratt Field the offenses could be slow moving on Saturday.

Rory: Tufts 13, Amherst 10

Pete: Tufts 10, Amherst 24

Liam: Tufts 19, Amherst 17

Colin: Tufts 22, Amherst 24

Colby: Tufts 21, Amherst 24

Sid: Tufts 14, Amherst 13

Nick: Tufts 21, Amherst 24

Bowdoin (0-5) @ Wesleyan (4-1), 12:30 PM, Wesleyan, Connecticut

I hate to be the bearer of bad news for the Polar Bears, but this game has blowout written all over it. Wesleyan just notched their biggest win of the season against Amherst last week, and in doing so, they have maintained a spot in line to board the champion-ship. Meanwhile, Bowdoin has yet to win, and to date, their best opportunity to do so was just two weeks ago against Hamilton, when they lost on a last minute score by the Continentals. Other than that, Bowdoin has faced a string of bludgeonings, resulting in a league-worst 35.2 OPPG. Compare that to Wesleyan’s league-best 7.2 OPPG and you understand why I say this is an uphill battle for the Polar Bears, especially on the road. Wesleyan has thrived on their home turf, allowing a total of just 6 points in two home games. The Cardinals are led by Devon Carrillo, who has posted 7 rushing touchdowns on the year, and Mark Piccirillo, who ranks first on the team in both passing and rushing yards. Throw in some other big names on Wesleyan’s offense such as Lou Stevens, Dario Highsmith, and Mike Breuler and I frankly just don’t see any way that Bowdoin can slow down this multi-faceted attack.

Rory: Bowdoin 6, Wesleyan 38

Pete: Bowdoin 0, Wesleyan 27

Liam: Bowdoin 7, Wesleyan 34

Colin: Bowdoin 6, Wesleyan 37

Colby: Bowdoin 10, Wesleyan 35

Sid: Bowdoin 0, Wesleyan 38

Nick: Bowdoin 14, Wesleyan 25

Williams (0-5) @ Hamilton (1-4), 1:20 PM, Clinton, New York

This will be a very intriguing matchup in Clinton, NY. A win for the Ephs would be a huge confidence boost as they head into their final two games against Wesleyan and Amherst – in other words, this is the last game in which Williams isn’t a heavy underdog. Hamilton has quite the stake in this game as well, and they are still hoping to put together at least a three win season here with their remaining opponents being Williams, Middlebury, and Bates. For these reasons, I expect another intense tilt out of these two squads, similar to Williams’ opener against Colby or Hamilton’s Week 4 win over Bates, both of which ended in “2-minute drill” winning drives. Though the Ephs lost to Tufts last weekend, they were able to run for 227 yards, primarily through a two-pronged attack of Noah Sorrento and Connor Harris. This should be an encouraging sign for Coach Raymond as his squad faces off with the Continentals, who have a pretty comparable run defense to Tufts statistically. Meanwhile, Hamilton definitely boasts more of a passing attack than a running game, so they are likely to air it out, especially considering the recent success of freshman quarterback Kenny Gray in the past couple weeks. This one could be a fight ‘til the end between two pretty evenly matched football teams.

Rory: Williams 21, Hamilton 14

Pete: Williams 21, Hamilton 14

Liam: Williams 10, Hamilton 24

Colin: Williams 21, Hamilton 17

Colby: Williams 20, Hamilton 18

Sid: Williams 21, Hamilton 17

Nick: Williams 21, Hamilton 0

It’s That Time of Year: Women’s Soccer Regular Season Wrap-Up and Quarterfinal Predictions

Trinity took down Tufts a couple weeks ago, but can they do it again on Saturday? (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)

The NESCAC Women’s Soccer regular season wrapped up on Tuesday leaving some teams jumping for joy, and others with that familiar sinking feeling that come with having to clean out one’s locker too early in the year. Since I know you all just want to hear my predictions for the upcoming PLAYOFFS!!!! I’ll just go through the scores from this last weekend of NESCAC play as quickly as possible.

Saturday, October 22nd

Hamilton @ Colby, Final Score: 1-0 Hamilton

Hamilton defeated Colby by a score of 1-0. The only goal was scored by Amanda Becker (’18) with less than five minutes to go in the game.

Williams @ Tufts, Final Score: 2-1 Williams

Williams beat Tufts on this road trip by a score of 2-1. Sarah Pykkonen (’17) scored for the home team while Kristi Kirshe (’17) and Sarah Scire (’20) scored for the visitors.

