Freshman Andrew Kelley’s (‘22) game winner against Colby boosted Trinity’s chances of securing a playoff berth.
Stock Up
Austin Hutcherson’s ‘21 MVP Campaign
Hutcherson displayed flashes of his full potential during an impressive freshman season, but I don’t think many people would have pegged the 6’6’’ guard to be at the forefront of the MVP conversation. He’s averaging 24.0 ppg in conference play thus far, sporting a ridiculous 46.7% clip from beyond the arc. His offensive game doesn’t strictly revolve around the three ball, however, as he averages more than three trips to the free throw line a game and converts 88% of his freebees. Hutcherson single-handedly willed Wesleyan to huge conference victories against Middlebury and Hamilton, exploding for a combined 78 points; and although the sophomore struggled against Amherst’s stifling defense, he still managed to sink the game-winning shot with 3 seconds left. He’s put the Cardinals in prime position to snag a top seed come conference tourney time, and it’s hard to ignore the multitude of offensive skills Hutcherson brings to the hardwood day in and out. All aboard the Austin Hutcherson hype train.
Late Game Heroics
What a weekend in the ‘CAC. NESCAC fans were blessed with not one, not two, but three game-winning shots during Saturday and Sunday’s slate of games. The first one concerned Wesleyan and Amherst, where Austin Hutcherson sank a shot off the glass with three seconds remaining to give the Cardinals a 62-60 win over the Mammoths and cement their place as the number two team in league play. Then, in what most certainly is one of the bigger upsets we’ve encountered this season, Brennan Morris (‘21) of Tufts drilled a baseline jumper with seven seconds to play, shocking the Middlebury Panthers en route to an 86-84 victory. Last, but certainly not least, Trinity’s Anthony Kelley (‘22) took an inbounds pass with less than four seconds left and converted a layup as the buzzer sounded, finishing off Colby 62-60. It was an exhilarating week of basketball in one of the country’s premier D3 conferences, and here’s to hoping the madness continues.
Stock Down
Hamilton’s FT% on the Road
When I wrote the team preview for Hamilton, I alluded to their struggles from the free throw line in the 2017-2018 season and how that number would have to improve if the Continentals wanted to challenge for the NESCAC Championship (and beyond). Well, it’s safe to say they must’ve not read the preview, because the numbers are still bad. In particular, the Continentals are sporting an abysmal 55% clip from the charity stripe when playing on the road. Up until this weekend, Hamilton had the talent and scoring capabilities to overcome their poor numbers at the line, but it finally caught up to them this weekend at Wesleyan. The Continentals converted just 53.8% of their free throws (7/13), while the Cardinals sunk 22 of their 23 free throws. In a game where neither team shot particularly well, it was free throws that ultimately decided the outcome. Considering Hamilton has two huge road games remaining against Middlebury and Williams, they might want to consider setting some practice time aside for free throw shooting.
Middlebury’s Defense
Thomas Coyne ‘20 nails one of fifteen threes for the Bobcats against a porous Middlebury D.
The Panthers had rather pedestrian numbers on defense throughout the non-conference slate, but they’re giving up an additional 10 ppg in conference play. Allowing 93 points to Bates (who averages less than 75 ppg) and 86 to Tufts is not the recipe to success. Through four conference games, the Panthers are allowing opposing teams to shoot 49.1% from the field, including 40.9% from downtown. They’re not forcing a ton of turnovers, and based on their assists allowed/game, opposing NESCAC teams are moving the ball with ease against Midd’s D. They have such an explosive offense that can keep them in any contest, but the defensive side of the ball needs more attention if the Panthers want to right the ship.
#24 Amherst (11-1, 1-0) @ Connecticut College
(5-8, 0-2)
Amherst rolls into
this game with a shiny new top-25 ranking next to their name. Conn on the other
hand, has been struggling as of late. This game seems as if it should be fairly
predictable, with not much of a chance for success for Conn. While the Mammoths
have no trouble scoring, averaging just over 86 PPG, it is really their defense
that sets them apart. They have not allowed an opponent to score more than 71
points against them in any one game. For Amherst defense really has been their
best offense. Conn enters this weekend having lost 3 of their last 4 games. In
their defense, they were up against #3 Williams and formerly ranked Midd,
making it a tough overall weekend for the Camels. This weekend may look to be
one in the same as they are faced with yet another top 25 opponent. If there’s
one thing that Conn has going for them right now, it is strength of schedule.
For the Camels to have a shot, David Labossiere will need to take this game over.
Score Prediction: #24
Amherst 88 – Conn 67
#3 Williams (13-0,
2-0) @ Tufts (7-8, 1-1)
The Ephs have
continued to absolutely steamroll everyone that stands between them and
perfection. They easily took down Conn and Wesleyan last weekend and I doubt a
trip to Medford brings any anxiety to these guys. 4 out of their 5 starters are
averaging over 10 PPG and they are holding their opponents to less than 60 PPG.
There has been no evidence to convince me that any NESCAC team can take down
Williams let alone Tufts. Last weekend the Jumbos went up to Maine and split
games against Colby and Bowdoin. While the Jumbos feature 5 players on their
roster who are averaging double digits every game, it seems to be their defense
that consistently is inconsistent. Tufts can try their hardest to defend home
court but in all reality they have next to no chance of taking down Williams.
Score Prediction: #3
Williams 92 – Tufts 78
Middlebury (11-4,
1-1) @ Bates (4-10, 1-1)
While this contest
features two teams that are .500 in-conference, not all .500 teams are created
equal. Middlebury’s recent loss to Wesleyan was just enough to kick them out of
the top 25 while Bates stole a league game from a Colby team that is nothing if
not inconsistent. Middlebury has a strong core of starters and their record
does not do their talent a justice. They are clearly a high level team in this
conference along with the likes of Hamilton and Amherst. This weekend will be
an opportunity for the Panthers to right the ship and get themselves back on
course to compete for a NESCAC title or a NCAA bid. Bates on the other hand
might want to keep celebrating that rivalry win last week for as long as they
can. The Bobcats simply are not as talented as the rest of the NESCAC and their
win over Colby was an absolute prayer. Before that game the Bobcats were on a 8
game losing streak and this game against Midd might just be a catalyst to start
another one.
Spellman and the Bobcats will try to defend their home court tonight, coming off last weekend’s big NESCAC win against Colby.
Score Prediction:
Midd 86 – Bates 69
Bowdoin (8-4, 1-1) @
Trinity (9-5, 0-2)
While Bowdoin’s
record looks decent, their strength of schedule is not. They have had a fairly
soft schedule to start the season and it showed in their game against Tufts
where they just weren’t able to keep up. The trio of Hugh O’Neil ‘19, David
Reynolds ‘20 and Jack Simonds ‘19 have been holding down the fort for the Polar
Bears but they just can’t seem to figure out which other two players complement
these guys best and that is where their struggles have come. The Bantams were
thrown into the fire last weekend having to face two talented teams in #6
Hamilton and #24 Amherst. Up until these two games the Bantams looked like a
quality team, having won 6 of their last 7. Trinity is a highly defensive team
who can win a ball game while still scoring less than 70 points. I expect
Trinity to turn it around on their home turf this weekend and hold back the
Polar Bears in what is sure to be a defensive battle.
Now we’re really in the thick of things. While it is still totally unclear what the pecking order is for the bottom eight teams in the NESCAC, there has been lots learned after the first weekend of games and here is our best guess (yes, a total guess) at where the rest of the teams fall after Williams and Hamilton, because, yes, they are really just that good.
