Here it is, your fun blog of the week. While the rest of the NBN crew is busy writing about actual football news, my weekly blog is here to lighten the mood a bit. So, in honor of several team busting out new unis for week 1, I decided to rank the best uniforms in the league. This has been by far the most difficult list to compile because there aren’t any terrible uniforms in today’s NESCAC. The list takes into account a team’s home/away jersey, pants, helmet, and any alternate jerseys that they may sport.
10.) WILLIAMS
(Courtesy of Williams Athletics)(Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
Not a whole lot to hate about the Williams unis, just not a lot to love either. The home purple jerseys are a much better look than the road whites, but the off-color shoulders are just brutal. I feel like the Ephs have had these for a while too…it’s definitely time for a change.
9.) MIDDLEBURY
(Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)(Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics)
Midd is beginning to feel like JaMarcus Russell. They’re a team with so much potential, but I fear that just like JaMarcus Russell, they’re never gonna live up to the hype. Let’s start with the helmets, guys. When people see your headgear, they don’t think “Oh yeah that’s Middlebury!” they think, “Hmm, pretty cool alternates that Michigan is rocking today.” (I’d love to see the Panthers go with a navy helmet, white center stripe, and white “block M”). The jerseys themselves are ok (I actually like the traditional look), but they’re from an off-brand company. I think Middlebury could do wonders as the first Under Armour team in the league. But then again, all it will take is one endorsement deal with Ben & Jerry’s and their problems will be solved.
8.) COLBY
(Courtesy of Colby Athletics)(Courtesy of Colby Athletics)
Colby’s uniforms are alright. I’m a big fan of the striped silver pants and how they complement the silver helmet. The C on their helmets resembles that of the Cincinnati Reds, and is just crisp enough to work. Besides that, they’re pretty plain. Colby is another team that has had these same uniforms for what feels like an eternity. Just like Williams, I think the Mules deserve an upgrade.
7.) BATES
(Courtesy of Bates Athletics)
I sneaky love Bates’ uniforms. For starters, they make a huge statement as the only Adidas sponsored team in the league. With the high cut of the shoulders, the Bates players all give off that gritty blue collar vibe that football players in Maine strive for. The Bobcats have had this same look for years, but unlike Williams and Colby, I think they should roll with it. Bates is truly a smash-mouth team and I think these uniforms fit their persona perfectly.
6.) HAMILTON
(Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)(Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics)
Hamilton got a much needed facelift last season when they upgraded their uniform look. The Continentals new digs really play up the blue and white… and I mean REALLY play them up. It’s almost as if whoever designed these completely forgot that gold is also one of Hamilton’s colors. Regardless, I’m a big fan of the all-white road combination. What hurts Hamilton in the rankings is that at the end of the day, their uniforms are just a little too one-dimensional.
5.) BOWDOIN
(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
Bowdoin was another team that unveiled a brand new set of uniforms last season. The Polar Bears have three jerseys in their arsenal: home black, road white, and a gorgeous looking gray alternate. While the gray is my favorite of their jerseys, it’s only right to acknowledge that the team is making strides in the right direction. The thing that kills Bowdoin is their helmets. I appreciate the fact that they’re no longer trying to be Alabama…
but their big play could be a black helmet with this logo of Patrick the Polar Bear on it.*
*I have no idea what the Bowdoin Polar Bear is named, but Patrick seemed fitting
4.) WESLEYAN
(Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)(Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics)
I always thought to myself, If Wesleyan spent a little less time trying to abolish their fraternities and a little more time on their football uniforms, they could make some things happen.
Well, it looks like someone else had that brilliant idea because Wes just unveiled new unis for the 2016 season. While they’re a near carbon copy of their old uniforms, the Cardinals upgraded from an off-brand sponsor to Nike. Wesleyan is also one of the few teams in the league that goes with a matte helmet, a factor that really boosts their stock.
3.) TUFTS
(Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)(Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)(Courtesy of Zach Thomas)
After last Saturday, the ‘Bos are sporting three different jerseys: home brown, away white, and an absolute fire steel gray alternate. In my opinion, Tufts has the best helmet (love the matte gray and enormous elephant), and best road (white) combination in the league. It’s tough to put the Jumbos at #3 because Tufts is quickly becoming the “Oregon” of the NESCAC, but their fatal flaw is the brown on gray combo that they wear at home. Not an ideal look, fellas.
2.) AMHERST
If we were ranking individual uniforms, this would be a unanimous #1 pick (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
(Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)(Courtesy of Amherst Athletics)
In 2012, Amherst was looking to move away from their apparel sponsorship with Adidas.
The early frontrunner? Polo Ralph Lauren.
I gotta hand it to Amherst – they stayed true to who they are in their search for a new sponsor, but things just don’t always work out like they’re supposed to – school officials unfortunately4 learned that Ralph Lauren did not make football uniforms.
As a result, Amherst was forced to settle for a deal with Nike. While they weren’t the initial choice, Nike has done a tremendous job with the Amherst uniforms. The team has an endless array of options when they take the field including a black alternate, my pick for the leagues best individual jersey. You can’t go wrong with the Globo Gym-esque color scheme either. All in all, the Amherst unies are tremendous.
1.) TRINITY
(Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)(Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)(Courtesy of Trinity Athletics)
Trinity…. It was a close race but for the second week in a row, the bantams finish at the top of my list. This is due in large part to the awesome three jersey combinations they go with and the fact that trinity dons last names on the backs of their jerseys. To top it off, the bantams opened the 2016 season with a banana-land move by adding a second helmet into their repertoire, a sleek white alternate helmet. Trinity has really been throwing down the gauntlet lately in terms of style and I’m eager to see what the uniform arms race has in store for the near future.
If you put money on “Amherst, Middlebury and Trinity all looking the best after Week One,” then your gambling problem should be considerably more exciting this week. You think Tony Soprano was putting money on sure things like that? Get sexier with your addiction.. Form held true for the NESCAC in Week One, with the usual suspects staying on top and any surprises coming from the bottom tier of the league. If you think that doesn’t make for a thrilling weekend of football, you’d be right. The games this weekend were what my grandpa used to call “beat-the-traffic” games, with the highly notable exception of Wesleyan-Tufts. However, they were still NESCAC football games, which make them beautiful. Here’s where the teams stand after Week One.
1: Amherst
Winning your 20th game in a row 34-0 is a pretty good recipe for topping the power rankings. If the Foy injury and graduation of several senior leaders was going to limit the Artists Formerly Known as the Lord Jeffs, it didn’t show on Saturday against Hamilton. Interim QB Alex Berluti ’17 played his Peyton Manning-esque “Just Don’t Screw Up” role perfectly, throwing for 182 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers. The rest of the offense was taken care of by Jack Hickey, who did the impossible and made Rory Ziomak look smart, despite Rory leaving him out of the POY race a couple weeks ago. The preseason POY candidate had three touchdowns on 67 yards, a number that would have been higher had the game been closer. The defense pitched a shutout, and the trend of the last few years held true: Amherst is the top dog.
2: Middlebury
“Screw you Pete, you’re biased because Middlebury football players babysat you until you were 10!” There, you guys got that out of your system? Good, because the Panthers had the most impressive performance of the week, just destroying Bowdoin at home 40-3. They also had the most impressive individual performance of the week, with quarterback Jared Lebowitz putting up a cool 369 yards and 6 touchdowns (5 passing, one rushing.) The progression from McKillop to Foote to Milano has proven that when the Panthers have a star quarterback, their offense is deadly, and it sure looks like they’ve got another one. It should be mentioned, however, that Middlebury’s kicking position looks to be up for grabs (three blocked kicks!) so if any readers are looking to get their Mark Wahlburg in Invincible on, there’s your shot.
Open tryouts for the Panthers kicking duties will be held outside the student center at 4:40
3: Trinity
As well as Lebowitz and the Panthers did through the air, Trinity may have done better on the ground. The Bantams put up 294 rushing yards, with the dynamic sophomore duo of Max Chipouras ’19 and Lucas Golon ’19 putting up 270 on their own. Quarterback (and tertiary character in Goodfellas) Sonny Puzzo ’18 was also excellent, picking up three touchdowns and 182 passing yards. Trinity’s domination of Bates solidifies the top three of NESCAC, with the same teams that have been duking it out for so long staying on track. Parity has never been NESCAC football’s strong suit, and as of now, 2016 is no different.