Amherst @ Wesleyan, Final Score: 2-0 Amherst

The visiting Amherst women defeated the Wesleyan Cardinals 2-0. Emily Hester (’17) and Hannah Guzzi (’18) scored for the winners.

Conn College @ Bowdoin, Final Score: 0-0 tie

This tightly contested battle ended in an inconclusive 0-0 draw.

Bates @ Middlebury, Final Score: 0-3 Middlebury

The Panthers blanked the Bobcats, winning 3-0. Amanda Dafonte (’19), Adrianna Gilder (’17), and Rebecca Palacios (’18) scored for Middlebury.

Tuesday, October 25th

Middlebury @ Williams, Final Score: 0-1 Williams

Williams held service, defeating the Panthers 1-0. Audrey Thomas (’17) scored for the victorious Ephs.

Tufts @ Bowdoin, Final Score: 1-0 Tufts

The visiting Jumbos defeated the hosting Polar Bears 1-0. Jess Capone (’17) scored the only goal of the game.

Bates @ Colby, Final Score: 2-1 Bates

In a battle for the state of Maine, Bates defeated Colby 2-1. Hannah Behringer (’18) and Hannah Graves (’17) scored for Bates, and Aliza Van Leesten (’17) scored for the Mules.

Conn College @ Wesleyan, Final Score: 2-0 Conn College

The Camels picked up a much needed win, besting Wesleyan 2-0. Michelle Medina (’18) and Alex Baltazar (’19) scored for the Camels.

Trinity @ Amherst, Final Score: 2-3 Amherst

The second-place team in the conference bested the fourth-place Bantams as Amherst beat Trinity 3-2. The scorers for Trinity were Andi Nicholson (’17) and Taylor Kirchgessner (’19). Amherst received goals from Emily Masten (’17), Hannah Guzzi (’18), and Emily Hester (’17).

That’s the wrap up of the last week of the regular season, and it left us with a clear playoff picture. The top-seeded Williams Ephs (9-0-1) will play the 8-seeded Hamilton Continentals (2-7-1). Amherst (8-1-1) as the 2-seed will play the 7-seeded Conn College Camels (5-4-1). The 3-seeded Middlebury Panthers (7-3-0) will battle the 6-seeded Bowdoin Polar Bears (5-4-1). And the 4-seeded Trinity Bantams (7-3-0) will take on the 5-seeded Tufts Jumbos (5-4-1).

Playoff Predictions

Williams (9-0-1) vs. Hamilton (2-7-1)

Prediction: Williams wins 3-0

Sorry Hamilton, I love the spunk that got you the playoff clinching win this past weekend, but Williams is just too strong. I’m picking a repeat score from the season opener for these two teams that saw Williams run away with a 3-0 win. Hamilton’s only 2 conference wins this year have been against teams that didn’t make the playoffs and Williams is just too good on both sides of the ball to really face much of a threat here.

Amherst (8-1-1) vs. Conn College (5-4-1)

Prediction: Amherst wins 2-0

Amherst hasn’t lost since September 17th. They’ve won 10 games since then and only tied 1. Conn College, conversely, had lost 3 straight until a tie against Bowdoin and a win against last place Wesleyan this past weekend got them back in the win column. Conn College won a ton of games early but you have to question their strength of schedule – of Conn’s 5 conference wins, only 1 came against a team who will be hosting a NESCAC quarterfinal. Conn College is 3rd in the conference in goals allowed per game, but their offensive attack has been anemic at times and will struggle against the fourth best defense in the conference in terms of goals allowed per game.

Middlebury (7-3-0) vs. Bowdoin (5-4-1)

Prediction: Middlebury wins 2-1

This game will be close, I guarantee that. Bowdoin beat Middlebury earlier in the season and has played every top team in the league closely. Meanwhile, they have taken care of business against lower class teams, beating them easily for the most part. On the other hand, Middlebury has seemed dominant for stretches of their schedule and is 2nd in the league in goals per game. On the other, other hand, Bowdoin is second in goals allowed per game, relinquishing a stingy 0.52 goals a game. On the other, other, other hand, Middlebury just narrowly lost to the best team in the conference and before that had won eight straight. I’m picking Middlebury due to home field advantage but this will be a really close game.