1. #2 Williams (12-0, 2-0)
Last Week: 68-54 W vs. Wesleyan, 95-69 W vs. Conn College
This Week: @ Tufts, @ Bates
The only thing I am surprised by from Williams’ games last weekend is that they didn’t score more points against Wesleyan. They saw uncharacteristically poor performances from their stars Kyle Scadlock and Bobby Casey as the duo shot a combined 6-25 on the night. As we know, shooting at a 24% clip just won’t cut it for the Ephs…if they’re going to win a national championship. They still managed to knock off a good Wesleyan team despite a terrible shooting performance. Having said that, in the future, they might not fare so well on such nights as the Cardinals shot just 27.9% as a team, which is undeniably horrible. Was it the defense or just an off night for Wesleyan? Hard to tell, but the Ephs still came out clean in the opening weekend and will own this spot until a team knocks them down.
2. #5 Hamilton (13-0, 1-0)
Last Week: 72-70 W vs. Trinity
This Week: @ Wesleyan, @ Conn
Hamilton is barely holding on the the #2 spot in these rankings as I do not like their ugly game against Trinity. Trinity, a squad with lots of roster turnover in more of a rebuilding mode, should not have given the highly touted Continentals such a run for their money. This first conference game was incredibly even and came after an off night for Hamilton, giving me even more doubts as there wasn’t a clear reason why they were met by an equal competitor in the Bantams. Trinity got hot in the game and shot well, but that happens from time to time and shouldn’t be a source of failure for a Hamilton team with their eyes on making a deep run in the NCAA tournament. They’re still #5 in the country and undefeated, so that’s worth something, but I’m not sure they’ll be here for the long haul.
3. Amherst (11-1, 1-0)
Last Week: 84-55 W vs. Trinity
This Week: vs. Williams
I like what I’m seeing from this Amherst team. I didn’t have high expectations for them this season but Grant Robinson is doing a great job of leading a young team. Robinson scored 19 in their lone conference game and with him, Fru Che, and Eric Sellew, they have a talented core and are off to a hot start.
4. Wesleyan (11-3, 2-2)
Last Week: 54-68 L @ Williams, 80-77 W @ Middlebury
This Week: @ Conn, @ Wesleyan
I won’t fault Wesleyan for their loss to Williams—it was inevitable and not nearly as ugly as it could’ve been for how poorly the Cardinals played. They are a deep, big, and athletic team, and showed that they are capable of explosive games like in their contest against the Panthers. Austin Hutcherson put up a whopping 36 points on 12-22 shooting while Jordan Bonner posted a double-double to lead his team with ten boards. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Cards knock off Amherst or Hamilton in the near future.
Hutcherson and the Cards are a dangerous group.
5. Middlebury (10-4, 1-1)
Last Week: 92-80 W vs. Conn, 77-80 L vs. Wesleyan
This Week: @ Bates, @ Tufts
I’m genuinely surprised by the Midd loss to Wesleyan. I’m not a very biased writer, but Midd always finds ways to win, especially at home. I’d like to chalk this one up to the student body not being at the game because of winter break, but that isn’t entirely fair to the efforts of the Wesleyan team. Midd got beat on defense and not one player had more than six boards on the night. Max Bosco has been great off the bench so far and bolsters a balanced lineup along with Jack Farrell, and Griffin Kornaker that spreads the ball out well but they just couldn’t quite get it done against Wesleyan and for the first time in a while find themselves outside the top four.
6. Bowdoin (8-4, 1-1)
Last Week: 72-57 W vs. Conn College, 79-87 L vs. Tufts
This Week: @ Trinity
This remains a team that performs below its potential. Jack Simonds, David Reynolds, Hugh O’Neil, and Jack Bors are a force to be reckoned with, however, they lost to a Tufts team that lost in turn to a young Colby Mules team. This is a team that has top four potential but need to be more consistent. In the loss against Tufts, O’Neil and Bors scored just 6 combined points (Bors had 0) and they allowed four Jumbos to score more than 14 points. Defense may be an issue going forward, but they can sure score.
The Polar Bears need some consistency from Hugh O’Neil.
7. Colby (10-3, 1-1)
Last Week: 103-93 W vs. Tufts, 71-81 L vs. Bates
This Week: @ Trinity
It was a pretty bizarre opening weekend for the Mules, taking down a perennial power in Tufts and losing to one of the worst teams in the league in Bates. They had already beaten Bates and an inter-Maine game will never be a rollover contest, but seriously? Bates? If the Mules are really here to challenge top teams, they need to have a consistent approach to games and score more near the rim. They really lived and died by the three last weekend and it came back to bite them. Having said that, when they are hot, they are hot, so they could represent a trap game for many top teams.
8. Tufts (6-8 1-1)
Last Week: 93-103 L @ Colby, 87-79 W @ Bowdoin
This Week: vs. Williams, vs. Midd
Like many teams, it was a mixed opening weekend for the Jumbos who find themselves below a team that they beat. They have a poor non-conference record which isn’t helping their ranking and a team that is not particularly deep. They will be out-talented by the top teams despite some scoring ability from all of their starters. Luke Rogers hauled in 16 boards against Bowdoin, but other than him, they really lack a rebounding presence at all and if he can get well-guarded, the Jumbos might be seriously deficient on defense.
9. Trinity (9-5, 0-2)
Last Week: 55-84 L @ Amherst, 70-72 L @ Hamilton
This Week: vs. Bowdoin, vs. Colby
I’m terming Trinity’s opening weekend as mixed as Tufts because they nearly knocked off an impressive Hamilton team, losing 72-70. Nick Seretta and Donald Jorden made a statement in this game, combining for 39 points and shooting 17-23 as a pair. Jorden added 11 boards and led his team to a halftime lead against the #5 team in the nation. Kyle Padmore had a quiet night, shooting just 1-5 for just two point on the night and as one of the veteran presences on this team, he will have to have a bigger impact going forward.
10. Bates (3-10, 1-1)
Last Week: 70-99 L @ Bowdoin, 81-71 W @ Colby
This Week: vs. Midd, vs. Williams
I don’t really expect much from this Bates team, but their win against Maine rival Colby had to feel good in their opening weekend after losing to Bowdoin the night before. Granted their performance against Colby might just be the ceiling for how well they can play. They shot 65% from deep (11-17) while the Mules who were hot against Tufts show just 29% from deep. In other words, it required the perfect storm for Bates to overcome Colby.
11. Conn College (4-8, 0-2)
Last Week: 80-92 L @ Middlebury, 69-95 L @ Williams
This Week: vs. Amherst, vs. Hamilton
As one of just two winless teams after the first weekend, it would’ve been hard to not put Conn at the bottom of the barrel. Dan Draffan and David Labossiere are the only two weapons that the Camels have and Labossiere is significantly more dangerous than Draffan. The duo could get hot and give some weaker teams a run for their money, but as seen in their 26 point loss to Williams, they will just get flat out beat by the top teams in the league. I don’t think they will go winless in NESCAC lay if that is any consolation.
Now that one weekend of conference games is in the books, we can see how exciting this season is truly going to be. There is really no apparent hierarchy and every team displayed some sort of weakness that can be exploited as we move forward in the season. This weekend was really a microcosm of what NESCAC basketball looks like on a regular basis. We had a few blowouts, a few tight games, a few defensive battles, and a good number of shootouts. There was seemingly no discernable pattern of who’s beating who, and that’s exactly the way we like it. Every weekend is an interesting one, nearly impossible for us to predict. With that being said, let’s take a look at the best and worst performers of the first weekend to see where everybody stands:
Stock Up
Williams dominance
It was about as successful as it could have gone this weekend for the Ephs as they took care of Wesleyan and Conn College at home. The Wesleyan game especially passes the eye test because they were able to prove that they could win a defensive battle. We know that Williams can score, but the fact that they led a low-scoring game pretty much the entire way against the talented Cardinals shows that they can win in any fashion. Bobby Casey ’19 led the way against Conn College, posting a game-high 24 points and 8 assists in a rout of the Camels. The Ephs were playing as well as anyone in the preseason, but they’ve brought their dominance into NESCAC play and that is a scary sight for teams around the league.