4: Tufts
Tufts and Wesleyan have the unenviable distinction of being the only two teams that are in contention for league honors to open the season by playing a contending team. However, they also had the noble distinction of being the best game of the weekend. The Jumbos looked dead in the water at halftime, trailing 14-3. But Chance Brady put the team on his back a la Greg Jennings in the second half, tallying 151 yards on 22 carries, including the game winning 31 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Tufts lost the possession battle and the total yardage battle, but the ability to gut out a gritty win against a good team is a crucial skill in NESCAC play.
Brady was able to overcome once having to wear these awful uniforms to carry his team to victory…with a BROKEN LEG THOUGH.
5: Wesleyan
The Cardinals suffered a very disappointing loss to open the season. I’m sure many Wesleyan fans, players, parents and significant others feel like they should have won that game. However, it was a good game in which the Cardinals played very well at times, and had some predictable early season lapses, which Tufts capitalized on. And Chance Brady is a force of nature, so all told there is still hope for the Cardinals this season, once other contenders play more competitive opponents.
6: Colby
The Mules pulled out an ugly road win in Williamstown on Saturday, beating the Ephs 9-7 on a game-winning field goal with :4 seconds left. This game arguably shows more about how far Williams has fallen than how much Colby has risen, but they showcased a tough defense, an excellent running back in Jabari Hurdle-Price, and excellent special teams (despite a missed PAT), something even the top teams in NESCAC often lack.
7: Hamilton
When a lamb gets eaten by a wolf, we don’t put the lamb lower in the lamb power rankings, we raise the wolf higher. That’s what happened to Hamilton this weekend; they stumbled into a den of wolves and couldn’t escape. However, of all the teams that got blown out this weekend, Hamilton has the most positive outlook going forward, due to their strong finish in 2015.
8: Bates
While Trinity obviously finished the game on a dominant run, the score at the end of the first quarter in Hartford was 7-3 Bobcats. Quarterback Sandy Plashkes ’19 flashed some serious wheels with a 57-yard run and a rushing touchdown. This is not to say that Bates played well in this game, but it is to say that they played better than Bowdoin, and sometimes it is those moral victories that count.
9: Williams
We knew it would be a rebuilding year for Williams in head coach Mark Raymond’s first season. However, we didn’t know quite how much rebuilding they’d have to do. Well, we know now. Williams’ offense struggled mightily against Colby (1-7 last season, for perspective), committing four turnovers that undid a fairly dangerous rushing attack led by the combo of Noah Sorrento and Connor Harris. The Ephs had some bright spots on Saturday, but they were few and far between.
10: Bowdoin
2-6 last season, Bowdoin lost several starters to graduation and several others to a plagiarism scandal. That is not exactly a winning combination, and Bowdoin started 2016 by getting demolished by the Panthers, who were something of an unknown themselves coming in. Bowdoin could still turn it around, however. We’ve seen it in Major League, The Longest Yard, and The Bad New Bears. They’ll need a lot more chemistry, and definitely a really cool lead like Charlie Sheen or Burt Reynolds, but stranger things have happened.
If Joyce Byers can stay strong while her son is kidnapped in a shadow realm, Bowdoin can get a win or two this season.
Caroline Kelleher ’18 had a hat tricker against Hamilton this weekend to help extend the #22 Camels’ win streak to 7 games (Courtesy of Conn College Athletics).
Editor’s Note: The NESCAC Women’s Soccer Week In Review is a new feature that we are going to be rolling out this fall. We feel strongly that women’s sports in the NESCAC should also be covered, but unfortunately due to our current resources, we can’t cover them to the extent that we wish we could. We are going to be putting out a weekly article with updates on NESCAC Women’s Soccer action, however staff size is going to limit us to just one article each week for now. That being said, if you have ANY interest in writing (about Women’s Soccer or any of the other sports we cover) or contributing in some way, please send us an email at nothingbutnescac@gmail.com so that we can expand our coverage! For now, enjoy this week’s women’s soccer update!
Hey guess what! Nothing but NESCAC is expanding! Starting with this article, we’ll begin providing weekly updates on all the goings on in NESCAC women’s soccer. I’m Liam Naughton, an accomplished FIFA player and 3rd grade travel soccer MVP, but enough about me. Let’s dive into this past week. Wednesday, September 21st
Wesleyan @ Tufts, Final Score: 0-0 tie
A mid-week matchup between the Jumbos and the Cardinals ended in a grueling 0-0 draw after two overtimes. Tufts held a decisive shot advantage testing the Wesleyan defense 17 times, while the visitors only managed to spray 8 shots towards Tufts’ net. Of course, the best opportunity of the game came in the 99th minute for Wesleyan when Tufts’ goal keeper Emily Bowers ’19 was forced to make a diving save off a shot from Sarah Sylla ’17 of Wesleyan. After a slow first half in which the Jumbos were stifled by Wesleyan’s intense pressure, Tufts took control more in the second half, but just weren’t able to convert any of their chances into goals. Tufts, who so far have not lost in NESCAC competition will look to build off this game in the coming weeks.
Castleton @ Middlebury, Final Score: 3-1 Middlebury
Conn College @ Coast Guard, Final Score: 2-0 Conn College
Thursday, September 22nd
Emerson @ Trinity, Final Score: 0-3 Trinity
Saturday, September 24th
Bowdoin @ Middlebury, Final Score: 1-0 Bowdoin The Bowdoin Polar Bears visited the Middlebury Panthers this past weekend and escaped with a hard fought 1-0 win. Middlebury’s aggressive and potent offense (averaging over 2 goals a game this season) was unable to beat Bowdoin goalie Rachel Stout ’18. Adrianna Gildner ’17 provided two of Middlebury’s best opportunities, attempting a bicycle kick early in the first half that flew by the post, and testing Stout on a free kick late in the first half. Despite Gildner’s efforts, it was Bowdoin’s Anna Mellman ’17 who slotted home the game’s only goal, beating Panther goalie Ursula Alwang ’20 with a cracking shot from nearly 35 yards away. Connecticut College @ Hamilton, Final Score: 3-0 Conn College
Conn College ran over Hamilton in this early season match, besting the host Continentals by a score of 3-0. The Camels (ranked 22nd nationally) relied on the foot of junior midfielder Caroline Kelleher ’18 who scored 3 goals in the match. Conn College began attacking early, Kelleher notching her first goal 5 minutes into the match and her second 13 minutes later. Kelleher then scored her third goal 5 minutes into the second half, demonstrating her dominance. Hamilton forward Amanda Becker ’18 tested Conn College goalie Bryanna Montalvo ’17 twice, but neither she nor any of her teammates were able to best the senior goalie. Wesleyan @ Bates, Final Score: 2-2 tie
The Bobcats scored two goals in quick succession in the second half to force a draw between themselves and the visiting Wesleyan Cardinals. Wesleyan had jumped out to an early lead behind a penalty kick from Nicole Brodkowitz ’20 after only 11 minutes of action. Wesleyan further extended their lead after Sarah Sylla ’17 scored 10 minutes into the second half. Bates scored consecutive goals in the 83rd and 84th minutes. First, Olivia Amdur ’19 rifled a shot by Wesleyan keeper Zoe Cassels-Brown ’20. Amdur was assisted on her goal Hannah Behringer ’18 who scored herself a minute later off a well worked set piece. Colby @ Trinity, Final Score: 1-3 Trinity
Trinity scored early and often and cruised past the visiting Colby Mules 3-1. The Bantams flashed a balanced scoring attack, getting goals from Taylor Kirchgessner ’19, Laura Nee ’17, and Sarah Connors ’18 in the 13th, 27th, and 33rd minutes respectively. Colby seemed to be on their backfoot for most of the game, mustering only 5 total shots on target. Only one shot managed to find the back of the net for the Mules as Emily Martin ’18 scored off of an assist from Laura Arnold ’18 two minutes into the second half. Williams @ Amherst, 1-1 tie
In the 2nd double overtime game of the weekend, Williams and Amherst drew 1-1. Williams, who has not lost yet this season, fell behind early after Amherst scored on a beautiful run and finish by Hannah Guzzi ’18. Williams refused to go down easily, constantly pressuring Amherst’s defense to the tune of 22 shots and sheer domination in terms of possession. Only one shot managed to beat Amherst keeper Chelsea Cutler ’19 though, which came via the foot of Williams’ Kristina Alvarado ’18. Alvarado managed to score on a quality finish after an errant clearance by the Amherst backline. After a scoreless two periods of overtime, the match ended in a draw.