Trinity vs. Tufts

Prediction: Trinity wins 2-0

Tufts is much like Conn College in that they beat up on the weaker teams on their schedule, while looking relatively toothless against teams further up the standings. Tufts even tied with the worst team in the conference earlier this year, and is ranked in the bottom half of the conference in both goals per game and goals allowed per game. However, they did put up a very good fight against Williams this past weekend, taking advantage of the monsoon in Somerville. Trinity, meanwhile, has been consistent all year and even handily beat the Jumbos 2-0 about 10 days ago. Look for the Bantams to repeat this success in the quarterfinals.

I know, I know! I didn’t pick a single upset in this entire prediction and I’m sorry for that. But there really is a defined tier structure in this year’s conference. Williams and Amherst have been dominant all year with Middlebury and Trinity hot on their heels. Tufts, Conn, and Bowdoin, are all extremely similar in outcomes this year and Hamilton just barely snuck into the playoffs at all. The Middlebury v. Bowdoin game will be tight, and honestly it could go either way, but that’s really the only game I see providing major upset material. Regardless, I’m looking forward to all these games and hope to be back Sunday to write about the semi-finals!

Shake it Up, Shake it Up (Woah-oh-oh!): Week Five Power Rankings

Week Five featured arguably the most surprising result of the season thus far, with Wesleyan affirming their status as a big time contender by shutting out Amherst 20-0. It feels strange to be writing an article about NESCAC football without Amherst in the top three, but it’s always nice to try new things so let’s see if I can get through it. The status quo held up in the rest of the league, with Trinity and Middlebury remaining undefeated and no real surprises in the lower levels. Now without further dudes (cred to Family Guy), let’s get into the Week Five Power Rankings:

1.) Trinity (5-0)

To shamelessly borrow from Rory’s flawless research, Trinity has scored between 36 and 38 points every week this season. Of course, the other end of that stick is that they have yet to play any of the other top teams in the league. Their only quality win thus far is a 36-28 home win over Tufts, which was an impressive performance to be sure, but not as impressive as Wesleyan or Middlebury’s wins over Amherst. The Bantams have arguably the three best teams to close out the season, starting with a home game against Middlebury next week that might very well determine the league championship. Right now Trinity is the best team in the league, with quarterback (and legendary Chicagoan racketeer) Sonny Puzzo ’18 and running back Max Chipouras ’19 both standing as legit POY candidates. But things could look very different by the end of the season.

2.) Middlebury (5-0)

Last week the Panthers got moved down in the rankings two days after scoring 49 points on the road. Predictably, they had some gripes, expressed to me in loud voices in the dining hall as I walked back to my table with my chicken and peas. However, the Panthers got off to a slow start again this week against one of the lesser teams in the league, trailing Bates 9-0 at the end of the first quarter before rattling off 28 points in a row to put the game away. Quarterback Jared Lebowitz ‘18 struggled early, throwing two interceptions (although heavy rain may have contributed to the early sloppiness). The Panthers have now started very slowly in the last two weeks against two teams that are far from Trinity’s level. These mistakes haven’t mattered against Williams or Bates, but one against Trinity could cost them the NESCAC championship.

3.) Wesleyan (4-1)

Welcome to the top three, Wesleyan! We’ve been expecting you (here Trinity and Middlebury open the doors to the exclusive “NESCAC Upper Tier” night club, where T-Pain is playing 24/7 and there’s no need to do homework on Saturdays.) Wesleyan’s defense has been their calling card this season, giving up only 7.2 points per game. However, their offense has stepped up at times as well. QB Mark Piccirillo ‘19 hasn’t committed a turnover yet this season, and running back committee Lou Stevens ‘17, Dario Highsmith ‘20 and Devin Carrillo ‘17 have given the Cardinals a dynamic running game. We went most of this season thinking that Wesleyan wasn’t dynamic enough to overcome the offensive firepower of the top teams, but they made us all look pretty foolish last weekend.

4.) Tufts (4-1)

A side effect of the Wesleyan win over Amherst is that Tufts’ win over them in Week One is now a quality win. The Jumbos have been quietly playing pretty well this season at 4-1, but their quarterback inconsistencies have kept them squarely out of the top tier. However, Chance Brady proved this weekend that sometimes it doesn’t matter who your quarterback is, so long as you have Smash Williams 2.0 as your running back. Brady ran away (pun intended) with Offensive Player of the Week honors, putting up 157 yards and four touchdowns. Brady is the type of player that can carry a team, and he has the chance to really seal up that reputation next week against Amherst.

