Category: Bates

Looks Like a Threepeat: Week 8 Power Rankings

 

Week 8 Power Rankings

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.

Top of the Podium: Week 8 Stock Report

Week 8 Stock Report

Stock Up

Dynastic Control: The Bantams have won again and as their parents pointed out after we predicted them to be 6-3 in our season preview article, they really don’t lose often. Not only are they on the up and up, getting better year to year relative to the rest of the NESCAC competition, but even their holes, which we thought would be at QB this year, are ridiculously easily filled. They have had not one but two elite QBs under center this year in Jordan Vazzano and Seamus Lambert and clearly will have the reigns on the NESCAC for the near future. The other contenders of Amherst and Tufts were no match in their head to head with Trinity and Williams, who kind of seems to own the Bantams, cannot reach any level of consistency to bring the title home to Williamstown.

Ellie Greenberg after scoring the winner in the NESCAC championship.

Predictive Power: I am giving credit where credit is due today. Matt Karpowicz hit the nail on the head with his game preview of Amherst at Trinity last weekend. Max Chipouras blitzed the Amherst defense and had a career game, nearly capping off his incredible run at Trinity with a clutch 203 yard, two TD performance. He averaged a nasty 8.5 yards per carry and showed that the league’s best D isn’t so unstoppable. Or maybe the Bantams are just that good. Either way, we got one right, we finally got one. Actually, we got two. Ryan Moralejo deserves a shoutout too for his prediction in the women’s soccer NESCAC championship game, calling the Midd over Williams upset, that, quite frankly, nobody saw coming. I will say I have no idea how he ever thought that the score would be 2-1 with each team having such a stellar back line, but I’ll cut him some slack. Roll Pants.

Stock Down

Eph Leadership: This week’s 21-14 loss to Wesleyan is a tough one to swallow for the Williams team as they were riding in off a recovery win against Hamilton into their senior day and final home game of the season. They played against a Cardinal team that has looked unprepared all season and couldn’t get anything done once Bobby Maimaron left the game with an injury. They got destroyed by Middlebury, who has looked different week to week, only after TJ Rothmann exited the contest. The change of play after losing their leaders is what separates this still talented team from a program like Trinity. For the Bantams, when one guy goes down another takes his place, for Williams those spaces continue to be vacant.

Jackson Bischoping has promise, but he allowed two fatal turnovers against Wesleyan.

Mule Muster: I titled last weekend’s preview article “Trap City,” and it turned out that we were right, although not regarding the game that I imagined. Wesleyan beat Williams 21-14 and Bowdoin got their first win by knocking off Bates 31-14, but I thought Colby would at least give Tufts a slight run for their money coming off two good weekends of football. I couldn’t have been more wrong about that one. The Colby team put up a real dud to say the least, falling 48-0, managing just 124 yards of total offense. Their defense was useless in this game as the Mules offense only turned the ball over one time! that means that the defense was responsible for each of the five rushing and two passing TDs allowed.

Trap City: Week 8 Weekend Preview

Week 8 Preview:

Middlebury (4-3) @ Hamilton (2-5)

Midd wasn’t expected to roll into Hartford and beat Trinity, but losing 48-0 was not a good showing for the program. Only 73 yards of offense? How does that even happen? I know Trinity is a really good team but an over .500 team like MIddlebury should have at least put up some sort of fight. Along with their non-existent offense the Panthers also surrendered over 500 yards of offense to Trinity, showing that they didn’t have it together on either front. Midd needs to be careful this weekend against a Hamilton team that has shown that they can steal a win against a better opponent. A 5-3 record looks much better than 4-4 heading into the final week of the season so Midd will need to have a short memory and bring their A game, or even their B game honestly, in order to take down this Continental squad.

The Panthers need their offensive weapons to put up some numbers this weekend.