Jack Simonds as a leader
Everything was falling for Jack Simonds this weekend, but we’ll find out if he is really here to stay
The top performer of the weekend was undoubtedly Jack Simonds. The senior put up an astonishing 55 points on 22-33 from the field and grabbed 15 rebounds combined in the matchups with Bates and Tufts. It felt like Simonds couldn’t miss all weekend and he certainly threw his name back into the conversation for NESCAC player of the year with his efforts. After a breakout sophomore year, Simonds had a bit of a down season in his junior campaign and Bowdoin struggled at times without his leadership. He has come into conference play firing on all cylinders after torching Bates and putting up a valiant effort in a loss versus Tufts. Bowdoin comes out of the weekend right in the thick of things at 1-1, but things are looking bright if Jack Simonds can keep putting out performances like these.
Stock Down
Hamilton dominance
This is not meant to take anything away from a win to start off NESCAC play for the Continentals, but the Bantams tested them on Sunday. It took a carrying violation against Trinity and then a basket with 0.8 seconds left for Hamilton to sneak out the win. The Bantams were embarrassed by Amherst in Western Mass on Friday so morale was low when they rolled into New York for their Sunday matchup. Hamilton couldn’t capitalize, and Trinity hung around for much too long in this one. Kena Gilmour ’20 was not himself at all, putting up 15 points and snatching only 4 rebounds, but fortunately Michael Grassey ’19 picked up the slack and was able to do just enough to secure the win. The Continentals are doing just fine, but being ranked #6 in the country is a very impressive feat. It’ll take a much less sloppy effort if they want to compete with the other top teams in the league moving forward.
Clarity in the middle
Austin Hutcherson ’21 is identifying himself as the top option so far for the Cardinals
It’s never easy to identify the best teams this early in the season, but there are 6 teams that finished the weekend 1-1, and it wasn’t exactly the 6 that we may have thought. After looking really bad to start the season, Bates snagged a win at Colby and even Conn College battled tough with Middlebury until the very end. Tufts started off slow losing to Colby on Friday, but turned around and took care of Bowdoin on Saturday. Wesleyan looked very impressive at times too, but here they are at 1-1 with the rest of them. Trinity and Conn each went 0-2 on the weekend, but the way they played we can tell there won’t be a winless team in the NESCAC this year. All we can do now is wait another week to get a bigger sample size and start making some better assessments. I wouldn’t be surprised to see quite a few 2-2 teams at the end of the second weekend…
Hope for Connecticut
I will admit that Wesleyan had a solid weekend and doesn’t have much to feel bad about at the moment, but Conn and Trinity aren’t doing them any favors in the early going. The state of Connecticut as a whole went 1-5 this weekend and only one of those losses was by fewer than 12 points. I’m not saying I expect to see these three schools at the top of the standings, but they certainly haven’t helped make a name for themselves so far. There’s never an easy game in this conference, so there’s no time to relax for any of the schools down in the NESCAC’s warmest state. Another weekend like this and we might have to start looking forward to the spring season when the southern schools get to have their moment.
This Williams team looks nearly unstoppable. They have three players averaging over 14 points per game and three averaging over five boards per game, dominating each of their nine opponents thus far. Bobby Casey has been lights out from deep, draining 47.7% of his threes, Scadlock has been electric from the floor, shooting over 60% from the field, and James Heskett has been doing his thing for the Ephs, following up his All-American season with some more balanced numbers among a more talented supporting cast with the return of Scadlock. Matt Karpowicz and Michael Kempton have been doing well all around as a big man unit, averaging a combined 14 PPG and over ten boards, equalling a dual double-double. No NESCAC team can match the size and big-game experience of this Eph team with the Continentals as the only real threat on their road to a second straight NESCAC championship.
Casey and the Ephs are not going to be a fun opponent this season.
2.) #5 Hamilton (9-0)
I’ve been a big fan of this unit that Coach Stockwell has developed for quite some time. They were set on a course for predestined greatness in this 2018-2019 season long ago when the group of Peter Hoffmann, Tim Doyle, Andrew Groll, and Michael Grassey joined forces in the 2015-2016 season. Those four along with the most athletic player in the lineup, junior Kena Gilmour, make up this team that could bring the Continentals their first major men’s sports championship in who knows how long. Gilmour and Grassey are doing most of the scoring in the perfect 9-0 start to the season, averaging 19.7 and 15.2 PPG, respectively. They are a balanced team and Gilmour, Grassey, and Groll all haul in over five boards per game. Their trusty point guard, Doyle, dishes out passes to the rest of the shooters and is the glue that keeps the gears turning and rounds out the deadly group that is, top to bottom, without any glaring weaknesses.
Gilmour’s Continentals are the biggest threat to the Ephs in 2019.
3.) Amherst (7-1)
This is a bit of a surprise for me as I figured that after losing some studs, the Mammoths would enter more of a rebuilding year. Their only loss so far was to the 2017 national champion Babson Beavers and they received votes in the last D3 Hoops rankings. Their big man, Joe Schneider, is their only senior, boding well for the future of this historically dominant program. Grant Robinson is leading the way on the scoring front with 15.8 PPG with Eric Sellew putting in 9.6 PPG, and sixth man-to-be and deep threat off the bench, Garrett Day, dropping 9.3 PPG in just 17.3 minutes per game. Five Mammoths average over four rebounds per game and while Robinson is the closest they have to a superstar, they are a deep team with many possible contributors and several wild card players who entered into new roles at the start of this season.
4.) #24 Middlebury (8-2)
This is an unusual year for the Panthers as they are without a true leader on the court like they have had the past few years. Matt Folger is the most talented player on the floor for Midd and has been off to a hot start, putting up 16.0 PPG, shooting over 50% from the field and over 47% from deep which is going to need to be sustainable for the Panthers to have a shot to compete with Bobby Casey and the Ephs. My biggest concern for the Panthers this season was at the guard position as they lost Jack Daly and had a big scoring, passing, and rebounding hole to fill. Jack Farrell, Max Bosco, and Griffin Kornaker have all contributed surprisingly well so far this year, making up the next wave of elite Panther guards. Farrell is averaging 15.8 PPG, 4.9 REB/G, and 4.3 A/G while Bosco is scoring 13.8 PPG in 21 minutes per game off the bench. Kornaker is more of a distributor, averaging 4 A/G and spreads the floor well between Folger, Hilal Dahleh, and Eric McCord down low. While Folger hauls in boards in his own right, raking in 9.5 per game to nearly total an average of a double-double for himself. McCord and freshman forward Alex Sobel are the defensive specialists, grabbing 10.8 and 5.4 REB/G, respectively. The guards are going to need to continue to play lights out for the Panthers with Folger leading the way for Midd to compete in the postseason. Their early season conference match ups should provide a good indication of how this rather unpredictable teams competes against better competition.