5.) Amherst (3-2)

Image result for darth vader — “Luke, I am your father. But I am NOT a very good contractor.”

I expected myself to feel very gratified at the prospect of writing a Power Rankings in which I get the pleasure of putting Amherst outside the top three. It’s something that I have never gotten to do, as Amherst had never lost a football game in my college career prior to this season. But faced with this opportunity, I feel less gratification and more melancholy. Stories simply aren’t that fun if there’s no villain. Imagine if Darth Vader got demoted for failing twice on the Death Star (I mean honestly, the rebels blow up the first one, so he builds the same ship that can be destroyed in the same way? Just poor logistical planning) and becomes a Storm Trooper. Or if Voldemort had to retake Beginning Potions. That is how the league without Amherst dominating feels right now. Amherst probably has lost the chance to finish at the top this season, as Middlebury and Trinity will most likely not lose another game other than whoever loses their match-up next weekend. The best they can do now is play out the season and prepare their youngsters to restart the dynasty next season.

6.) Colby (2-3)

The Mules have been battling Bates all season for “Best of the Rest” status, and they took a big step towards sealing that title with a 27-7 shellacking of Hamilton. Colby’s defense has been a hallmark of their success this season, and this weekend’s performance was no different. They forced three turnovers, including a fumble that was then returned for a touchdown. Colby has already played (and lost to) Amherst, Middlebury and Wesleyan, meaning that they have three winnable games left. The Mules have a good shot at finishing the season .500 or better, which would be a major accomplishment for a program that has struggled mightily for the last few years.

7.) Bates (1-4)

Bates came out very aggressive against the Panthers this weekend, and led 9-0 after the first quarter. Unfortunately, the Bobcats’ season-long issue of putting together multiple strong drives reared its head again. After a 48 yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, the Bobcats didn’t score again for the rest of the game, while the Panthers rattled off four touchdowns and put the game far out of reach. Bates has shown flashes of contention this season, but seem to lack the consistency to make themselves anything more than those brief moments of sunlight on a dark and cloudy day.

8.) Hamilton (1-4)

After the end of last season, in which Hamilton won two of their last three games, many experts (meaning me) thought that they might be primed for a big step forward this season. However, the Continentals have not quite lived up to their early season promise. An exciting win over Bowdoin aside, Hamilton has looked very much like the team they have been the last three seasons. This weekend’s 27-7 loss to Colby was the pinnacle of this disappointing season; Colby is a team that Hamilton simply has to beat if they want to climb out of their perennial losing reputation.

9.) Williams (0-5)

Williams has shown signs of life in the last few weeks, particularly against Middlebury two weekends ago. However, they also battled Tufts for most of the first half last weekend, and have by and large acquitted themselves well this season, when taking into account the coaching upheaval of the off-season. The Ephs appear to have discovered a star in versatile end Tyler Patterson ‘19, and have a golden opportunity against Hamilton next weekend to come away with a huge moral victory.

10.) Bowdoin (0-5)

Bowdoin has given up an average of 481 yards per game this season. That’s 100 yards more than Williams, and by far the worst in the league. The Polar Bears have been lost at sea on defense for much of 2016, floating on stranded icebergs from the melting Poles. They do have Bates and Colby left on their schedule, giving them two chances to come out of this season with at least a win. But as of now, they’re the underdogs in even those match-ups.

Amherst Who?: Week 5 Stock Report 10/24

Week 5 was an interesting week of football in the ‘CAC. While it was exciting for the fans who got to see one of the bigger surprises of the year in Middletown, Connecticut with Wesleyan blowing out Amherst 20-0, there really wasn’t a close game. Every game was a blowout, and the other four outcomes were all relatively predictable, aside from maybe Colby beating Hamilton since they were both one-win teams coming into the weekend. Trinity kept up their streak of scoring between 36 and 38 points (which they have done every week this season), Middlebury kept up their streak of passing for a million yards, and Tufts maintained their undefeated record at home against Williams. Look below to see who performed exceptionally well and whose stock fell this weekend.