Brandeis @ Tufts, Final Score: 1-1 tie Sunday, September 25th
Middlebury @ Hamilton, Final Score: 1-0 Middlebury
Middlebury rebounded from their difficult defeat Saturday to beat Hamilton 1-0. Middlebury was on the attack for most of the game, attempting 14 shots and winning 6 corner kicks. But Hamilton’s back line would bend but refused to break, until less than 10 minutes remained in regulation. Katherine Hobbs ’17 continued her season of great form scoring her fourth goal of the season. After winning possession off a corner kick, Hobbs quickly finished the shot and secured Middlebury’s second win in the conference this season. Colby @ Connecticut College, 0-3 Conn College
Conn College continued their weekend of domination, defeating the Colby mules by a score of 3-0. Colby remained winless in the conference falling to 0-4 and played on their back foot for most of the game. The low point of the game certainly came when Colby scored an own goal after a well placed cross from Alex Baltazar ’19. Conn College has yet to lose in the conference this season and looked utterly dominant throughout the weekend, scoring 6 goals and allowing 0. Michelle Medina ’18 and Livi Block ’18 scored the remaining goals for the Camels, beating Colby keeper Samantha Rizzo ’19, who put up a valiant fight in a losing effort, saving 7 shots. Williams @ Bates, 2-0 Williams
Williams bounced back from their draw with Amherst to defeat the hosting Bates Bobcats 2-0. Alison Lu ’20 scored her 5th goal of the season, using her head to control a pass from Kristin Kirshe ’17 and then driving the shot past the keeper. Kirshe added her own goal in the second half, beating Bobcats’ goalie Sarah McCarthy ’18 off a pass from Lu. Williams remains undefeated in the conference improving to 4-0-1, while Bates remained winless at 0-4-1. All eyes will be on Williams next weekend when they meet fellow unbeaten Conn College in New London, Connecticut.
Farmingdale State @ Amherst, Final Score: 1-3 Amherst Player of the Week
This weeks player of the week goes to Conn College’s Caroline Kelleher ’18. The junior from Holden, Massachusetts scored all three of her teams goals against Hamilton and led the Camels to their 3-0 victory. These were Kelleher’s first three goals of the season, but her coaches surely hope that this is a sign of things to come, as another threat would do nothing but elevate Conn College’s already deadly attacking play.
Amherst dominated this weekend, proving why their win streak has run to 20 games (Courtesy of Bates Athletics/Phyllis Graber Jensen)
Week 1 of 2016 was exactly what we’ve all been waiting for since the NESCAC football season ended last November. We had a couple blowouts in favor of familiar faces (Amherst, Middlebury, Trinity), and a couple of games that went right down to the wire. The Colby-Williams game was crazy, but not in a pretty way. This was a low-scoring, offensive battle…AKA, it was a battle to see who could have a worse day offensively. Luckily, it ended on a high note, as Colby needed their final drive to take the lead with under a minute left (read below for more details on the ending). Over in Somerville, MA, on the other hand, fans witnessed a battle between two great teams. It involved some terrific defensive plays, a 4th quarter comeback, and a whole lot of excitement as the Jumbos stormed back to win in front of their fans at the first home night game in Tufts football history. Below is our first stock report of the year – check it out to see whose stock rose and whose plummeted over the first weekend of the season.
Stock Up
Running Back Jack Hickey ‘19 (Amherst): If it wasn’t already certain, Hickey solidified himself as the goal line back for Coach Mills’ offense this weekend, punching in 3 touchdowns in Amherst’s absolute (yet unsurprising) domination of Hamilton this weekend. The 6’1” 218 pound sophomore fits the bill perfectly for short yardage situations, and he will certainly continue to get touches as Amherst nears the goal line. Hickey ended up with 67 yards on 18 rushes, but if it wasn’t a blowout these numbers might have been MUCH higher.
Linebacker Greg Holt ‘20 (Tufts): Holt surged onto the scene in the Saturday nightcap with a game-high 14 tackles. The freshman showed us that he is not going to gradually get his feet wet in college ball, he is going to dive headfirst into the action. It seemed like Holt was everywhere on Saturday, and if he keeps up that level of play along with fellow Jumbo linebacker Steve DiCienzo ‘18 (another Tufts linebacker who had 11 tackles of his own), the Powder Blue and Brown defense will be a nightmare for their opponents.
Quarterback Jared Lebowitz ‘18 (Middlebury): In the biggest blowout of the weekend, Lebowitz threw 5 touchdown passes and added a rushing touchdown to go along with them, accounting for all 6 of Middlebury’s touchdowns against the Polar Bears. There were some questions about whether the Middlebury aerial attack could be maintained after the departure of Matt Milano ‘16, but Lebowitz has silenced the doubters. Bowdoin is obviously in the lower tier of the conference, but still a strong showing from Coach Ritter’s gunslinger, who tallied 369 yards on the day.
Kicker John Baron ’18 (Colby): The Mules needed Baron to come up clutch on Saturday as he lined up for the game-deciding field goal with just seconds left against Williams. After a failed 2-point conversation earlier in the game, Colby was down one during the final possession. If Baron makes the kick they win, if he misses they lose. Last year Baron missed an extra point against Bates which ended up being the difference in the game (10-9), but this week’s NESCAC Special Teams player of the week has clearly wiped that from his memory. Two words: cash money.
Stock Down
Hamilton Offense: It goes without saying that the Amherst defense played a heck of a game on Saturday, but seriously, Hamilton, 168 yards of total offense? 6 rushing yards on 18 attempts?? You can’t combine these numbers with a -3 turnover differential and expect to win football games. Film, film, and more film is in store for the Continentals.
NESCAC Ball Boys: There were five fumbles in each of the Bates-Trinity, Colby-Williams, and Wesleyan-Trinity games on Saturday. FIVE. Interestingly enough, Trinity had more fumbles than Bates (Trinity-3, Bates-2), but it didn’t hurt them as the Bantams won handily, 38-7. However, both Wesleyan and Williams had more fumbles than their opponents, likely leading to each of their downfalls. Either the teams were a bit too accustomed to no-contact practices or the PSI was far too high in the game balls…you be the judge. All I know is that these coaching staffs are going to be extra hard on their ball carriers in practice this week.
Wesleyan’s Killer Instinct: The Jumbos looked pretty horrible for three quarters, but they hung around because Wesleyan just couldn’t put them away. After a touchdown with 6:50 to go in the 2nd quarter, Wesleyan seemed to hold a pretty commanding 14-3 lead. Things just looked and felt like a blowout waiting to happen. But the Tufts defense kept them in the game until the 4th quarter rolled around, and boom, a Cardinals missed field goal was followed up by a 33 yard run by Chance Brady ‘17, which set the stage for a 39 yard pass to Mike Rando ‘17 a couple plays later. From that point on, the Jumbos had the momentum, and it felt like Wesleyan was just trying to hold them off as opposed to continuing their attack.
Williams hopes to start the season off on a high note tomorrow against Colby (Courtesy of Williams Athletics).
Editors’ Note: Sid Warrenbrand, a junior at Tufts, comes from Sudbury, MA and is new on the staff for NBN. Some of his hobbies include star gazing and reading non-fiction autobiographies. Sids enthusiasm for sports and writing will surely shine in his writing. Stay tuned.
Projected Record: 2–6
Projected Starters: 11(4 offense, 7 defense)
Offense (*5 Returners)
QB: John Gannon RB: Noah Sorrento ’19*/Connor Harris ’18 FB: Tom Cifrino ’17* WR: TBD WR: TBD WR: Adam Regensburg ’18* TE: John Dillon LT: TBD LG: TBD C: Ben Wertz ’17* RG: Eric Davis ’17* RT: TBD
Defense (*Five Returners)
DE: Sam Gowen ’18 DT: Chris Hattar ’18 DT: Ellis Eaton ’18 DE: TBD MLB: TBD OLB: Russell Monyette ’17 OLB: Michael Berry ’18 CB: Taysean Scott ’17* CB: Mike Davis ’17* SS: Alex Brandeis ’17 FS: Kevin Walsh ’17
Special Teams (*Two Returners)
PK/P: Bobby Webster ’18* KR/PR: Christian Dumont ’19*/Eric Smith ’19
Offensive MVP: Head Coach- Mark Raymond
I know this may be a ridiculous claim considering Coach Raymond is not a player-coach, but bear with me. In his final season at St. Lawrence, Mark Raymond coached an offense that averaged just under 30 points a game. Last season, Williams had an incredibly difficult time putting points on the board, scoring just under 13 points a game. With a new sheriff in town, expect Williams to execute a newly implemented offensive gameplay that will explode for 20-plus points from time to time.