5.) Wesleyan (7-3)
Contrary to Andrew’s (unsurprisingly) favorable preview for the Cardinals entering this season, this team has proven to be human in the early going despite their notable athleticism. They played a non-conference game against Williams and lost by 15—not such a bad result considering the prowess of the second-ranked Eph team. It actually was a poorly played game by the Cardinals, boding even better for their future games against the NESCAC’s top foes as they shot just 25% from beyond the arc. They also hauled in just 28 boards which was likely the main issue—allowing Williams to dominate on defense. Jordan Bonner, Austin Hutcherson, and Antone Walker are the big time scorers for this Wesleyan team, all averaging at least 14 PPG and represent a dangerous trio of shooters. This young team may be a bit inconsistent at times with Bonner as the only senior on the roster, but they should have a shot in some games that they are not favored in due to their athleticism and potential to score.
6.) Colby (8-2)
This young Mule team is coming out of nowhere to intimidate the other NESCAC competition in the 2018-2019 preseason. While I didn’t really expect them to compete without any seniors on the roster, they are quietly putting together wins with five players averaging double digit point in the early going. Matt Hanna (14.1 PPG, 5.7 REB/G, 3.5 A/G), Sam Jefferson (16.6 PPG, 4.0 REB/G, 40.3% 3-PT), Wallace Tucker (11.1 PPG, 3.7 REB/G, 2.0 A/G), Noah Tyson (11.8 PPG, 8.6 REB/G, 2.6 A/G), and Ronan Schwarz (11.9 PPG, 4.9 REB/G, 58.2% FG) round out a well-balanced, and deep starting five for the Mules. While it’s hard to determine the quality of their opponents, they knocked off Bowdoin pretty easily 83-70 and Bates 86-69.
7.) Trinity (7-3)
Trinity is a team much like Colby in that they lack a superstar or one player really performing above the rest of the team. Four of five starters (Kyle Padmore, Donald Jorden, Christian Porydzy, and Nick Seretta) average 10 PPG while Connor Merinder adds 8.3 PPG. Jordan and Merinder each haul in 8.1 and 6.4 REB/G, respectively and are the best rim defenders on the team. They lost to pretty badly 84-67 to 16th ranked Nichols but lost by less than five points in their other two hiccups thus far. This team still has a lot to figure out after losing key players last season, much like Middlebury and Amherst, but they seem to have a deep enough lineup so far to be dangerous and a match for many NESCAC foes.
8.) Bowdoin (6-3)
Despite a below average 6-3 record entering the break, including a loss to rival Colby College, the Polar Bears are boasting a modest four game win streak after staring the season just 2-3. While it often takes some time for younger teams to get going, I didn’t expect to see this from the rather experienced Bowdoin team. Jack Simonds, Jack Bors, Hugh O’Neil, and David Reynolds who represent a similar level of experience to the Hamilton team. In fact, I’d even go to say that similar to Hamilton, this is the year of hope and destiny for the Bowdoin team too. If there was ever a year for them to make a run at the whole thing, this is it. Now I’m by no means saying they’re as talented as Hamilton or Williams, but David Reynolds and Jack Simonds both have POY potential, making a run at the league’s scoring title, and Hugh O’Neil has DPOY potential, bringing down rebounds with the best of them for his entire career. They fall all the way down here to eighth on these first power rankings of the season, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get hot and make a run and host a first round playoff game.
Simonds, Bors, and O’Neil represent a NESCAC ‘Big 3’ that could challenge any team on any day.
9.) Tufts (4-5)
Nobody lost more key players than Tufts did at the end of 2018. They lost starters Thomas Lapham, Everett Dayton, and, most importantly, Vinny Pace, leaving them with just Miles Bowser and team leader Eric Savage remaining. Savage, however, is the only Jumbo left in the starting lineup from last season as Bowser is no longer on the roster. Tyler Aronson and Carson Cohen are two of the new starters and are freshmen looking to make a quick impact at the college level. Both highly decorated high school players, Aronson and Cohen should improve as the season goes along but likely, as seen in their early record, will be overmatched by against some better teams and will experience up-and-down shooting nights. Rounding out the starting five are sophomores Justin Kouyoumdjian (that is a mouth full), Brennan Morris, and Luke Rogers. Savage has been a bit banged up thus far, leaving room for Cohen to make an early impact, but expect Cohen to come off the bench in games that Savage plays in. Arguably their best game of the season was in a loss to #7 MIT that went to OT early in the season. While the Jumbos might be the last ‘good’ team in these power rankings, they still have the talent to knock off any team on any day, speaking to the depth of the NESCAC.
10.) Conn College (3-5)
And then there were two. Conn and Bates seem to be far below the rest of the NESCAC competition thus far. I hope they prove me wrong, but each program is in different places and will struggle for different reasons throughout the spring. For Conn, they have their star player, David Labossiere, leading the way but they lack a solid supporting cast to propel them into the fire of the NESCAC competition. Dan Draffan is another great player for the Camels, but Jack Zimmerman, Phil Leotsakos, and Ryan Omslaer need to step up their game for Conn to work to sneak into the playoffs. With that said, however, Labossiere could make a run for the NESCAC scoring title and could take over any game as he is shooting 40% from deep and averaging nearly 20 PPG so far. Draffan scores over 16 PPG and hauls in nearly 10 boards per game and if they can figure out how to score, this team could upset better NESCAC teams on their off nights.
11.) Bates (2-7)
Bates had an underwhelming but not abysmal 2017-2018 season, but lost one of their starters in Guards Shawn Strickland. They went into the holiday break with five straight losses, two to NESCAC teams (Colby and Bowdoin) which I think clearly makes them the worst team in Maine so far. They shoot from beyond the arc at just 27.8%, make under 60% of their free throws, and only have two players in Jeff Spellman and Nick Lynch scoring in the double digits per game. Lynch and Spellman are also the only Bobcats averaging over six boards per game and it looks as if, unless there is going to be a dramatic shift in the new year, this may be a long season for Bates. Tom Coyne should return after the break in time for NESCAC play, and while it’s been rough so far, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Bates make the playoffs and slowly climb up the rankings into the top eight.
Losing on a buzzer beater is never easy; losing to a Little Three rival in the playoffs on a buzz beater is even more devastating. It is a new year, however. The pain from last year may still be present in some of the veteran players, but each Mammoth comes into the season with a mindset that they’re going to win the league. Amherst, a perennial NESCAC powerhouse, is reloaded and ready to take revenge on Wesleyan and other rivals.
Amherst has already demonstrated that they have the fire power to compete with anyone thus far. Three wins, and two of those in triple digits, illustrate the ease in which Amherst scores. These wins are impressive, but they’re against non-league foes. With official NESCAC basketball conference games starting in January, Amherst will have confidence going into January if they continue their strong November run into December.
The Mammoths are off to a hot start in their 2019 preseason.
Key losses:
G/F Johnny McCarthy
GP: 26
PTS/G: 11.9
FG %: 43.4
3PT %: 30.3
FT %: 65.1
REB/G: 7.7
A/G: 3.0
The 6’ 5” Nobles product capped off his Amherst career with a historic 2017-2018 season. McCarthy was a solid all around player, who was as active on the glass as he was scoring buckets. Even though the three point and free throw percentage don’t necessarily show such a significant impact, McCarthy’s willingness to scrap with big boys such as Wesleyan’s Nathan Krill and Jordan Sears shows how much he will be missed. The twelve points a game, second highest on the team, will be a void that will need to be filled by the squad this season.
G Michael Riopel
GP: 26
PTS/G:12.7
FG %:46.2
3PT %:43.0
FT %:74.2
REB/G: 5.3
A/G: 2.1
Similar to McCarthy, Riopel brought great length to the Amherst lineup. The 6’ 5” guard, sitting two hundred pounds of lean muscle, was the top Amherst scorer. The numbers, especially the field goal percentage from two and three, standout. Riopel was an efficient scorer who made tough shots in his phenomenal Amherst career. The veteran guard had a solid handle, and didn’t have a huge turnover problem. His leadership ability on and off the court will be sorely missed.