Stock Up:

Wesleyan Defense

Put on a show for us, Wes! The Cardinal defense leads the league with just 7.2 PPG allowed, making them the only team in the conference holding teams to single digits. This is in large part due to the play of the Wesleyan secondary, as the Cards are tied with Middlebury (another top team – shocker) with a league-high 8 interceptions so far. If you asked me to pick one standout player on the defensive side of the ball, I honestly don’t think I could. This defense is clearly a cohesive unit, and these kids have been absolutely phenomenal for 19 of the 20 quarters of football they’ve played this year (the one standout quarter being the 4th quarter against Tufts). If their defense maintains this high level of play, Wesleyan will find themselves in a position to win the league when they face off with Trinity in Week 8.

Tufts RB Chance Brady ‘17

Well, well, well, Week 6 is upon us and Chance Brady is in the discussion for offensive player of the year. Weird, right? Brady dominated Williams this weekend, rushing for 157 yards and 4 touchdownss. Not only did the workhorse back run away with the NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week award, but he also cleaned up on Tufts accolades as well: Chance tied the Tufts record for touchdowns in a single game and also broke the career rushing touchdowns record for the Jumbos, with his current total sitting at 25 TDs. He leads the league in rushing and rushing touchdowns, amassing 119.2 YPG on the ground for a total of 9 trips to the endzone so far. If he keeps this up, Brady may have a chance to win some more hardware at the end of the season…

Colby DB Patrick Yale ’19

Patrick Yale was a spark plug for the Mules this weekend (Courtesy of Colby Athletics). — Patrick Yale ’19 was a spark plug for the Mules this weekend (Courtesy of Colby Athletics).

Yale wasn’t named NESCAC defensive player of the week for nothing – he broke up 4 passes and had 4 tackles in Colby’s win over Hamilton this weekend. He had an interception and returned it 40 yards back to the 50 yard line. Later in the game, Yale recovered a fumble and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown. He fought hard all game long for the Mules, and boy did it show in the results. I mean, there’s leaving everything out on the field, and then there’s literally leaving everything out there on the field – Yale chose the latter. He didn’t even have time to celebrate his first quarter touchdown…after running in for the score, Yale headed straight to the sideline to puke. Electric stuff Pat, absolutely electric.

I thought about trying to find a way to humle brag about this, but I figured I’d just be very blatant with my brag instead. Following the results from Week 5, the writers’ standings look like this:

1.) Rory (18-2)

2.) Pete (17-3)

2.) Liam (17-3)

2.) Colin (17-3)

2.) Nick (17-3)

6.) Colby (16-4)

7.) Sid (15-5)

Try to keep up fellas.

Stock Down:

Amherst

It feels like just yesterday that Amherst won their third straight championship. They were on top of the world, and honestly, it didn’t look like anyone in the league knew how to beat them. Well, here we are almost a year later – Amherst is 3-2 and has lost 2 of their last 3 games. They’ve had to deal with injuries of course, but the once feared Lord Jeffs are now just another solid football team that happens to lack a mascot. Are they still one of the better teams in the league? Absolutely. But for a team that has the number of talented runningbacks that Amherst does, putting up 11 rush yards against Wesleyan this weekend is a pretty glaring deficiency. Amherst has a chance to bounce back against a solid Tufts team this coming weekend, but they have yet to beat a top half team in 2016. Saturday’s contest will prove to us just how good the 2016 Amherst Football team really is.

Colby RB Jabari Hurdle-Price ‘17

Hurdle-Price was first team All-NESCAC last year and was a preseason all-american coming into the season. Unfortunately, the senior just hasn’t carried over his production to 2016. After ranking 2nd in rushing last season, Hurdle-Price is currently 12th in the NESCAC in rushing yards. This weekend’s game against Hamilton was pretty telling: sophomore running back Jake Schwern had more carries than Hurdle-Price (11 vs. 10), and Schwern also ran for 40 yards compared to Hurdle-Price’s 13 yards. We have seen Jabari put on an absolute show plenty of times, so I would not be surprised if he has a breakout game or two over the next three weeks, but so far he has just not been able to match last year’s production.

Competitiveness in NESCAC Football

The closest results this weekend were a tie between the Tufts-Williams and Bates-Middlebury games. The margin of victory for Tufts and Middlebury in these games was 19 points. This has been a trend all year, especially when we see matchups featuring a battle between one top half and one bottom half team. I don’t think I’m alone in saying that these games are pretty boring to watch. I’m considering writing a letter to NESCAC HQ to suggest some sort of playoff system so that we can watch the best teams play each other multiple times. Anything to increase the quantity of competitive games across the league. If you want to cosign, let me know…

Writer Sid Warrenbrand ‘18

Refer to the standings above.