Defensive MVP: DB Alex Brandeis ’17
Brandeis is coming off a successful junior campaign where he led the Ephs in tackles (54) while also forcing a fumble. In Williams’ final game of 2015 against the eventual NESCAC Champs, Amherst, Brandeis had 10 tackles to top off his great season. To have success on defense, Brandeis will need to put up even bigger numbers and work to force turnovers. Williams needs Brandeis to keep playing at this high level in order to grow as a football program.
Biggest Game: Williams vs. Colby 9/24
Normally I would choose Amherst with their season finale and the Biggest Little Game in America between the Ephs and the L**d J***s, but with a new coach in town, week one will set the tone for the entire season. Fans all over Williamstown are anticipating that Coach Mark Raymond will continue where he left off at St. Lawrence and opening up against Colby is pretty much a layup for Raymond. But things are never easy in the first game with a new coach. If Williams pulls off a large margin victory, expect week 2 at home against Trinity to be a highly anticipated matchup in the NESCAC. If it’s close or if Williams loses, it may just be foreshadowing that Coach Raymond will need a bit more time to turn Williams back into the NESCAC powerhouse it once was.
Best Tweet:
What an electric quote and fire flames picture coming from Williams’ Twitter. While this tweet gets all fans excited for the Ephs upcoming season, it also shows that there is pressure on them to succeed with a new coach in town.
The biggest question in Williamstown is who will be the new quarterback for the Ephs in 2016. Having a consistent, mistake-free quarterback will allow the Ephs to grow as a program especially since all of the candidates are young. They have solid experience on the offensive line with Ben Wertz ’17 and Eric Davis ’17. Both provide experience and mentorship to the young lineman that will fill in this season. In 2015, Williams had success with running backs Noah Sorrento ’19 and Connor Harris ’18 splitting time in the back field. Williams graduated their 4 leading receivers and will desperately need an underclassmen or two to fill their void. Adam Regensburg ’18 caught 12 passes in 2015 and will be looked as a crucial wide receiver for Williams.
Defensively for the Ephs there is more stability although there remain some question marks in the linebacker and secondary positions. Brandeis led the Ephs in tackles in 2015 and will be back in his senior campaign looking to solidify the defense. Amyhr Barber ’19 and Desmond Butler ’19 saw plenty of opportunities in 2015 as freshmen. They will also have a major role in the Ephs secondary. Linebacker Michael Berry ’18 returns after a great sophomore season and he is joined by senior Russell Monyette who also had a great season playing in all 8 games. Sam Gowen ’18 and Christopher Hattar ’18 played every game last season up front and look to lead a young defensive line who graduated two good seniors in 2015. Junior Bobby Webster will continue his role as the kicker/punter in 2016. He attempted only 5 field goals in 2015 and was 9/12 on point after tries.
As you can tell by the disjointed nature of this preview, the Ephs have a tremendous amount of uncertainty heading into this season. But one man’s uncertainty is another man’s intrigue, and a fresh start might be just what Williams needs to climb back into contention. Saturday’s opener against Colby will be a (purple and) golden opportunity to start the new era of Williams Football off right.
The Bowdoin Polar Bears and the rest of the NESCAC are pumped for opening day (CI Photography)
It’s finally here: opening day in the NESCAC. We’ve been waiting all fall for this, bored silly by the yawn-inducing NFL and Division 1 games. Below is what you should be looking forward to in Week 1. Three different writers contributed to these previews: Rory Ziomek took the Bates-Trinity and Colby-Williams games; Pete Lindholm took the Hamilton-Amherst and Middlebury-Bowdoin games; finally, Robert Treiber wrote the preview for the game of the week, Wesleyan-Tufts. Enjoy!
Bates vs. Trinity – Hartford, CT, 1:00PM
Well, the Alabamas and Ohio States of the world start their seasons with cupcake games, so why can’t Trinity do the same? Strictly based on matchups, this game shouldn’t even be close, especially if you consider that Trinity has the homefield advantage. Sonny Puzzo ‘18 returns to the Bantams boasting the highest passing yards total in 2015 out of returning players. Additionally, returning ROY Max Chipouras ‘19 is back from Trinity after leading the NESCAC in rushing touchdowns. These guys are weapons, but it’s not Coach Devanney’s offense that will make this a rout, it’s the combination of a subpar Bates offense and a stingy Trinity defense. Bates had the second lowest YPG total last year with 289.5 YPG. The Trinity defense, on the other hand, led the league by allowing only 253.3 YPG last season. Count the fact that Trinity has five returning defensive backs and eight total returning starters on D, and this game has the makings of a blowout. Bates runs the triple option, so their only chance is to get ahead early. If they can get out to an early lead, Bates can keep pounding the ball on the ground instead of being forced to pass. Frankly, I just don’t see this happening. This should be a good warm up game for Trinity.
Score Prediction: Bates – 7, Trinity – 24
Side note: Trinity is playing in honor of those struggling with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. If you are able, please consider making a donation!
On one hand, Colby has the advantage of consistency that Williams lacks given their coaching change this offseason. On the other hand, that consistency hasn’t been much of an advantage for the Mules in years past, going 10-22 since Coach Michaeles took over as head coach in 2012. Mark Raymond took over for the Ephs after a very successful stint at St. Lawrence where he helped turn the Saints into one of the top programs in the Northeast, receiving both regional and national rankings throughout last season. Williams really struggled to score last year, primarily due to their mediocre running game, but the Ephs thrived passing the ball, ranking third in passing YPG. Williams’ main problem, however, was finishing off drives. Luckily for Coach Raymond, Colby is the only team that scored less than Williams last year, probably because of their heavy reliance on Jabari Hurdle-Price ‘17. Hurdle-Price ranked second in rushing YPG last year, and had the most carries in the league, clearly showing Colby’s dedication to the running game. If Williams can shut down Hurdle-Price, or at least contain him and force Colby to throw the ball, I think the Ephs will pull this one out. However, if Hurdle-Price can find room to work, the Mules may sneak away with a huge W to start the year.
Score Prediction: Colby – 14, Williams 17
Amherst vs. Hamilton- Amherst, MA, 1:00 PM
You know why David versus Goliath is such a famous story? Because ninety-nine times out of a hundred, Goliath uses David as a toothpick. This won’t be that one upset. Amherst comes into this one with a nineteen game winning streak and (as anyone there will you loudly, aggressively and several times within a five minute conversation) three straight league championships. Hamilton, on the other hand, finished 2-6 last year and it was their best record in five years. That’s not to say the Continentals didn’t make progress last season. They had a solid defense led by dangerous defensive linemen Brent Lobien ‘17 and Nick Sobcyzk ‘17, who both lived in opponents’ backfields in 2015. They had this success despite spending a lot of time on the field due to Hamilton’s massive struggles on offensive. They averaged only 15 points per game, with quarterback play being the biggest culprit. Hamilton quarterbacks combined for a completion percentage under 50%.
Amherst’s quarterback situation is somewhat in flux as well. Reece Foy ‘18 was poised to be a POY candidate this season before injuring his knee in pre-season. Alex Berluti ‘17 is ready to step in, but Foy’s injury certainly takes the wind out of the Purple and White’s sails. This is the year that Amherst is vulnerable. However, Hamilton won’t be the US Hockey Team to Amherst’s Soviet Union. At least for this weekend, the Evil Empire marches on.
Score Prediction: Amherst – 31, Hamilton – 10
Middlebury vs. Bowdoin – Middlebury, VT, 1:00 PM
The Panthers will benefit this week from playing at home, where the fearless managing editor of NBN will be cheering them on. They will also benefit from playing Bowdoin, who finished last season at 1-7 and lost several key pieces for unusual reasons, including running back Tyler Grant due to a chronic injury and several other players due to a plagiarism scandal. Bowdoin’s major struggles last season were on the offensive end, particularly in establishing a running game. The Polar Bears averaged a paltry 2.2 yards per carry, making it impossible for the passing game to get any momentum. Freshman back Nate Richem will look to change that, but the constantly contending Panthers are a tough place to start.