Hamilton had a pretty decent showing against a very good Williams team last weekend in their 27-17 loss. QB Kenny Gray continued to be a consistent piece for the Continentals, racking up 2 TDs and 256 yards of total offense. What I forgot to mention about Gray though is that he got picked off 4 times. When you give the ball away as freely as he did last weekend, it’s essentially an automatic loss. It is more than obvious at this point in the season that Hamilton relies heavily, and perhaps too heavily, on Gray’s arm for their offense. Their running game is lackluster and it more often than not is Gray leading the team in rushes with less than 50 yards. This one dimensional offense can cause problems for Hamilton as other teams are well aware that their is not much of a threat on the ground and can therefore focus on pass defense. The defense has a solid game, picking off QB Bobby Mamarion once and recovering a fumble, but it wasn’t quite enough to keep their offence in the game. One thing that the Continentals should keep in mind is after being thrashed last weekend Midd’s spirits may be low and Hamilton could try and take advantage of this out of the gate and come guns blazing at them. This is a winnable game for Hamilton but certainly not guaranteed.

Score Prediction: Midd 27 Hamilton 21

Colby (2-5) @ Tufts (5-2)

The Colby Mules have won two games in a row since who knows when. Coach Cosgrove really seems to be doing the best with what was given to him in his first year in charge and is oh so close to capturing the CBB title that hasn’t been in Waterville for quite a few years. The Mules were able to beat Bates last weekend with ease, jumping out to a 21-6 halftime lead and maintaining that score until the end of the 4th quarter. Against Bates they didn’t have an offense, they had Jake Schwern. Schwern ran for 226 yards and all 3 of Colby’s TDs, earning his NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. On a cold, slippery, snowy day it was tough for freshman QB Matt Hersch to get anything going in the air so they elected to force feed Schwern the ball and it payed off. Defensively they clearly overmatched Bates, one Brendan Costa TD run being their only blemish. While they were easily able to the down the Bobcats, the Jumbos are a completely different ballgame. Schwern has proved much less effective against better NESCAC teams so I would be surprised to see him get anywhere near his numbers last weekend. The best chance the Mules have is to hope for nicer weather and hope that QB Matt Hersch can solidify his name in Rookie of the Year talks by orchestrating the upset of the season.

Tufts had their chance last weekend to remain in title contention in their game against Amherst but nearly missed out in their 19-13 loss. Amherst seemed to be a step ahead all game, just has they’ve been a step ahead of the league this entire season. QB Ryan McDonald’s 2 interceptions played a crucial part in how the Jumbos were quite able to keep up with Amherst. When you’re playing an undefeated team with unmatched confidence, giving away the ball will kill you. Tufts relied heavily on McDonald but he was only able to throw for 137 yards on 34 attempts. It was going to be a tough matchup for the Jumbos no matter what, nobody has dethroned Amherst yet and Tufts just didn’t have what it takes to effectively break down Amherst’s defense. Defensively Tufts fared pretty well, allowing Amherst less than 300 yards of total offense. It’s a harsh reality for Jumbo fans but Amherst was simply a better team than Tufts and deserved to take home the win last weekend. What matters now is going forwards and trying to become the best of the rest. After playing the Mammoths last weekend Colby will be a welcomed foe in Medford. This should be a fairly easy win for the Jumbos barring some serious mental errors and lack of concentration.

Score Prediction: Tufts 30 Colby 13

Wesleyan (4-3) @ Williams (5-2)

Wesleyan didn’t even break a sweat last weekend, taking down the still winless Bowdoin 24-0. It should’ve been an easy victory for the Cardinals and it was. QB Mark Piccirillo threw for 2 of Wesleyan’s TDs while RB Glen Smith has a day of it, going for over 100 yards and snagging a TD of his own. This game was another example of one opponent out classing the other out of the gate. It seemed as if Bowdoin never had a shot a winning from the kickoff. The Cardinal defense held the Polar Bears to exactly 100 yards of total offense, making getting into Wesleyan territory an accomplishment. Although Wesleyan was able to take care of Bowdoin with ease, Williams will almost certainly be a much more interesting contest. Wesleyan has a chance to surpass Williams in the standing this weekend if they play their cards (pun intended) right.

Time for Piccirillo to show us what he’s made of.

Williams took the long trek to Clinton last weekend and came back home with a dub. QB Bobby Mamarion had a solid overall game, tossing 2 much needed TDs for the Mammoths. RB Cartel Begel piled on with over 100 yards and a TD of his own to put an exclamation point on the game. This was a game that Williams should have, could have and did win. Their defense managed to pick off Hamilton QB Kenny Gray not once, not twice, not three times but four times! Luke Apuzzi was able to snag 2 of those interceptions which swung the momentum very favorable for the Ephs. K Andrew Schreibs was knocking down his extra point attempts as well as his 2 field goals with ease, which actually managed to make a solid difference in the contest. It was a huge team effort overall by the Ephs and the will need that again this weekend as the face a potentially underrated Wesleyan team.