A Monday Morning Reflection: Another Contender in Connecticut?

The Cardinals forced 5 turnovers en route to a 20-0 victory on Saturday (Courtesy of Lianne Yun/Wesleyan Athletics).

After Wesleyan’s shocking 20-0 beatdown victory over Amherst this weekend, there is now a possibility that the Cardinals can be the outright champions. They’ll need a number of games to go their way, but if Wesleyan wins out they give themselves a very good chance. After their Week 1 fourth quarter collapse to Tufts, no one thought the Cardinals could rebound – their title dreams had been flushed away, and there weren’t many passengers left on the Wesleyan bandwagon. Well, here we are. We’re headed into Week 6 now, and Coach DiCenzo and company are just within reach of the NESCAC crown after their Week 5 victory in Western Mass. I’ve heard through the grapevine that Bill Belichick slept wearing this crown many times during his years at Wesleyan…in other words, it’s sacred and filled with a gargantuan amount of football knowledge and success. No wonder the Cardinals are where they are through 5 games.

Defense was the highlight for Wesleyan as they shutout Amherst for the first time since 2006 (lots of Amherst streaks being broken these days ?), and the Cardinals are now leading the NESCAC allowing only 7.2 PPG. They also picked off Amherst quarterback Nick Morales 5 times on Saturday! That’s more INTs than three NESCAC teams have in total this season. Wesleyan has won 4 straight games and have impressively outscored opponents 109-19 (had to pull out the old calculator for that) during this stretch. They are a well-rounded team, armed with a fast paced offense and lock down defense just at the right time.

Okay, now pay attention here. With a likely victory over Bowdoin this weekend Wesleyan will then need Trinity (5-0) to beat Middlebury (5-0), as well as Amherst (3-2) to beat Tufts (4-1).

My projected standings following Week 6

1: Trinity (6-0)

2: Middlebury (5-1)

3: Wesleyan (5-1)

4: Amherst (4-2)

5: Tufts (4-2)

Assuming my predictions are right, here’s what comes next: in Week 7, Wesleyan will need to beat Williams (yawn), and Amherst will have to beat Trinity, which will then lead to a Week 8 duel between the Cardinals and Bantams for the outright title. Can someone say ratings?

My projected standings following Week 7

1: Trinity : (6-1)

2: Middlebury (6-1)

3: Wesleyan (6-1)

4: Amherst (5-2)

5: Tufts (5-2)

So, here comes Week 8. Three teams at the top playing one another. What more could we want?! Say that Tufts beats Middlebury – the championship will come down to a Week 8 showdown between Connecticut foes Trinity and Wesleyan. Last year Trinity won the finale against the Cardinals 17-13 in a game where penalties and turnovers stood in the way of a blowout for the Bantams. This year, however? Take away the one bad quarter in Week 1 against Tufts and Wesleyan has arguably been the most dominant team in the CAC this year. Trinity and Middlebury have very good claims to the title of most dominant, but if the rest of the season shakes out the way I’ve outlined above, Wesleyan’s resume will look better and better down the stretch.

Great homecoming win. Wesleyan 20 Amherst 0. Very proud of our seniors. Great day to be a Cardinal. #CardinalPride #RollCards pic.twitter.com/ifwejEpo8Q

— Dan DiCenzo (@CoachDiCenzo) October 23, 2016

What it comes down to is Wesleyan’s execution in this final stretch of the season – this and only this will give them a shot on November 12th. If the Cardinals continue to dominate teams like they have recently it will be one hell of an ending for them. Wesleyan’s defense has become the proven alpha dog, which is no surprise considering Coach DiCenzo’s career. DiCenzo led the defensive unit at Wes for five seasons as defensive coordinator before taking the reigns as head coach in 2015. Offense has been a huge part of the team’s success this year (they’re tied for third in the conference in scoring), but it’s the defense that has put Wesleyan in a terrific position heading into Week 6. I’m not saying it’s going to happen…all I’m saying is don’t spit out your coffee if Week 8 rolls around and you see Wesleyan atop the NESCAC.