The Panthers will be looking to see if UNLV transfer QB Jared Lebowitz can continue in the long line of stellar Panther signal-callers. But it’s the defense, led by standout seniors linebacker Addison Pierce and defensive back Nate Leedy, that should ice the Polar Bears on Saturday. Bowdoin will need an MLA Citation Dictionary and a lot of luck to pull off the upset, and clearly they don’t have access to either.
Score Prediction: Middlebury – 24, Bowdoin – 13
GAME OF THE WEEK: Wesleyan vs. Tufts – Somerville, MA, 6:00 PM
Saturday, September 24th marks the first time the Tufts football team will host a night game. It will be a rematch of the first ever NESCAC night football game between the Jumbos and the Wesleyan Cardinals that happened just two years ago when the two met at Andrus Field (Wesleyan). In that matchup, the Cardinals showed no mercy defeating the Jumbos 52-9. As sophomores in that game, Chance Brady ‘17 averaged 11 yards per carry and Mike Rando ‘17 averaged 21+ yards on 8 returns. On defense, Mike Stearns ‘17 was second on the team with 8 tackles. The Jumbos ended the season 0-8 that year, but are certainly turning things around as a program and have had this date circled on the calendar since last season ended with a win against Middlebury.
Saturday’s game is reminiscent of the first Monday night football game between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns in 1970. Over 80,000 fans were in attendance to witness the Browns defeat Joe Namath and the Jets 31-21. Monday Night Football has become an integral part of the culture surrounding football. It has had a key role in developing the viewer experience.
It is also interesting to note that the Ivy League seems to be pushing for night games as well. Yale will be hosting its first ever night game against Penn on October 23rd. Maybe the NESCAC is following suit?
This Saturday’s game is expected to be an experience within itself. There will be a Pop Warner game on the field in the earlier afternoon. Students, parents and alumni from both sides are expected to come from all over to watch the game. The Jumbos are hoping to continue to build on last year’s impressive season, while Wesleyan hopes for the same results as the last time the two met under the lights.
The game should feature a heavy focus on each side’s ground attack. Wesleyan will pound the ball on the ground to Jaylen Berry ‘18, while Brady will get the majority of the touches for the Jumbos on offense. Wesleyan was right in the middle of the pack last year in terms of their rush defense, but if they can shut down Brady and force Tufts away from their comfort zone, they will have a great shot to win this game. What makes Tufts so difficult to stop, however, is the way they mix their rushing attack with their plethora of screen passes, primarily to Rando. I expect Coach DiCenzo to have planned for this, and I am anticipating that Wesleyan’s star safety Justin Sanchez ‘17 will be ready to step up to stop these plays before they even have a chance to get going. If Tufts is going to win, they are going to need to mix in a couple deep throws. Even if they fall incomplete, just negating Wesleyan’s ability to pack in six or seven guys in the box will pay huge dividends for the Coach Civetti’s squad. I think they can do this, allowing Tufts to escape with a 3-point win via the foot of All-NESCAC kicker Willie Holmquist ‘17.
Saturday is game day in the NESCAC so we decided to rank the league’s best places to play. The list takes into account each school’s stadium, fan attendance, and the overall ambiance of their game day experience.
#10: Bowdoin
Stadium: Whittier Field
Avg. 2015 Attendance: 1,928
(Courtesy of Bowdoin Athletics)
Hate to do it to the Polar Bears but there aren’t too many perks for playing at Bowdoin. For starters, Whittier Field, with its natural grass playing surface, is just brutal. Any precipitation turns the field to a mud pit. In terms of attendance, Bowdoin is about the league average. That being said, Whittier Field crowds are pretty hushed and there always seems to be this bleak feel to games. Bowdoin’s best attribute is a path through the woods that leads onto the field. The walk through the forest is very cool and “Maine-like”, but it’s not enough to rescue Bowdoin from the cellar.
#9: Colby
Stadium: Seaverns Field at Harold Alfond Stadium
Avg. 2015 Attendance: 1,450
(Courtesy of Colby Athletics)
Colby renovated their complex in 2009, installing a turf field, lights, and an up-to-date press box. Harold Alfond Stadium is beautiful, but the stadium is not the issue. Game days in Waterville, Maine are pretty lifeless as Colby is last in attendance. If the Mules start winning games and generating buzz, there’s no reason they can’t move up on this list.
#8: Tufts
Stadium: Zimman Field at Ellis Oval
Avg. 2015 Attendance: 3,650
(Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
Game days at Tufts are a total enigma. On one hand, I’m gonna come out and say that the Jumbos home field is the worst complex in the league. Ellis Oval looks like a run of the mill high school field. The bleachers are rusted, the press box is outdated, and the natural grass surface would make a Pop Warner team blush with shame. But once you get past the inefficiencies, you realize that what Tufts lacks in facilities, they make up for in atmosphere. Since breaking a 31-game losing streak in 2014, the Jumbos have led the NESCAC in attendance. And when you have a crowd that blends a bunch of smart kids with local Massholes, things can get pretty loud. Tufts hosts Wesleyan this Saturday in the school’s first ever night game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them break 7,000 in attendance.
#7: Wesleyan
Stadium: Corwin Stadium at Andrus Field
Avg. 2015 Attendance: 2,574
(Courtesy of D3Football)
Andrus Field is a little hippie and free spirited, but then again, so is Wesleyan. Home to Wesleyan football since the early 1880s, Andrus Field is the “oldest continuously used collegiate football field in the United States.” No, the playing surface isn’t great and temporary bleachers have to be installed each Fall, but the Cardinals rank 3rd in home attendance and their crowds are sneaky rowdy. The best thing about Andrus Field is that it’s literally right in the center of campus. So even if you hate football, there’s no escaping game day at Wes.
(Side note: Andrus Field is also home to the Cardinals baseball team, which makes Wesleyan the most economically savvy school in the NESCAC.)
#5: Bates
Stadium: Garcelon Field
Avg. 2015 Attendance: 1,739
(Courtesy of Bates Athletics)
Bates College feels more like an elite New England prep school than a college. The campus is absolutely beautiful in the fall and Garcelon Field fits right into that landscape. In 2010, the school installed field turf, lights, and a new press box giving the stadium a much needed facelift. When you couple Bates’ charming stadium and with fall perfect fall weather of Lewiston, you’ve got the NESCAC’s fifth best place to play.
#5: Hamilton
Stadium: Steuben Field
Avg. 2015 Attendance: 1,479
(Courtesy of Hamilton College)
Just like Bates, Hamilton College (Clinton, NY), has a bit of a prep school flair to it. Also just like Bates, Hamilton has a cozy stadium that fits its campus perfectly. Steuben Field is outfitted with a field turf and a nifty little grandstand. Now, while the Continentals drew only 1,479 fans per game in 2015, consider this: there can’t be more than like 4,000* people in the entire town of Clinton if you include Hamilton students. That means nearly half the town’s population is showing up for game days. With that in mind, we can safely say that there is no fan base more devoted to their team than Hamilton’s.
*population sizes are up for discussion
#4: Middlebury
Stadium: Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium
Avg. 2015 Attendance: 2,413
(Courtesy of Middlebury Football).
If you’re the outdoorsy granola type, Middlebury is your prime game day destination. For starters, there is no greater landscape in the NESCAC than the one adjacent to Alumni Stadium. Middlebury’s home turf is nestled in the Vermont countryside and gives everyone in attendance a gorgeous view of the Green Mountains. The complex is bowl shaped, giving fans the choice to watch the game either from the grandstand, or the surrounding hills. The Panthers draw a solid crowd, but as nice as Mid’s stadium is, school officials are still leaving so much on the table. Ben & Jerry’s is in your backyard guys, let’s wake up and strike a deal here.
#3: Amherst
Stadium: Pratt Field
Avg. 2015 Attendance: 1,467
(Courtesy of Bowie Gridley Architects)
Game days at Amherst College look like a J.Crew convention with a little football sprinkled in. In all seriousness, credit Amherst with igniting the facilities arms race that is upon us. In 2013, a revamped Pratt Field was unveiled to the public and immediately set the standard for modern day NESCAC football stadiums. Everything from the raised stadium seating to the field house perched on top of the hill is perfect. While Amherst fans had the second worst showing last season, it’s important to note that attendance was under 1,000 for the first two games (Bowdoin and Middlebury) and over 2,000 the last two (Wesleyan and Trinity). Their message is clear: we’ll show up for the games that matter.