Score Prediction: Williams 24 Wesleyan 21

Bates (0-7) @ Bowdoin (0-7)

The Bobcats may have been hyped for their snowy home game (https://twitter.com/Bates_Football/status/1056228141037948928) but they are yet to find the win column.

It’s CBB time once again. You have to love the CBB, it’s the only contest where you can lose almost 80% of your games and still have the chance to take home a trophy. That is what the Bobcats will do this weekend as they head into Brunswick to face Bowdoin. The biggest story of the game last weekend for Bates was the exit of their QB, Alex Costa, due to injury. Costa has been the biggest piece, arguably the only piece, of offense that Bates has had this season. With Costa I would say that Bates should have no business losing to Bowdoin but now it is anyone’s ballgame. QB Jack Bryant took over for Costa after he left but was a non-factor as both teams were just running the ball up the gut the entire game. If the weather favors a little better this weekend and the passing game comes more into play, Bryant will need to show that he is an equally effective distributor to Costa and keep Bate’s CBB hopes alive for another week.

Bowdoin’s season had been bad. Their offense and defense both rank last in many major categories and they have not showed signs of improvement throughout the year. Golden arm QB Austin McCrum has done essentially nothing since joining the Polar Bears and had another lackluster game last weekend, racking up only 80 yards and a pick. That being said, this is Bowdoin’s opportunity to right the ship. A win against Bates will be all the momentum they need to carry into the next weekend against Colby to potentially steal a CBB ‘ship out of absolutely nowhere. Now do I think that they can actually do this or is this just a description of die hard Polar Bear fans’ dreams, you tell me. It all starts and could potentially end this weekend for the Polar Bears so why not throw it all out on the line and try some new things. I’m not, and never will be, a football coach but I can tell you that business as usual has not and will not work for Bowdoin.

Score Prediction: Bates 17 Bowdoin 6

 

Why Throw the Ball? Week 7 Power Rankings

Week 7 Power Rankings

Week 7 wasn’t the most exciting of weeks, but it helped set up an unofficial league championship game in Week 8 between undefeated Amherst and one-loss Trinity. If Amherst wins, then their final game against Williams is solely for Little Three purposes, as the Mammoths will have already clinched the NESCAC championship. If Trinity wins, they’ll also have to secure a win in their final game against Wesleyan in order to remain at one loss and keep the tiebreaker over Amherst. A lot is at stake at the top of the league, but we’re also getting some excitement at the bottom, too, as Hamilton and the Maine schools are finally getting to play each other to decided which team is the best of the rest. Take a look at where each team falls as we head into the deciding weeks:

(1) 1. Amherst (7-0)

At this point LB Andrew Yamin ’19 is looking like a shoe-in for defensive player of the year

Defense led the way on Saturday, as the Mammoths were able to secure their biggest win of the year. Andrew Yamin & company did a great job keeping the Jumbos offense off the field for the majority of the game. In fact, Tufts possessed the ball for just 21 minutes the entire game. 21 minutes!! No wonder they only scored 13 points…they only had the ball for a third of the game. QB Ollie Eberth ’20 barely even had to do anything (14-26, 150 yards) because the defense did such an outstanding job,including leading tackler John Callahan and Andrew Sommer. There really wasn’t a ton of offense in this game on either side, but Amherst’s rushing attack kept the clock moving and provided just enough scoring to win the game. This sets up what will essentially be the league championship game at Trinity in Week 8. Keep an eye out for our game of the week preview for this matchup later in the week.

(2) 2. Trinity (6-1)

Trinity put on about as dominant a performance you’ll see with a 48-0 annihilation of Middlebury. They sent out freshman QB Seamus Lambert ’22 for his second consecutive start and he was an incredibly efficient 9-11 for 179 yards and 4 touchdowns. In an effort to follow his predecessor’s model, he completed 8 of his 9 passes to either Koby Schofer ’20 or Jonathan Girard ’21 and they each had two TD catches. The primary offensive attack in this one was actually on the ground for the Bantams, where RB Max Chipouras ’19 and RB Spencer Lockwood ’22 combined for 272 yards and 3 touchdowns on 48 total carries. I’m not sure what the game plan was for the Panthers, but the Bantam secondary held them to 36 passing yards on just 4 completions. What an effort by the defense. Trinity has been on fire lately, and we’ll find out just how good they are when they host the league’s top team on Saturday with a chance to step back into first place.