Two Remain Unbeaten (For Now): Weekend Preview, 10/21

Wesleyan looks to stay in the title hunt this weekend as they host Amherst (Courtesy of Steve McLaughlin/Wesleyan Athletics)

Welcome to Week 5. The halfway point has come and gone, and we are on to Act 2 of the NESCAC football season. We’ve seen some great football so far in 2016 – great plays, streaks snapping, wild finishes, and incredible athletes. The standings have continued to shake out, and now it’s up to Trinity and Middlebury to maintain their undefeated records until they meet up at The Coop in Week 6. Your eyes shouldn’t be on the undefeated teams this week, however, you should be looking at Amherst and Wesleyan, two 3-1 squads still hoping to be in the hunt for the NESCAC crown – Pete wrote more about this one below. He also included a writeup of Bates-Middlebury, as well as an overdramatic humble brag about how much he knows about Wet Hot American Summer, using it as a lens to look at the Hamilton-Colby game. Scroll down towards the bottom if you’re looking to hear my thoughts on the Trinity-Bowdoin and Williams-Tufts game previews.

Also, for those of you who are interested, here is an update on the standings for our writers’ picks. Sid, figure it out, buddy!!!

1.) Rory (14-1)

1.) Pete (14-1)

1.) Liam (14-1)

4.) Colin (13-2)

4.) Colby (13-2)

4.) Nick (13-2)

7.) Sid (12-3)

GAME OF THE WEEK: Amherst (3-1) at Wesleyan (3-1), 1:00 PM, Middletown, Connecticut

Week 5, (yes we’re already in week 5 ) consists of many unbalanced games, but this matchup between Wesleyan and Amherst will eliminate one team’s title hopes and further propel the other’s into week 6. This is what NESCAC football is all about. FANTASTIC opportunity for the Cardinals to not only give Amherst a two loss season (how sweet would that be,) but also to position themselves for a possible tie for first in the league. Middlebury or Trinity will end up with at least one loss, as they play in a couple weeks, and if Amherst has two losses, Wesleyan could slide into their spot at the top. Unfortunately, Amherst recently won quite a few games in a row (in case you haven’t heard,) so knocking them off will be no easy task. Amherst has to be particularly happy with the play of third string quarterback Nick Morales, who was shoved into action by injuries and has been playing very well, including 300 yards and three touchdowns last week against Colby. Wesleyan will try to keep the Amherst defense guessing with their variety of offensive sets, and keep the powerful Purple and White offense off the field as much as possible.

Rory Ziomek: Amherst 20, Wesleyan 21

Pete Lindholm: Amherst 27, Wesleyan 24

Liam O’Neil: Amherst 21, Wesleyan 17

Colin Tiernan: Amherst 33, Wesleyan 30

Colby Morris: Amherst 31, Wesleyan 17

Sid Warrenbrand: Amherst 27, Wesleyan 10

Nick DiBenedetto: Amherst 38, Wesleyan 13

Bates (1-3) at Middlebury (4-0), 1:00 PM, Middlebury, VT.

In the interest of full disclosure: Almost everyone in my family has gone to either Bates or Middlebury. So naturally I’ll be skipping this one to avoid any uncomfortable family moments. The Panthers’ performance last weekend in Williamstown can be viewed as either comforting or worrying. On the one hand, it’s pretty nice to be able to put up 49 points on a day where you didn’t even play very well. On the other hand, in the first three quarters Williams exposed some holes in Middlebury’s offensive line, and even made Jared Lebowitz look extremely human. It didn’t hurt the Panthers in the end, as they were able to overwhelm Williams athletically in the fourth quarter, and they will probably be able to do the same to Bates. However, WIlliams laid out a blueprint to beat Middlebury, and if Bates can follow it, we could be in for a closer one than we expect. Even if Bates can’t do it, you’d better believe that Trinity has that blueprint pasted all over their locker room.