#2: Williams
Stadium: Weston Field
Avg. 2015: Attendance: 1,665
(Courtesy of Williams Athletics)
“If we’re not gonna beat Amherst anytime soon, we might as well build a better stadium than theirs.” Folks, that is the exact* mantra behind the creation of Weston Field. This place is to the NESCAC what the Rose Bowl is to the PAC-12. There’s not much else to say other than Weston Field is stunning. I know the team is not great. I know their attendance is down. It doesn’t matter. This place is just too nice.
*read: highly debatable
#1: Trinity
Stadium: Jesse/ Miller Field (AKA “The Coop”)
Avg. 2015: Attendance: 2,941
(Courtesy of D3Football)
Throughout this list, some schools have relied heavily on their atmosphere, while others have been lauded for their superior facilities. We haven’t really seen a school with a great stadium and an electric fan base…until now. For starters, “The Coop” just underwent renovations and recently installed new field turf and a jumbotron.
A jumbotron…in the NESCAC…let’s let that one sink in a little.
In terms of atmosphere, the bleachers are extremely close to the playing field. This is actually great for the thousands of riled up Trinity student screaming insults from the stands. The Bantams have the most ruthless fan base in the league and when you pair that electric atmosphere with some pretty outstanding stadium upgrades, it’s no wonder that Jesse/Miller Field is the #1 place to play in the NESCAC.
Amherst is primed and ready to take the crown back to Amherst again, but that will be no easy task after some big losses, including injured quarterback Reece Foy (Courtesy of Amherst Athletics).
Editor’s note: Liam O’Neil is one of our newest writers, and he will be taking on one of our newer features, a weekly “Top 10.” Liam hails from southern Connecticut and has loads of home state pride, which I anticipate will show in his writing. Enjoy Liam’s first article for NBN.
With the 2016-2017 NESCAC football season quickly approaching, it’s time to take a look at which games you should have circled on your calendar. Like most years, the landscape of the NESCAC should remain the same with perennial powers Amherst and Trinity as the overwhelming favorites to win the league. Tufts and Wesleyan are both dark horse contenders and Middlebury should round out the top 5. From there, there is a steep drop in quality teams which further promotes the notion that in relation to football, the ‘CAC is a league of two tiers. Anyhow, whether or not they are played for championship ramifications, tradition, or just plain bragging rights, here are the top 10 games to watch for the 2016-2017 season.
#10) Bowdoin @ Colby (November 12th)
While neither team will be a title contender, the rivalry between Bowdoin and Colby is important to both schools and the state of Maine as a whole. On the final week of the season, look for both teams to try and end their year on a high and improve upon disappointing campaigns in 2015.
#9) Bates @ Bowdoin (November 5th)
The CBB Championship should be determined on November 5th when Bates travels to face Bowdoin. I recently saw a joint-practice with Bowdoin and Tufts and while the Polar Bears looked sharp in “7 on 7,” once the action turned to “11 on 11” it quickly became apparent that Bowdoin lacks the size and strength on the interior lines to compete with the league’s best. As of right now, neither team is talented enough to contend for for a NESCAC championship, so for the moment, the CBB trophy will have to suffice.
#8) Middlebury @ Hamilton (November 5th)
The scheduling gods must hate Hamilton. The Continentals have the pleasure of traveling to Amherst and Wesleyan in weeks 1 and 2 and hosting Trinity in week 3. While the team has made great strides under third year coach Dave Murray, I don’t see them escaping their early season gauntlet with a win. Luckily for Hamilton, things get a little easier after week 3. So much so in fact that I predict the Conts’ will be riding a three game win streak into their week 7 matchup with Middlebury. The Panthers lost reigning NESCAC player of the year Matt Milano (Connecticut guy) to graduation and could be ripe for the upset in this game. If Hamilton can find a way to win, it will show they’re for real.
#7) Williams @ Amherst (November 12th)
Amherst should roll in this game, but I would have felt bad not including “The Biggest Little Game in America” on this list. As the longest active rivalry in history, it’s always great to see the conference get a shout out on College Gameday. Plus, the game is aired on NESN which is just one small step away from primetime ESPN. Speaking of Williams, the cupboard isn’t exactly bare. The Ephs have fallen on tough times as of late but I always thought their struggles could be attritubuted more to poor game planning and less to a lack of talent. Expect that to change as former St. Lawrence head coach Mark Raymond takes the reigns in Williamstown.
#6) Amherst @ Middlebury (October 8th)
As a team looking to replace several key players, Middlebury could not have picked two better teams to open their season with. The Panthers host Bowdoin in Week 1 and travel to Colby in Week 2 which means that QB Jared Lebowitz will have a couple soft matchups to settle into his new role as the starter before a big tilt vs. Amherst. Both teams should be unbeaten coming into this game and it will add a little excitement in what looks to be an otherwise mundane week 3.
#5) Amherst @ Wesleyan (October 22nd)
Worst case scenario is a 4-0 Amherst traveling to play a 3-1 Wesleyan. But if Wesleyan beats Tufts in the opener, it will be a battle of unbeatens. Regardless, this should be the best team Amherst will have faced to this point.
#4) Tufts @ Trinity (October 15th)
In last years contest Trinity QB Sonny Puzzo engineered a frantic last minute drive to send the game into overtime. While the Bantams prevailed in OT, Tufts was literally seconds away from dropping a monumental upset. Tufts has its best team in school history but the Jumbos won’t be sneaking up on anyone. With this year’s contest being at Trinity, I’d say the Bantams will have the edge.
#3) Trinity @ Wesleyan (November 12th)
The game between Trinity and Wesleyan will be the marquee matchup in week 8. Both schools have a longstanding tradition of playing each other the final week of the season, and this year’s tilt could have serious championship implications. It’s not out of the question to think a one loss Wesleyan could upset undefeated Trinity in the last week and send the whole league into chaos.
#2) Wesleyan @ Tufts (September 24th)
On September 24th under the lights in Medford, MA, one team’s championship hopes will crumble. Wesleyan is coming off a disappointing campaign that saw them go 5-3. However, the Cardinals led by “Mr. Everything” Devon Carrillo (Connecticut guy), are more mature and hungrier than ever. On the other hand, this year’s Tufts team is the most talented squad coach Jay Civetti has ever fielded. The Jumbos are loaded with upperclassmen at key positions. If Tufts can contain Carillo, they should win a close one. But then again, that’s a pretty tough task…
#1) Amherst @ Trinity (November 5th)
For the second year in a row, the NESCAC championship should come down to the week 7 matchup between Amherst and Trinity. Amherst is riding a 19 game win streak into this upcoming season and they should still be undefeated coming into this game. You’ve gotta think it makes Coach Jeff Devanney crazy to see his Trinity teams have to take a back seat the last couple of years. The game should be an all out battle and in a conference that lacks a championship game, November 5th at the Coop will be as good as it gets.
Before I get into POY discussion, I’m happy to announce that Pete Lindholm, one of our writers from Middlebury, is going to be joining me this year as co-head of NBN. Pete has written for the site a bunch in the past, and it’s clear that he is both extremely invested and extremely talented. Thanks to Pete for agreeing to take on the role of Managing Editor this year. Again, if anyone reading this is interested in helping out with the site in any way, please shoot Pete and I an email at nothingbutnescac@gmail.com and we’d be more than happy to discuss different positions with you. Now, on to NESCAC Football….
Trinity RB Max Chipouras almost beat out Chance Brady ’17 for the award last season. Is 2016 his year?(Courtesy of Greg Sullivan)
It’s never too early to start thinking about the NESCAC Player of the Year race, so I’ve compiled a list of some of the conference’s top players here below. Some are old names, some are new ones, but one thing is true across the board: all of these guys are studs. Check out the following list of guys to keep an eye on in 2016.
Offense
Chance Brady ’17 (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
RB Chance Brady ’17, Tufts
You can’t not throw the reigning POY into the conversation, but even if I wasn’t aware that Brady had won the award last year, there would be no debate that he should be in the conversation for this award. He ran for 975 yards last year, averaging 121.9 YPG on his way to scoring 11 touchdowns. The kid is an absolute grinder, and barring injury, he will be in POY consideration as we get to the end of the season.