(3) 3. Tufts (5-2)

The Jumbos had a chance to make things really interesting at the top of the standings, but they fell just short. They battled, though, and actually held Amherst to their lowest point total of the season (19 – tied with Week 1 at Bates). The defense did an excellent job keeping dual-threat QB Ollie Eberth in check both through the air and on the ground, but the offense could only muster 13 points. QB Ryan McDonald threw for just 137 yards while adding 2 interceptions, and 25 of his 33 rushing yards came on one touchdown run. I guess this is our way of finding out just how good the Amherst defense really is. It’s been an exciting year for this Tufts team that I would argue has already exceeded expectations, and they’re left playing for pride in their last two matchups with Colby and Middlebury in the final weeks.

(4) 4. Williams (5-2)

A 27-17 win over Hamilton wasn’t their most impressive performance of the season, but a win is a win. The offense has had better games, but they did just enough to win behind an 11 for 24, 2-touchdown effort from QB Bobby Maimaron ’21. LB TJ Rothmann ’21 led the team in tackles despite playing with a sprained jaw, making a bid for NESCAC’s gutsiest player in 2018. Defense led the way as the Ephs picked off Hamilton QB Kenny Gray 4 times and allowed him to complete just 13 of his 37 pass attempts. Freshman RB Carter Begel ’22 did a decent enough job in the absence of RB TJ Dozier ’21, averaging 3.2 yards per carry and running for 108 yards and a touchdown. Despite being out of title contention, the Ephs still have a great chance to take home their first Little Three championship since 2010. It starts this weekend when they host Wesleyan.

(6) 5. Wesleyan (4-3)

RB Glenn Smith ’21 did a terrific job out of the backfield against Bowdoin

Wesleyan continued their streaky 2018 season with a 24-0 rout of Bowdoin. Due to the poor weather there wasn’t much offense around the league this weekend, but a special note should be made for the Cardinals’ defensive performance. They held the Polar Bears to 100 yards of total offense (80 passing, 20 rushing) and only 6 first downs the entire game. In fact, Bowdoin didn’t get the ball over midfield until less than 4 minutes were left to play in the 4thquarter, then proceeded to turn it over on downs four plays later. RB Glenn Smith ’21 had his best game of the season, carrying 20 times for 105 yards and a touchdown. QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 just had to serve as the Ollie Eberth-type game facilitator, mostly handing the ball off to keep the clock moving and only throwing when he needed it. This was a dominant performance by Wesleyan (albeit against a very weak team) and they will look to replicate it in their matchup with Williams in Week 8.

(5) 6. Middlebury (4-3)

It’s never fun to be on the wrong side of a 48-0 blowout, but when looking at the box score you have to wonder what happened to the Panthers. They were by no means the favorite on the road against one of the league’s elite, but 48-0?? Two weeks after they took down a Williams team who had been playing some of their best football? I don’t know exactly what’s going on over there, but something isn’t right. This is a team that usually has their sights set on a league championship, and they couldn’t muster up more than 73 yards of offense in a game where their opponent put up more than 500? The Panthers have Hamilton and Tufts left on the schedule, and they’ve got to get it together or they’re in danger of finishing below .500 for the first time since 2005.

(8) 7. Colby (2-5)

The Mules rattled off their second consecutive victory in convincing fashion over Bates in Week 7. Colby (the writer, not the school) touched on this last week, but the Mules have a strong case for being the second best team in the league after beating Hamilton who beat Wesleyan who beat Middlebury who beat Williams who beat Trinity. If that’s not enough of a reason, I don’t know what is. All jokes aside, Colby (the school, not the writer) looked seriously impressive against the Bobcats this past weekend and it didn’t take a multi-faceted offense to beat them. RB Jake Schwern ’19 carried the ball 40 times for 226 yards and 3 touchdowns, accounting for over 70% of Colby’s total offense. The defense did their part and the Mules took home their first CBB victory and their first over Bates in 5 years. They’ll travel to Tufts this weekend before they host Bowdoin in their final game of the season.