Projected starting five:
Grant Robinson:
Grant Robinson ’21
GP: 24
PTS/G: 9.4
FG %3: 6.2
3PT %: 33.7
FT %: 69.6
REB/G: 3.4
A/G: 3.4
Grant Robinson came onto the scene last season as a young guard who was poised to lead a championship contending team. Sound familiar Austin Hutcherson fans? It’s tough to compare Hutcherson and Robinson beyond that, though. Robinson stands about three inches shorter, which makes him less of a threat guarding bigger guys. Hutcherson is definitely a better fit in Wesleyan’s switch happy pick and roll defense because of this. Robinson, however, obviously isn’t a Wesleyan Cardinal. He plays in an Amherst system that was led by Riopel and McCarthy last year. Robinson put up stats that makes you think he could be one of the NESCAC’s next elite guards. Amherst will always be one of the top dogs in the conference, and Robinson will be one of the reasons why
Josh Chery:
Josh Chery ’20
GP: 21
PTS/G: 4.8
FG %: 37.5
3PT %: 30.0
FT %: 51.5
REB/G: 3.6
A/G: 0.9
I feel like the following statement is the antithesis to everything I believe in (and the teachings of Michael Lewis’s Moneyball): Josh Chery’s stats don’t tell the whole story. Allow me to elaborate. His points per game, mediocre assists, rebounds, and poor free throw percentage don’t make you think he would be an impact player on an Amherst team. He averaged only fourteen minutes a game last year. He isn’t one of those guys that will wow you with his shot, but he physical presence will scare a lot of scorers. Chery, at two hundred and fifteen pounds, can defend any position. He’s got the athleticism to stay with guards, and has the strength to compete with any big man. I’m interested to see how this plays out.
Che, a Brooks School product, is another athletic forward that will help Amherst defensively this season. As a side note, Brooks seemed to always defeat Rivers, my high school, in league championship games during my time at Rivers. There is still salt in the wound. Che is an efficient scorer, as seen by his numbers from last season. His free throw shooting was a liability. Late in games, without McCarthy and Riopel, Amherst needs to have confidence in guys who will step the the line and make big buckets. Let’s see if Che is up to the challenge.
Eric Sellew:
Eric Sellew ’20
GP: 21
PTS/G: 8.5
FG %: 48.6
3PT %: 21.4
FT %: 73.3
REB/G: 5.9
A/G: 1.4
Standing at 6’ 7,” Sellew is one of the tallest guy in the starting lineup for Amherst. He’s a solid big man. He has the strength to go one on one with Wesleyan’s JR Bascom or Jordan James, a highly anticipated matchup that we’re sure to see this year. With a league and a game that has transitioned from a half court set to more of transition offense, I’m interested to see how Sellew will fit this. He’s a positive player for Amherst without a question, and has good footwork both up top and in the paint. If Amherst wins the league crown this year, it’s because Sellew became one of the best rebounders in the conference, averaging around nine to ten.
C Joe Schneider:
Joe Schneider ’19
GP:26
PTS/G:6.5
FG %:52.1
3PT %-
FT %: 61.3
REB/G:5.2
A/G: 1.2
I’m a rower, so I’m used to being around guys in the six-five to six-eight range. Joe Schneider is a giant compared to most of my teammates. Standing at six-ten Schneider is one of the biggest guys in the entire league. This length not only affects shots and shot selection, but can disrupt entire offenses who rely on half court pick and roll sets. Schneider can definitely move his feet at his size, but anyone that size will have difficulty staying in front of elite athletes. Schneider is a proven commodity in the Amherst system; he knows how to play and win effectively. Those long arms and blocking ability instill fear in some guards, but I’m not entirely confident that he will be able to stay in front of the quickest. We shall see.
Everything else:
Schneider and the Mammoths have a lot to prove without McCarthy and Riopel.
There are teams, in any sport, that will put a quality product on the field or the court any year regardless of talent level. Coach David Hixon has been coaching the Amherst squad for forty-one years. He’s been a champion in more ways than one both in the league and on the national level. Is this one of the most talented Amherst teams to be assembled? No, not even lose I don’t think. They have talented players, yes, but I don’t believe they have a starting five that will wow you, or bench players that will make you think this is one of the great Amherst teams. Remember me saying, though, that Amherst will never be blown out. That’ll never happen. The program is too rich and seasoned to lose any game by double digits. Robinson will lead them, and they will be very solid. I personally can’t wait for the Amherst vs Wesleyan or Amherst vs Williams matchups this year. Those games are special to watch as a sports fan.
A conversation with Grant Robinson:
Andrew Martin: Which losses from the senior class last year will be felt the most, and what additions from this year’s freshman class will offset those losses?
Grant Robinson: Having lost Johnny McCarthy and Michael Riopel, we lose our two leading scorers from last year. Because of this, we need guys to step up and take initiative to score the ball more so than they may have last year. I think Will Phelan and Devonn Allen are two freshmen that can have an immediate impact for us this year and help offset our losses. They’ve already shown great improvement and ability early in the season.
AM: How will Amherst reclaim its spot as the best in the league?
GB: I think to reclaim our spot as #1 in the conference we have to continue to have a chip on our shoulder throughout the entire season. A lot of people don’t have high expectations from us this year, but as a team, we will use this to our advantage and push each other to prove that we can be even better than we were last year.
Chipouras had a legendary career and leaves a void for the NESCAC to fill.
With the 2018 NESCAC football season officially in the rearview, all that is left to be settled are the awards. This year seemed to lack the typical depth of transcendent performers and producers, but there are still some things to straighten out. Who’s taking home some additional hardware at the end of the season?
Coach of the Year: Jeff Devanney, Trinity
Coach Deveanney, Trinity
Under normal circumstances, giving the Coach of the Year award to the man who just led his team to their third straight league title with a historically great team would be pretty boring. But it wasn’t just that Coach Devanney cemented the three-peat, but how he did it that wins him this award. With QB Sonny Puzzo ’18 lost to graduation, the Bantams turned to transfer QB Jordan Vazzano ’21 to take the reins. Vazzano did just that, throwing for 1326 yards and 12 touchdowns in 5 games, leading Trin to a 4-1 and start. But his 43.8% completion percentage and some additional glaring holes that Williams exposed in their one loss left more to be desired, and a change was made in favor of QB Seamus Lambert ’22. Lambert exploded as the starter, leading the offense to 48 points in each of his first 2 starts, and leading them to a 27-16 win over Amherst in the de facto Week 8 championship game, and then marching into Middletown to clinch the league on the last day against Wesleyan. It takes a lot of guts to pull off a move like that, but it certainly worked for Coach Devanney.
Honorable Mention: Jay Civetti, Tufts
Rookie of the Year: QB Seamus Lambert, Trinity
Seamus Lambert ’22
Player A: 52-76, 68.4% CP, 184.3 YPG, 9 TDs, 1 INT, 4-0 record
Player B: 141-233, 60.5% CP, 149.1 YPG, 7 TDs, 5 INTs, 3-6 record
Which of these stat lines would you choose for your rookie of the year winner? Player A is Seamus Lambert, and Player B is Colby QB Matt Hersch, the two front runners for this award. Don’t get me wrong, Hersch’s play and Colby’s 3 wins—including a CBB title—is one of the feel-good stories of the year. The Mules have an answer at QB for the foreseeable future for the first time in a while and the future is looking bright, but when it comes to performance this award belongs to Lambert, whose breakout second half of the season we just covered. Lambert outproduced Hersch and led his team to a league championship, the only thing he didn’t do was play 9 games. If he played 9 games, we’d be talking about Lambert as Offensive Rookie of the Year, not just Rookie of the Year. Hersch might get the sentimental vote from the league but I’m giving it to Lambert.