RZ: Bates 24, Middlebury 31

PL: Bates 14, Middlebury 40

LO: Bates 14, Middlebury 34

CT: Bates 10, Middlebury 40

CM: Bates 20, Middlebury 34

SW: Bates 6, Middlebury 28

ND: Bates 10, Middlebury 38

Hamilton (1-3) at Colby (1-3), 12:00 PM, Waterville, Maine

In honor of Waterville, Maine, home of the illustrious Camp Firewood, I will attempt to use as many references to Wet Hot American Summer as possible in this preview. This not a sexy matchup. While Amherst and Wesleyan fight passionately like Andy and Katie, this game is more like Beth and Henry. Two lovable, awkward people making corny small talk and flirting with each other so subtly that neither of them can tell. But, like saving the camp from the falling piece of Skylab, the stakes of this game are higher than it seems. Colby already has a win this season, and cementing themselves as the best of the bottom tier of the league could give them a recruiting edge to build on for the future. However, Hamilton has a win of their own, and is looking to build on their one game win streak in Saturday’s action. Plus the two teams could agree to meet back in Waterville in ten years at 9:30 to reminisce, and that would be nice. One of these two teams will, like Ben and McKinley, get to experience “The Ultimate” this weekend, and might even come out of it with a gorgeous chaise lounge. But the other team will leave like Arty the Beekeeper, unshowered and covered in dirt, having not left the radio station for one activity period all summer.

RZ: Hamilton 24, Colby 21

PL: Hamilton 9, Colby 7

LO: Hamilton 24, Colby 17

CT: Hamilton 10, Colby 17

CM: Hamilton 21, Colby 17

SW: Hamilton 20, Colby 13

ND: Hamilton 13, Colby 19

Trinity (4-0) at Bowdoin (0-4), 12:30 PM, Brunswick, Maine

I don’t really know how to slice it up, but from how the first half of the season has gone, this one features the league’s best team vs. the league’s worst team. Trinity is scoring 37.3 PPG, Bowdoin is putting up just 14.3 PPG. Trinity is allowing only 13.5 PPG, while Bowdoin is allowing 34.5 PPG. Raw stats aren’t everything, but in this case, this is a matchup of an incredible offense vs. a pretty porous defense, and a relatively poor offense vs. a defensive juggernaut. I expect Max Chipouras ‘19 to run for over 100 yards pretty easily, and Sonny Puzzo ‘18 should be able to light up the Bowdoin defense to an even greater extent than he dominated the Tufts passing-D last weekend (20-30 for 273 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT). Eric Sachse ‘19 has been perfect on the year, making all 10 of his field goals that he has has attempted and putting all 16 XPAs through the uprights. If there is a bright spot for the Polar Bears, it’s that they totaled their highest point total of the season against Hamilton last weekend (25), and nearly pulled it out. Unfortunately, I just don’t see Bowdoin upsetting Trinity to ruin their perfect season.

RZ: Trinity 41, Bowdoin 6

PL: Trinity 38, Bowdoin 7

LO: Trinity 45, Bowdoin 10

CT: Trinity 37, Bowdoin 16

CM: Trinity 45, Bowdoin 7

SW: Trinity 42, Bowdoin 13

ND: Trinity 41, Bowdoin 7

Williams (0-4) at Tufts (3-1), 1:30 PM, Somerville, Massachusetts

These teams made strides in opposite directions last week, which doesn’t bode well for the host Jumbos. As we’ve noted all week, the score was a little closer at the end than it should have been. After a field goal with 2:32 left, Trinity had a pretty firm grip on the game with a 36-13 lead, but in three plays, Tufts made their way into the endzone. After recovering an onside kick, the Alex Snyder ‘17 threw a 62 yard touchdown pass to Nik Dean ‘17 on the first play of the drive, following up with a 2-point conversion that put Tufts down by just 8. That was as close as the game would get, but for the first 57:28 of the game, Trinity dominated Tufts in pretty much every facet of the game. I’m sure Williams wasn’t thrilled to see Tufts end the game as they were starting to click offensively, but they do have plenty to happy about in relation to their own effort against Middlebury. As Pete noted above, the Ephs gave Midd quite the scare for three quarters, but in the end, the better team pulled away for victory. Regardless of the final score, the competitiveness Williams showed has to be a huge source of confidence for them as they look to upset the Jumbos on Parents Weekend in Somerville. Coach Raymond has to be encouraged by the two-pronged running attack he was able to deploy, featuring backs Connor Harris ‘18 and Noah Sorrento ‘19. Additionally, freshman quarterback Jansen Durham is gaining confidence and comfort, especially with Tyler Patterson ‘19, who pulled in 7 catches for 176 yards against the Panthers last weekend. If Williams shows this dual threat offense this weekend, the Jumbos are going to have to bring their A-game to avoid a big upset.

RZ: Williams 17, Tufts 20

PL: Williams 10, Tufts 14

LO: Williams 3, Tufts 30

CT: Williams 10, Tufts 45

CM: Williams 20, Tufts 24

SW: Williams 6, Tufts 24

ND: Williams 7, Tufts 20