(7) 8. Hamilton (2-5)

Hamilton didn’t play a terrible game against Williams, but the way this game ended up they could’ve had a real shot at winning. QB Kenny Gray ’20 threw interceptions in 4 of the team’s last 5 possessions sealing the win for the Ephs. Prior to this string of consecutive interceptions, the game was still very much within reach. The Continentals simply weren’t able to put together a few strong drives when they needed it, and they were handed the loss. A noteworthy performance came from DB Colby Jones ’19 who had 13 tackles including one for a loss, and added the team’s lone interception. Hamilton hosts Middlebury this weekend, and given how streaky these teams have been anything could happen so keep an eye on the score from upstate New York on Saturday.

(9) 9. Bates (0-7)

RB Liam Spillane ’21 accounted for nearly half of the Bobcats’ total yards

Things went from bad to worse for the Bobcats as they not only lost to Colby 21-6, but starting QB Brendan Costa ’21 left the game in the 2nd quarter with an injury. The severity of this injury is unclear, but this would be a huge blow for Bates given that Costa has been responsible for nearly all of the team’s offense this season. Playing in the snow doesn’t lend itself to throwing the ball very much, so it’s a bit disappointing that the Bobcats weren’t able to stop or even slow down the one-man rushing attack of the Mules given that they pretty much knew it would be a run play every time. You’d think they’d know what was coming since 45 of Colby’s 62 offensive plays were run plays, but what do I know? Bates takes on a Bowdoin team next week that just lost their 24th straight game, so the Bobcats need to get their act together quickly to avoid ending up on the wrong side of history.

(10) 10. Bowdoin (0-7)

There really isn’t much left to say about Bowdoin at this point. Every week they go out there against teams that are better than them and, predictably, they lose. QB Austin McCrum ’21 has been a disappointment this year and the defense is last in about every category. The Polar Bears haven’t won a game since November 14th, 2015 and at this point you have to wonder if the streak is somewhat flukey. I mean, how long can this go on? I don’t know what the longest losing streak in NESCAC history is, but I have to imagine they’re getting close. Coach Wells and his squad have their best chances at taking home a win against Bates and Colby in the final two weeks, but if not then the streak will live on another year.

Two Teams Left: Week 7 Stock Report

Stock Up:

NESCAC Championship Game: With the incoming game this weekend featuring Amherst and Trinity, we have just about as close to a league championship game that we will ever get. While the Bantams do have one loss, incurred at the hands of the streaky Williams team, with a win over the Mammoths, they would jump up into first place and would have control of their own fate, while Amherst would remain undefeated with a win and would clinch the NESCAC championship.

Coach Cosgrove and the Mules: The Colby Mules just keep doing it. They knocked off Bates easily this past weekend, reaching two wins and capturing an early lead in the CBB race. Freshman QB Matt Hersch has had flashes of potential throughout the season, but RB Jake Schwern really had himself a day this past weekend. He rushed for an absurd 226 yards and three touchdowns, accounting for all of the Colby points and nearly all of their yards. The secondary also shut the Bobcats passing game down stone cold and denied any attempt to make an impact from their talented QB who had his stock rated upwards last week. Costa threw for just eight yards before being lifted from the contest and Colby racked up over 100 more offensive yards than their opponent. Patrick Yale and the secondary are going to put up their best fight against the Jumbos this weekend, although I’m not going so far as to say they will win in Medford. They might keep it close, but their eye should really be on week nine’s game against Bowdoin to capture the CBB crown.

Ben Weisel ’21 and the rest of the Mules have to by hyped by their two consecutive wins. One more and its a streak.

The Power of the Undefeated: Amherst football is alone at the top and the favorite to win the crown, regardless of Trinity’s convincing win over Middlebury. Their defense is nearly unstoppable and their 13 points allowed this past weekend are a season high if you can believe that. Andrew Sommer and Andrew Yamin are a terrifying duo for any offense to stare down, and whichever QB Trinity uses this weekend will be in for a rude welcoming into their first game against the Mammoths.