Honorable Mention: QB Matt Hersch, Colby
Defensive Player of the Year: LB/DE Andrew Yamin ’19, Amherst
Andrew Yamin ’19
Yamin takes this award for the second year in a row, the best player on the best or second-best defense in the league. Despite not being able to reach his earth-shattering junior year numbers of 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss, Yamin again led the league in sacks with 9.5, and was second in the league behind Wesleyan DL Taj Gooden ’21 (17.5) with 17 tackles for loss, sharing the lead with Gooden of 82 yards lost. While it obviously seems like a letdown year for Yamin, if you subtract the 5.5 sacks he had in Week 6 against Wesleyan in 2017, his week by week production was pretty much the same. His consistency every Saturday was staggering and it’s a shame neither of these seasons resulted in a ring for Yamin—but he’ll end his career as a back to back DPOY.
So many on this Amherst defense deserve recognition, but Yamin was just that much better than the rest.
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Max Chipouras ’19, Trinity
Max Chipouras ’19
This race, of the four, is the closest in my opinion. As I wrote about earlier in the season, the quarterback play in the league was really down this year. Last season, 6 quarterbacks threw for more than 200 yards a game—this season, it was one. Last year, 4 quarterbacks threw 15 or more TDs—this season, it was one. And both of those individual stats from this season belong to Tufts QB Ryan McDonald ’19, who was outstanding all year for the 7-2 Jumbos. He was head and the shoulders the best passer all year (sorry Seamus Lambert), and that’s before you factor in the 50 rushing yards per game and 9 rushing touchdowns he added with his feet. But I’m going with Max Chipouras, who you could argue wasn’t even the best offensive player on his team alongside Lambert and WRs Jonathan Girard (1005 yards, 8 TDs) and Koby Schofer (763 yards, 11 TDs). Chipouras rushed for 1143 yards and 11 scores, both league highs. Of those 1143 yards, 203 of them came in an all-time great performance against Amherst in Week 8 to decide the NESCAC, including a 70-yard touchdown run that will live in Bantam lore forever to put the game away. And all of those numbers could’ve been even higher if Trinity wasn’t blowing everyone out so badly that they pulled the starters so early—look no further for proof than RB Spencer Lockwood ‘22’s 425 yards (7th in the league in YPG) and 5 TDs in relief. Chipouras had a historic career, and this award is as much for all 4 years as is it is for this one. But this one was pretty darn good.
Honorable Mention: QB Ryan McDonald ’19, 1811 Passing Yards, 26 Total TDs
Now that the season is officially over, we can talk about how this season was a microcosm for NESCAC football in recent years. Trinity won, Amherst wasn’t far behind, and Tufts, Wesleyan, Williams, and Middlebury were all right there as well. Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, and Hamilton might as well be in a completely different league because they really don’t look anywhere near ready to compete with the top tier. Nevertheless, it was a fun year that had some very exciting moments, so take a look at the final power ranking of the 2018 football season:
(1) 1. Trinity (8-1)
It’s always sad to see the end of a career as great as that of Max Chipouras ’19
We’ve all heard this one before: the Trinity Bantams are your NESCAC football champions. There’s no doubt that they earned this one, securing the title with a horribly ugly 9-0 victory over Wesleyan in Week 9. Led by RB Max Chipouras ’19, the Bantam offense saw a quarterback change in the middle of the season and still finished first in the league in total points, total yards, passing yards, passing touchdowns, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. Their defense also finished first in points allowed, total yards, passing yards, and rushing yards. I’d call that a pretty complete team. Coach Devanney continues to prove that as long as he’s at the helm, there’s no such thing as a “down year” in Hartford. These guys are already the clear favorites to take home a 4th consecutive championship in 2019.
(2) 2. Amherst (8-1)
The Mammoths were right there every step of the way but a visit to the Coop in Week 8 proved to be a bit too much, so they’ll have to settle for another second place finish. The story for this team all year was defense, because they finished second in nearly every category that I mentioned where Trinity finished first. LB Andrew Yamin ’19 terrorized opposing offenses, ending the season first in the league with 9.5 sacks and second in the league with 17 tackles for a loss. The offense wasn’t quite as eye-popping as that of Trinity, but it was still in the top half of the league and was good enough to keep them in every game. The focus for Amherst at this point should be on how to beat Trinity, because the Bantams are currently the gold standard for NESCAC football. If you can beat them, there’s no reason you shouldn’t take home the title. (Sorry Williams)
(3) 3. Tufts (7-2)
Though they didn’t take home any hardware, 2018 was a good season for the Jumbos. They beat everyone except for the top two teams and battled admirably in those two losses. QB Ryan McDonald ’19 is looking like the frontrunner for offensive player of the year as the only quarterback averaging over 200 passing yards per game with a league-leading 17 passing touchdowns, while adding another 9 touchdowns and 50 yards per game on the ground. By almost every measure Tufts had the third best defense in the league, which certainly makes sense given where they finished the season. Coach Civetti continues to prove why he is one of the NESCAC’s premier coaches and as long as he’s around, Tufts will always be in the hunt. The only question now is what they’re going to do in the post-Ryan McDonald era.
(4) 4. Wesleyan (5-4)
RB Sean Penney ’21 is already excited for the 2019 season
If you take away the Cardinals’ fluke loss to Hamilton in Week 3, they actually had a pretty solid year. D-lineman Taj Gooden ’21 had an excellent second year, leading the league with 17.5 tackles for a loss and coming in second with 9 sacks. He looks like the only man challenging Andrew Yamin for DPOY at this point. QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 didn’t have the year they were hoping for as he threw for just over half the amount of yards he threw for last year, and the offense never really got going this season because of it. Wesleyan is another team that has a very big hole to fill under center next season, but aside from the quarterback position they have all the pieces in place for another strong year.
(5) 5. Middlebury (5-4)
By Middlebury standards, a 5-4 season is nothing to write home about. They started the year with a crushing 52-21 loss to Wesleyan and suffered from very poor quarterback play by senior Jack Meservy. Eventually they made the switch to sophomore Will Jernigan and their offense began to find its identity. Even with the switch they were shutout by both Trinity and Amherst, which is a very bad look from a team who is usually competing for a championship. While they might be able to build around Jernigan’s slightly more run-oriented style, they are also supposed to get a couple of transfer QBs who should keep things interesting in Vermont, perhaps creating a Jared Lebowitz 2.0. I expect a bounce back season from the Panthers in 2019.
(6) 6. Williams (5-4)
It really was the tale of two halves of the season for the Ephs who started 4-0 and handed Trinity their only loss, then followed that up by going 1-4 in their final 5 games. Injuries certainly didn’t help, as they saw stud LB TJ Rothmann ’21 and stud QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 each go down with injury late in the year. Last year’s fairytale run was a tough act to follow, and the freshman that took the league by storm last year went through a bit of a sophomore slump in year two. Fortunately for Eph fans, these sophomores will soon be juniors and Coach Raymond will bring in another outstanding recruiting class beneath them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Williams take home the crown in one of the next two years.
(8) 7. Colby (3-6)
And now we get to the bottom tier. No disrespect to Colby, Bates, Bowdoin, and Hamilton, but they’re simply not as good as the top six teams. This season honestly went about as well as it could have for the Mules. Yes, they took their lumps, but beating the bottom three teams is a huge step in the right direction for a new coach who is trying to resurrect this program. They have a promising young quarterback in Matt Hersch ’22 who looked excellent at times leading an offense that is certainly not as talented as some of the teams they were up against. It’ll be interesting to see how Colby will fare in the run game with the departure of RB Jake Schwern ’19, who had a terrific career in Waterville. The defense actually finished the year allowing the second fewest passing yards per game, but also the most rushing yards per game so they have areas of focus as they head into next season.