Max Chipouras ’19 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics).
RB Max Chipouras ’19, Trinity
Chipouras is the only player that gave Brady a run for his money last year, and also the only player in the conference to score more touchdowns than Brady with 12. Though he ran for about 300 yards less than Tufts’ stud back, Chipouras also had 49 less touches. Chipouras averaged 4.7 yards per carry and 81.1 yards per game last year – as a freshman no less! Now that he’s got a year of college ball under his belt, expect Chipouras to absolutely take off. I’m not saying he’s the favorite to win POY, but I’m not not saying it.
Sonny Puzzo ’18 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics).
QB Sonny Puzzo ’18, Trinity
Last year, Puzzo came behind only Matt Milano ‘16 and Austin Lommen ‘16 in passing yards, both of whom graduated in May. With Amherst quarterback Reece Foy ‘18 likely out for the year after blowing out his knee, Tufts’ Alex Snyder ‘17 boasts the next highest total of passing yards, which Puzzo tops 220.1 YPG to 179.4 YPG. What held Puzzo back in 2015 was not his ability to completed passes, but rather the fact that he completed passes to opposing players at a rather high clip, totaling 8 interceptions on the year as opposed to just 5 touchdowns. If Puzzo can do a better job of taking care of the ball, he has all the tools he needs to have a POY type of season, especially if his adversaries focus most of their energy on shutting down Chipouras.
Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17 (Courtesy of Colby Athletics).
RB Jabari Hurdle-Price ’17, Colby
If you look at Hurdle-Price’s numbers in 2015, it’s hard to tell what kind of player he is. On one hand, he ran for 91.0 YPG, the second highest rushing average in the league. On the other hand, he had the most touches in the league with 189 carries, so it seems like he probably should be racking up rush yards. Even with that many carries (two more than Brady), however, Hurdle-Price was 247 yards shy of Brady in overall yards, and also had 5 less touchdowns. I have no doubt that Hurdle-Price has the ability to make a leap in efficiency this year, but that is partially up to the Colby offensive line. If the Mules can put Hurdle-Price in positions to succeed with good field position and effective blocking, their workhorse will not fail them.
Charles Ensley ’17 (Courtesy of Hamilton Athletics).
WR Charles Ensley ’17, Hamilton
Throw Ensley on the championship roster and I think he gets the POY nod without question, but being on a bottom half team the last few years has definitely held him back in the POY discussion. Other than Matt Minno ‘16 of Middlebury, no one has more receiving yards or receiving touchdowns than Ensley, and he ranked just eighth in receptions last year! What that should tell you is that Ensley has absolute wheels, which is why is 78 yard reception last year against Middlebury does not surprise me whatsoever. If the Continentals find some consistency under center with either Cole Freeman ‘18 or Brandon Tobin ‘18, Ensley will be a high-end WR1 in most fantasy leagues this fall.
Honorable Mention: RB Jaylen Berry ’18, Wesleyan; WR Bryan Vieira ’18, Trinity; TE Bryan Porter ’18, Bowdoin; RB Nick Kelly ’17, Amherst; RB Tyler Grant ’17, Bowdoin
Defense
Mark Upton ’17 (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)
LB Mark Upton ’17, Bates
Upton finished second in tackles last season with 71 from the linebacker spot. He also added 8 TFL and 4 sacks, rounded out by 3 forced fumbles. The kid has a nose for the ball, and when he has you in his crosshairs you better brace for impact. Upton rightfully earned First Team All-NESCAC honors last season, and I’d be surprised if he doesn’t at least match that performance this season.
Addison Pierce ’17 (Courtesy of Middlebury Athletics).
LB Addison Pierce ’17, Middlebury
Another linebacker, this one hailing from Middlebury, who has a knack for penetrating the backfield. Pierce had 7 TFL last season including 2 sacks, contributing to his total of 58 tackles on the season. Pierce steps in as the leader of the Middlebury linebacker committee this season after Tim Patricia ‘16 graduated in May, and I’m anticipating a breakout season for the senior looking to build on his impressive 8.3 tackles per game average. Look for Pierce to disrupt offensive flow and create chaos behind the line of scrimmage for Coach Ritter’s defense this season.
Zach Thomas ’18 (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics).
DE Zach Thomas ’18, Tufts
While Mike Stearns’ versatility makes him the most valuable player on the Tufts defense, Zach Thomas gives him a run for his money as the best defensive player for the Jumbos. Thomas led the NESCAC with 9 sacks last season – 9! That’s over a sack a game. To put that in perspective, Gil Araujo ‘16 of Middlebury was the only other player in the league with over 5.5 sacks. If I’m an opposing coach, I’m doubling Thomas on the end whenever I can, because the kid can clearly get to the quarterback. Now in his junior year, Thomas has set the bar high for himself, but I expect him to surpass expectations and continue to anchor the Jumbos defensive line along with his classmate Micah Adickes ‘18.
Justin Sanchez ’17 (Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics).
FS Justin Sanchez ’17, Wesleyan
When you think of playmaking safeties around the league, you think of Justin Sanchez. The senior free safety led Wesleyan with 56 tackles last year, highlighting his ability to step up and make plays. Sanchez had 2 interceptions last season as well as 2 forced fumbles in 2015. This versatility is exactly what Wesleyan needs this year in their quest to climb back to the top of the conference. If Sanchez plays at his usual high level, opposing offensive coordinators will struggle with calling plays.
Liam Kenneally ’18 (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics).
LB Liam Kenneally ’18, Trinity
Kenneally is a playmaker, end of story. His 61 tackles in 2015 was the fifth highest total in the league, and led the Trinity defense by 20 tackles!! On defense that allowed just 10.1 PPG last year, Kenneally was the glue that held them together, and he will be just that player again in his junior season this year. With such a veteran presence in the secondary, teams will likely attack the Bantams on the ground, which will give Kenneally the opportunity to step up and do what he does best – make plays. Kenneally could very well win the defensive POY award, especially if Trinity’s defense is as much a force as it was last year.
Honorable Mention: DE Brent Lobien ’17, Hamilton; DB Cameron Rondeau ’19, Bowdoin; OLB Mike Stearns ’17, Tufts; LB Evan Boynton ’17, Amherst; DB Alex Brandeis ’17, Williams
Our all-time favorite photo of NESCAC sports, and there have been a lot of great ones.
Adam wrote the following good bye, and in classic fashion, it’s plenty wordy for both of us, and I agree with everything he wrote, so I’ll say my piece in two sentences. Nothing but NESCAC has been a tremendous source of pride, frustration, stress, happiness, controversy, procrastination, relationships, blood, sweat and tears (okay, I’m exaggerating – slightly), late nights, early mornings, conversation starters, angry Facebook messages and aggressive emails, and, above all, learning. If you’re reading this, thank you. – Joe MacDonald
I graduated last Saturday from Bowdoin. That fact has not really sunk in, but it’s an inescapable reality. As I say goodbye to my physical home for the past four years, I wanted to write some thoughts down about my experiences with Nothing but NESCAC and general thoughts about NESCAC sports. Consider this an open diary entry, and remember that all thoughts are my own, so you can take them with a giant grain of salt.
First, I want to thank everyone who has helped make this website possible. Thanks to the readers and people that told us how much they appreciated what we were doing. Hearing from people that they enjoyed our work was so rewarding. I especially loved to hear from players that they were reading us, even if they thought that our opinions were garbage. Another special shoutout to the members of the NESCAC DIII Boards. Knowing that the most rabid fans in the NESCAC respected our opinions – sometimes – was nice.
Thanks to all the players and coaches who let us talk to them. Those interactions made the writing so much better. The work that all NESCAC coaches and players put in behind the scenes for their sport is remarkable, but the best thing about everyone that I got to talk to was how nice everybody always was. NESCAC sports are filled with great people.
Thanks to Damon Hatheway and Jeff Hetzel for creating PantherNation and serving as our inspiration for Nothing but NESCAC. Being able to get started writing for you was the best possible way to wet our feet. You set the bar high in terms of quality NESCAC sports writing, and I think that we were at least able to approach that level at times.