Sock Down:

Panther Pride: There isn’t a whole lot of good to say here, Midd fans. Nobody could get any offense going. QB Will Jernigan may have a thumb injury, the offense couldn’t get the ball to their playmaker Conrado Banky who didn’t have a catch for the first time basically ever, and nobody averaged more than 2.5 yards per carry on the ground. The Midd team had about half of the snaps on offense that they usually do and didn’t even make it to 100 total yards of offense compared to over 500 from Trinity. While they were an underdog in this game, it’s safe to say that they didn’t come close to covering the spread on this 48 point loss.

For the love of god, please, somebody, get the ball to Conrad Banky.

The Race for the Crown: Although we have an awesome matchup between Trinity and Amherst on the way this weekend, the other games in the conference mean little else other than for pride. After Tufts and Middlebury fell to Amherst and Trinity, respectively, it basically narrowed the race to two teams. Williams gave us all hope for a multiple horse race in the beginning of the year when they knocked off the Bantams, but injuries and inconsistent play have dragged them down throughout the season in their losses to Midd and Tufts—both upsets. Tufts has over performed but just didn’t quite have the depth on defense to hold off Amherst. It would be amazing if the NESCAC had playoffs like a normal conference to eliminate the drastic effect of one outlier performance, but I digress.

Scrapping to Stay Alive: Week 7 Weekend Preview

Weekend Preview

With each passing week the conference standings are getting clearer and clearer. With only 3 games remaining, 3 true contenders remain. Our other 6 are left to fight for the scraps—some for regional pride, some for the sake of nothing but wins and losses, and a few in hopes of a Week 9 Miracle. This week doesn’t appear to have huge implications outside of Amherst and Tufts, but it has implications nonetheless.

Bowdoin @ Wesleyan

Neither of these teams is going to come into this game feeling very good about themselves. Bowdoin, besides the 23 obvious reasons, was served a 48-6 pasting by Trinity, while Wesleyan was downright embarrassed by their Little Three rival Amherst 33-3, on their own turf. Wesleyan obviously hasn’t had the year it was hoping for, unable to account for WR Mike Breuler ‘18’s departure, but I don’t think they’ve dipped to ‘lose to Bowdoin’ levels of bad. Their defense is strong but for Bowdoin it continues to be all about quarterback play. Austin McCrum ’21 just hasn’t been able to get anything going, most notably in last week’s 17-38, 99 yards, and 4 INT performance. You could make an argument to go back to Griff Stalcup ’21, but he’s been their best WR since switching positions. It’s a lose-lose for Bowdoin and as long as these struggles continue, their chances of winning outside of the state of Maine will be stagnant. Wesleyan shouldn’t feel confident enough in themselves to focus all of their energy on their Week 8 visit to Williams, but they can channel that energy into running up the score on Bowdoin in hopes of building some momentum. QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 will look like a better version of himself this week, and the Cardinals will roll.

Final Score: Wesleyan 38, Bowdoin 9

Colby @ Bates

The Bobcats are going to come in hot looking to lay the hammer like Mac Jackson used to, but Colby is the only team with a win in this matchup!

Finally some CBB! Love me some CBB. Two of the three rivals in Maine square off this week as they open up the annual battle for bragging rights and an extra edge in in-state recruiting. Bates is still winless, and Colby grabbed their first win last week behind the increasingly emerging arm of QB Matt Hersch ’22, who is ever so quietly beginning to pop up in the Rookie of the Year conversation. Hersch threw for 288 yards and 1 TD and 1 INT on 27-39 in their 23-21 win over Hamilton, his third straight week of 200+ yards and a score. Colby’s offensive line continues to be porous, allowing another 5 sacks last week. They need to protect Hersch to win this game. It would be easy to take the hot hand and the team that finally won a game, but despite this I’m taking Bates. The Bobcats have owned this rivalry and the CBB as a whole, as last year they became the first team since Colby in 1988-1992 to win it four years in a row. It’s a home game, and these seniors are not going to be the class that ends this streak. I’m not really sure how, but they’re going to find a way to win this game.

Final Score: Bates 27, Colby 20

Middlebury @ Trinity

Midd will look to bring pressure to whatever QB suits up for Trinity this weekend.