(7) 8. Hamilton (3-6)
I really hoped to see more out of Hamilton this year. I thought they could potentially be in the mix with Middlebury, Wesleyan, and Williams in the middle of the conference. Overall on defense they were relatively average, but their pass defense was atrocious. Nearly every team they faced could air it out at will against their secondary and they couldn’t do anything to stop it. I was disappointed with the effort put forth by QB Kenny Gray ’20 because I really thought this would be his breakout year. He has put up some big numbers in the past and he returned his top targets, but he threw for just 177 yards per game and posted a TD:INT ratio of 13:12. They have a lineup of capable players, so the Continentals just need to put everything together to see more success in the future.
(9) 9. Bowdoin (1-8)
Nate Richam ’20 is one of the most explosive running backs returning to the league next year
It’s all about progress for Bowdoin. They came into the year riding a 17-game losing streak and they finally put that streak to bed. It wasn’t an amazing year, but Bowdoin had some flashes of very strong play, like RB Nate Richam’s 288-yard outburst against Middlebury. QB Austin McCrum ’20 didn’t have the year they were hoping for and he actually led the league with 17 interceptions. He’ll have to seriously increase his level of play in order for the Polar Bears to be competitive next season. LB Joe Gowetski ’20 finished second in the NESCAC in tackles, while LB Franny Rose ’21 and DB Nick Leahy ’21 finished sixth and eighth respectively. With some individual performances to feel good about and a win under their belt, Bowdoin can feel much more confident heading into 2019 than they were in 2018.
(10) 10. Bates (0-9)
What a tough year for the Bobcats. They had been competitive in recent years and hadn’t lost the CBB outright since 2012, but this was definitely not their year. A new coach and new offense felt promising heading into the season, but the wrong personnel combined with a few poorly timed injuries made the year spiral out of control. DB Jon Lindgren ’20 followed up a strong sophomore year with an excellent junior year in which he led the conference in tackles, but aside from him there really weren’t any outstanding individual performers. Williams showed us that a new coach doesn’t always mean immediate success when they hired Coach Raymond and went 0-8, then followed that up by going 6-3. Hopefully Coach Hall will be able to work some magic because there wasn’t a whole lot of it in Lewiston this season.
Well, NESCAC fans, it’s been a fun season with a surprising amount of upsets, full of talented new faces and the continued dominance of veterans. We have one last ride together this season, and this preview should help cap it off. We still have some championship implications alive here as Trinity needs to beat Wesleyan on the road to secure their third straight NESCAC championship, and I’m sure that Mark Piccirillo won’t want to head off into the sunset of his football career on a low note. Expect some fireworks there. If Trinity loses and Amherst wins, then the Mammoths will retake the NESCAC crown, although they have no cake walk either with a game against a volatile Williams squad. I’m excited thinking about it and you should be too. Cold weather football is the best and it’s finally here.
Hamilton @ Bates 12:00
I can’t really imagine how deflating that loss to Bowdoin must’ve felt for Bates last week, but I would imagine it hurt. Bates officially lost its chances to retain part of the CBB for the first time in 5 years and were on the receiving end of Bowdoin’s first win in 24 tries. All they have left now is playing to avoid a winless season, but it doesn’t look like they have a quarterback to do it, losing their first two stringers and leaving WR/DB Kevin Claflin ‘19 to take snaps under center. Plus, it feels like the type of day where the good Kenny Gray ‘20 shows up for Hamilton. Look for the Continentals to end the season on a high, and the Bobcats on the lowest of lows.
Final Score: Hamilton 34, Bates 6
Trinity @ Wesleyan 12:00
The Bantams take their shot at a three-peat in Middletown on Saturday while the Cardinals look to play spoiler and pull off what feels like an improbable 6-3 season, coming off their big win over Williams. The Cardinals defense can play with anyone, but they’re going to get their money’s worth against this Trinity offense. The other problem too is that Wesleyan simply can’t hang in a shootout with Trin. QB Mark Piccirillo ‘19 was 9-17 for 151 yds and 1 TD against Williams and 75 of those yards came on one pass. Those numbers don’t equate to much success against this Trinity D. A dynasty will he cemented on Saturday.
Rivalry weekend in CT, so get ready.
Final Score: Trinity 38, Wesleyan 14
Williams @ Amherst
On paper this game seems like a forgone conclusion with Williams QB Bobby Maimaron ‘21 missing the Biggest Little Game in America with a knee injury. They haven’t had the offensive success they thought they’d have this year with Maimaron under center so why would QB Jackson Bischoping ‘22 have any luck against this fearsome Amherst defense? Well Bischoping in his brief time as Eph understudy has shown an uncanny ability to find WR Frank Stola ‘21, and this Williams defense is humming along lately as well as they have since they were fully healthy. Upset on the cards? Not quite, this Amherst team will just be better on Saturday, but this game has always been close lately and this one will be no different.
John Callahan is an under appreciated stud for the Amherst defense.
Final Score Amherst 24 Williams 20
Tufts @ Middlebury 12:30
Two teams without much to play for except bragging rights and being able to go out with a W. At this point we have no idea what Middlebury team is going to show up, and this Tufts team has done nothing but come to play every weekend, only dropping two respectable contests to the two best teams in the league, Amherst and Trinity (both away). QB Ryan McDonald ‘19 has been spectacular all year (as some of us said he would be) and still has an outside shot at winning Player of the Year, especially if they finish 7-2. Middlebury’s offense has never been able to replicate the rhythm they found in Williamstown, and Will Jernigan ‘21 has been the most inconsistent quarterback in the league not named Kenny Gray. Theoretically this could be a great game but in actuality Tufts has been better on both sides of the ball all season and it isn’t going to change Saturday.
Week 8 brought us some of the most excitement we’ve had this season with Trinity defeating Amherst in the quasi-championship game, Wesleyan taking down Williams, and Bowdoin getting their first win since 2015. Unfortunately, Trinity looks like they’re going to take home the crown again. Although I’m not sure that Amherst winning would have been that much better. Either way it was an exciting week, so take a look at where everyone falls heading into the final games of the season:
(2) 1. Trinity (7-1)
You don’t want to miss an opportunity to see this guy
Here we are again. The Bantams find themselves in the driver’s seat for the league championship after taking down Amherst, 27-16. QB Seamus Lambert ’22 had a fine game under center, but the story of this game was the effort by RB Max Chipouras ’19. The (soon to be) four-time all-NESCAC honoree carried the ball 24 times for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns. This performance also came against a defense that was holding opponents to fewer than 70 rushing yards per game, which was the best in the league. What an effort. If Trinity can put away Wesleyan in their final game, Chipouras will finish his career with 3 NESCAC championships (with one runner-up) and 4 all-NESCAC appearances (3 first team), while simultaneously becoming the conference’s all-time leader with 40 (and counting) rushing touchdowns, shattering the previous record of 27. He also currently has 3,565 career rushing yards, just 263 behind Evan Bunker (Trinity ’14) for the all-time NESCAC record. Needless to say, this kid is pretty special. I would highly suggest tuning in to their matchup with Wesleyan this weekend for one last chance to see one of the most decorated players in NESCAC football history before it’s too late.