Thanks to all of the writers, from the ones who wrote just one time to those that wrote as much as we did. The website would not have been what it was if not for all of you – Chad Martin, Colby Morris, Colin Tiernan, Connor Colombo, Dave Peck, Josh Moss, Nate Courville, Oliver Goodman, Pat English, Rob Erickson and Sean Meekins. You guys were never under any type of obligation to write for us, but you did anyways because you had a genuine interest in the same stuff we did. An even bigger thanks to some of our MVPs. Carson Kenney was a huge asset for us last year, writing articles, competing in fantasy football and basketball, and serving as an ear on the ground at Trinity. Even this year, as he was working in the Trinity Athletic Department, he was always happy to help out when possible. Pete Lindholm has been there since the start of NbN, and has always brought a unique style to our pages. No one writes quite like Pete, and eventually we learned that it was futile to expect his work to come back to us with the format or tone that we asked for, but usually it was far superior than anything we could have done. This year, three new contributors jumped on board with a previously unseen eagerness. Nick DiBenedetto accepted every assignment thrown his way, and though “deadlines” seem to be a fluid concept to him, we loved him for it. Kaitlin McCabe came on board last fall, but she really shouldered the load for us this spring as Joe was in season and I suffered from a severe case of senioritis. Kaitlin has just graduated from Hamilton and will be working in sports journalism. Lastly, Rory Ziomek, a baseball player from Tufts, was always there for us this year, so much so that we feel confident in handing Rory the keys to NbN next year. Joe and I both will miss our interactions with these people, who are truly incredible, like all NESCAC students and student-athletes, at everything they do.
And finally, a huge thanks to my partner in crime, Joe MacDonald. There is no one else that I would have ever wanted to do this with. When I approached you with the idea of doing this, you were smart enough to make me pump the brakes and think through completely how we could actually do this. That was just the first time that you saved my butt from my terrible decision-making. I remember when I heard that you were going to spend junior fall abroad in Australia being upset because I thought you weren’t going to do anything for NbN. Instead, you did as much as I could have asked for, even though you were having the time of your life halfway around the world. I always infuriated you with my refusal to use standard grammar and a tendency to not finish sentences in my writing. All the best ideas for the site came from you. Thanks for letting me come along for the ride.
People call me cynical, so I’ll include some negatives. I have a lot of regrets concerning the website. I wish that the site had been able to grow more and to cover more sports than just the three on which we focused. Such a project would have necessitated many more writers, as Joe and I certainly did not have the time to devote learning about other sports. We concentrated on the few sports we did because we felt otherwise our writing would not add anything of value. I hope that in the future more students with deep interests in other sports will decide to be part of NbN.
I wish that I had done more research and reached out to coaches and players more than I did. Lack of preparation and sometimes social anxiety too often made me not want to go out on a limb and ask somebody to talk, but whenever I did it was very rewarding.
We were always terrible about getting out articles on time for them to be relevant, and I always would feel bad on Monday when I hadn’t done the Stock Report like I was supposed to. Being a college student with plenty of other things going on made it so that the website would be something that I would put on the backburner at times.
There were a lot of articles that I wish that I had undertaken which would have required much more legwork on my end. There are a lot of things related to NESCAC sports that require a different approach than what the student newspapers are capable of, but I never quite got around to doing them. I would have loved to examine the demographics of NESCAC athletes a little bit. This lack of research made me feel like I wasn’t doing a good enough job of presenting the stories that you can’t understand from just watching the games and looking at game recaps.
Despite all those regrets, I look back with immense pride at everything that we were able to accomplish over the past two and a half years. I’m also so excited that there is a plan in place for next year when Joe and I will be doing other things besides obsessing over DIII athletics.
Doing this was not easy, but it was a ton of fun and a little addicting. Knowing that some people actually cared about what we wrote was a little scary, and we tried our best to not let those people down. I also got really invested in Bowdoin teams because of it, with basketball being the one sport that I went above and beyond in my fanhood. I meant to write a long piece after the end of basketball season ended detailing my love for the team and why I fell so hard for NESCAC basketball, but I never got around to that. So I’ll write just a little about the team that I rooted harder for than any other.
I didn’t really discover the basketball team until the beginning of sophomore year. I went with a bunch of friends to a meaningless November non-conference game against St. Joseph’s. This was my sophomore year, the beginning of the 2013-2014 regular season when Lucas Hausman ’16 was nothing more than a reserve guard fighting for playing time behind an experience starting backcourt. The game was a 69-65 Bowdoin win and Hausman scored 19 points, though that would end up being his season high. The win took place in front of a few hundred people, and I along with some friends was one of the few students in attendance.
However, the attractions of a NESCAC home game were apparent to me even then. First of all, the lack of fans was a downside because of the bad atmosphere, but it did allow us to easily sit courtside. That ability to sit so close to the game meant it was possible for us to have an outsized effect on it, and I made sure to be as loud as possible at any games. The second thing that got me hooked was just the quality of play that I was only able to appreciate up close. NESCAC basketball players are really good. Like, really good. The success of Duncan Robinson at Michigan and all the players that have successful runs overseas prove that, but people still don’t realize it. The quality of the players made the games FUN to watch. Thanks to Lucas Hausman, Matt Palecki and Jake Donnelly for four years of great basketball.
There were a lot of great moments that I was able to watch in Morrell Gym, but my favorite was junior year when Bowdoin destroyed Bates. I had gone to Bates for the non-conference game when the Bobcats blew out the Polar Bears in front of a raucous crowd. Because it was a Friday night and both teams were good, a better than normal student crowd showed up. And boy did the team give the crowd a treat. From start to finish, Bowdoin was the aggressor, and I have never seen them play close to that level over 40 minutes. Hausman was the headliner of course with his record-setting 44 points, but my favorite comes around the one minute mark of the highlight video when Palecki falls down and then scrambles his way back to the three point line to hit a three.
Those moments watching Bowdoin basketball were some of my favorite as a college student. I’ll keep my final point brief, but beware that this is going to come off as very preachy.
The NESCAC likes to think of itself as different with regards to sports than other places. The first time I ever heard of the NESCAC was a Sports Illustrated article about the conference, praising the NESCAC for doing things ‘the right way.’ The Amherst President is quoted in the second paragraph as saying “I don’t have much trouble justifying them, but that’s only in this kind of setting. It seems everywhere else, sports are a distorting force.” The article basically reads as one big advertisement for the way that the NESCAC operates. The article makes it seem as if the NESCAC has perfected the athletic and academic balance. Maybe it had. I don’t know, I wasn’t there.
However, much of the article is no longer true, and it is a useful reminder that things aren’t as peachy as Sports Illustrated would have you believe. For one, unlike what the article would have you believe, most NESCAC facilities are not ‘dumps’ and there have been substantial resources poured into them. Coaches were once not allowed to recruit off-campus, with Middlebury basketball coach Russ Reilly saying that “All colleges should do this.” Well, this article details how that same Middlebury program put in a LOT of off-campus recruiting in order to convince Zach Baines to go to Middlebury. Going on recruiting trips to camps and AAU tournaments is now normal practice for NESCAC coaches.
When talking about the old rule of NESCAC baseball teams only playing 20 games per season, Tufts baseball coach John Casey is quoted as saying, “Why are some schools playing 70 baseball games a year? I don’t know. But I do know the players are not going to class.” Well it wasn’t 70, but Tufts, still under the leadership of Casey, played 43 games this season. The article claims that firing a coach because of a lack of winning is ‘unthinkable’, but this year Williams let go of head football coach Aaron Kelton for that exact reason, and there have been other instances of this occurring, although the public reason is (almost?) never the W-L record.
The NESCAC is different, but no one should fool themselves into thinking that NESCAC sports are perfect. NESCAC presidents, coaches and alumni have to be careful in the role that sports play on campus because it is easy to deviate slightly from the intended course for a long period and then wake up one day realizing that you are in a completely different place than you intended to be. The ability for sports to be a positive for individuals and communities is a real one, but it is also a limited one. Sports can, and sometimes are, a ‘distorting force’ in the NESCAC, and we cannot bury our heads in the sand and insist that the NESCAC model is perfect.
That doesn’t discredit all the amazing things about NESCAC sports that has made me fall in love with them over the past four years. From the quality of the student-athletes to the sound of the referee blowing his whistle, NESCAC sports are special, and still closer to the right way than anywhere else in the country. I will miss it immensely.
but their big play could be a black helmet with this logo of Patrick the Polar Bear on it.* 