(1) 2. Amherst (7-1)
The Mammoths are surely disappointed after their first loss that will likely prevent them from taking home the championship, but this one didn’t come down to one play or one drive. Don’t get me wrong it was a tight game the whole way, but Trinity was simply the better team on Saturday. RB Jack Hickey ’19 wasn’t able to match the performance of his counterpart on the other sideline as he rushed 14 times for a mere 54 yards. Due to the lack of a run game, QB Ollie Eberth ’20 had to attempt a season-high 35 passes and only completed 17 of them. WR Bo Berluti ’19 caught 9 of these passes for 142 yards and added another 23 yards on two carries, but he accounted for about half of Amherst’s offense. It’s not that they couldn’t move the ball up the field, it’s that they couldn’t finish drives. A few costly turnovers in Bantam territory ended up really hurting them, and the defense that we’ve raved about for weeks wasn’t able to force a turnover of their own. Amherst is still in a great position to win the Little Three when they take on Williams this weekend, and if Wesleyan pulls off the upset against Trinity, they have a chance to be crowned champions.
(3) 3. Tufts (6-2)
Tufts put together a very impressive effort against Colby in Week 8. The Mules aren’t the most talented team, but they had won two in a row and were looking like they were putting things together. QB Ryan McDonald ’19 was a very efficient 19 of 23 or 223 yards and 2 touchdowns, and the team rushed for total of 265 yards. Scoring 48 points is a very legit performance, but the defense may have actually had the more impressive feat. Shutouts in football are few and far between, and Colby’s offense had been on the rise in recent weeks. LB Greg Holt ’20 continued his impressive junior campaign by adding a team-high 8 tackles (7 solo) and lineman Nmesoma Nwafor snagged the team’s lone interception. After a few bumps in the road this unit has hit their stride again, giving the Jumbos a good chance to finish off their strong season on a positive note. They’ll head to Vermont to take on a solid Middlebury squad in Week 9.
(5) 4. Wesleyan (5-3)
It’s been an up and down year, but Mark Piccirillo ’19 finds his team in a decent position heading into Week 9
The Cardinals took home potentially their biggest win of the season in a really ugly game against Williams. Neither team eclipsed 300 yards of total offense, and Wesleyan QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 (who we’ve given a lot of praise over the years) only threw for 151 yards on 9 completions. With an even closer look you’ll see that 75 of those passing yards came on one touchdown pass early in the 4th quarter. Take out this pass and Piccirillo was 8-16 for 76 yards. Yikes. The good thing for Coach DiCenzo’s team is that wins come in all shapes and sizes so while this one may not have been pretty, it still counts the same in the standings. It also ensures that Williams will have to wait at least one more year to have a shot at a Little Three championship, which has to make Cardinal fans happy. Wesleyan could potentially make things really interesting if they were able to defeat Trinity in their final game, but do they want to give rival Amherst a chance at a NESCAC title? I have to believe there’s a moral dilemma going on in Middletown right now…
(6) 5. Middlebury (5-3)
I had no idea what Middlebury was going to bring against Hamilton given how hot and cold they’ve been over the course of the year, but the result pretty much ended up how we probably would have expected. The offense looked very well rounded and despite throwing 2 picks, QB Will Jernigan had one of his best games as the starting signal-caller, completing 21 of 36 passes for 246 yards and 4 touchdowns. Linebacker Pete Huggins ’21 and defensive end Ian Blow ’19 had big games for the Panthers, pacing the team with 7 and 6 tackles respectively while each adding an interception. Hamilton relies heavily on the arm of Kenny Gray and Middlebury has struggled a bit against the pass this year, so the fact that the Panther secondary held him to 19-40 for 180 yards is a promising sign. Facing Ryan McDonald in Week 9 will be an even more challenging task, so it’s good news for Midd fans that they’re trending in the right direction. A win over Tufts could potentially put the Panthers in third place to end the season.
(4) 6. Williams (5-3)
It’s been a bit of a fall from grace for the Ephs who at one point were 4-0, had beaten Trinity, and even found themselves at the top of our power rankings. Since then they’ve gone 1-3 with losses to Middlebury, Tufts, and now Wesleyan. I know these are good teams that they lost to, but if you beat Trinity then the expectations are going to be a little bit higher. To make matters even worse, Williams suffered the loss of starting QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 who went down with an injury. Jackson Bischoping ’22 did a decent job, but Maimaron is a very tough guy to replace. WR Frank Stola ’21 had a big game, snagging 9 passes for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns, accounting for nearly half of the team’s total offense. We talk a lot about how good TJ Rothmann is and rightfully so, but LB Jarrett Wesner ’21 is quietly putting together a potential all-NESCAC season, leading the team and sitting at 4th in the conference with 64 total tackles, including 5 for a loss. He’s been a stud for a unit that is going to continue to develop and get better with all the youth they have. Williams will try to take down Amherst for the second straight year in the 2018 Biggest Little Game.
(8) 7. Hamilton (2-6)
Well here we are at the end of the season saying the same thing we pretty much always say about Hamilton. They’re not quite good enough to compete with the top teams, but they’re a little better than the worst teams. Granted they lost to Colby this year, but they also beat Wesleyan so we’ll call it a wash. QB Kenny Gray ’20 isn’t having the year that I thought he would have and because they rely so heavily on him, the whole offense has suffered. RB Joe Park ’22 has found a role as the lead runner out of the backfield despite Mitch Bierman ’21 being initially in line for the job. They played a decent game against Middlebury and only trailed by 4 at halftime, but they just aren’t quite ready to really compete with the best teams in the league. They have a very favorable matchup against a Bates team that is not trending in the right direction for the last game of the season, so a 3-6 finish is definitely within reach.
(7) 8. Colby (2-6)
I know, Colby and Hamilton have the same record and the Mules won the head-to-head matchup, so how could they possibly be ranked lower? A 48-0 loss to Tufts is how. Colby played a terrible game against the Jumbos and paid the full price. Their defense had absolutely no success against Ryan McDonald and Matt Hersch had his worst game under center since he became the starter. RB Jake Schwern ’19 couldn’t really get anything going to follow his outstanding performance last week against Bates, so it really was an all-around disappointing effort for the Mules. They’ll take on Bowdoin in their final game for a chance to bring home their first CBB title since 2005.
(10) 9. Bowdoin (1-7)
Bowdoin fans celebrate the end of the 24-game losing streak
The Polar Bears finally grabbed their first win in almost 3 calendar years with a 31-14 victory over Bates. It wasn’t very pretty, but behind the strong effort of RB Nate Richam ’20 who finally returned from injury they were able to get it done. Richam ran for 130 yards on 32 carries and found the end zone twice and basically ran the entire offense because QB Austin McCrum ’20 only threw for 93 yards and added two interceptions. The defense actually looked pretty solid for once, albeit against Bates’ second and third string quarterbacks. The Polar Bears have every reason to be excited now given that they, too, have a chance to win their first CBB championship since 2010. They’ll make the short trip up to Waterville on Saturday to try to get things done.
(9) 10. Bates (0-8)
It has been a nightmarish end of the season for the Bobcats. They lost starting quarterback Brendan Costa ’21 to injury against Colby, and backup quarterback Jack Bryant ’22 left the game with an apparent concussion in the third quarter after getting hit with a brutal cheap shot by a Bowdoin defender. Since they only had two quarterbacks on the roster, this left them with WR/DB Kevin Claflin ’19 under center and he understandably struggled to mesh with the offense. Really the only highlight for the Bobcats was that safeties Anthony Costa ’21 and Jon Lindgren ’20 continued their stellar seasons in the secondary, each of them with 7 tackles and Costa adding an interception. It doesn’t look good heading into the final weekend for Bates, but they’ll hope to make something crazy happen when Hamilton comes to town.