This could be a fun one. Middlebury has really turned it around the last few weeks, although a one point win against Bates might not show it. The Will Jernigan ’21 train has left the station, and their spread offense has clicked. Jernigan had his best collegiate game as a passer last week, going 17-26 for 266 yards 3 TDs and 1 INT. But opposing them in Hartford is Trinity and the home of the best offense in the league so far. Trinity switched it up under center last week, opting for QB Seamus Lambert instead of Jordan Vazzano ’21, and it worked as well as they could have hoped, with Lambert going 22-29 for 280 yards and 3 TDs. WRs Koby Schofer and Jonathan Girard reeled in a combined 14 of those balls for over 200 of those yards, announcing that they clearly don’t care who’s throwing it to them. I would imagine Lambert’s accuracy is what got him the starting job and it’s going to keep him there. It’s going to be tough to pick a team that allowed 34 points to Bates, and while Midd has turned things around, they’re not going to beat the Bantams in a shootout.

Final Score: Trinity 42, Middlebury 24

Williams @ Hamilton

Hamilton has been wildly inconsistent in 2018, so can they peak this weekend against Williams?

Is this a trap game for the Ephs? It’s hard to imagine losing two games in a row and still overlooking your next opponent, but after their trip to Clinton, Williams will only have arch rivals Wesleyan and Amherst remaining on the schedule, and their first Little 3 title in almost a decade is all they have left to play for, barring a miracle (I went through all the outcomes in my head and it doesn’t look good). What’s left of this defense is a far cry from the group that held Trinity to 16 points, a feat that is looking more and more impressive by the week. Star LB TJ Rothmann ’21 continues to be on the injury report with a sprained jaw, and they’ve lost DE/LB Austin Thomas ’19 for the season with a concussion. They need some pieces to come together if they want to beat Wesleyan and shock Amherst, but they still have too much talent not to take care of Hamilton, who can’t be feeling great coming off a loss to Colby. Until we know which Kenny Gray ’20 is going to show up for the Continentals, I won’t feel comfortable picking them.

Final Score: Williams 35, Hamilton 10

Can’t Stop the Stampede: Week 6 Power Rankings

 

Week 6 Power Rankings 

Not a lot has changed from last week, although there were a few notable results from Week 6. Tufts grabbed a big win from Williams and Wesleyan looked like they had absolutely no fight in them at all. Even Colby finally got into the win column in a thrilling victory over Hamilton. Unfortunately Amherst is still number one, but we’ve still got a ton of excitement ahead of us in the final 3 weeks. See where each team is as the title race heats up:

(1) 1. Amherst (6-0)

Now that the Mammoths have reached the back half of their schedule, they deserve a lot more recognition for what they’re doing. Wesleyan is a good team that has put up a lot of points this year, and they could only muster 101 total yards against this terrific defense. To take this a step further, 104 of those yards were passing yards. Yes, this means that Amherst held the Cardinals to -3 rushing yards. This entire defensive unit is downright scary, especially when it comes to the run game. They currently lead the league in total yards allowed, rushing yards allowed, points allowed, and sacks which basically means that if you want to beat them then you’ll have to throw the ball, but you also won’t have very much time to do that so you’ll probably end up losing anyways. Things start to get pretty exciting this weekend when Amherst hosts Tufts in a game that will definitely have an effect on the league championship.

(2) 2. Trinity (5-1)

There is only one takeaway from Trinity’s 48-6 victory over Bowdoin but it’s a big one: 6 games into the season the Bantams went with a different starting quarterback. I don’t know whether it was due to injury or the poor play of Jordan Vazzano, but rookie QB Seamus Lambert ’22 got the start and went 22 of 29 for 280 yards and 3 touchdowns to just 1 interception. He spread the ball around to 7 different receivers and given his 76% completion percentage, he essentially solved the two largest problems that the Bantams were facing at the quarterback position. A matchup with Middlebury isn’t a cakewalk, so keep an eye on who’s under center this weekend for Trinity.

(4) 3. Tufts (5-1)

RB Dom Borelli ’19 did it all against the Ephs

Congrats to the Jumbos who kept their title hopes alive by knocking off Williams on Saturday. It wasn’t easy however; with the game deadlocked at 21 going into the half, both defenses came out of the locker with much more energy. A passing touchdown by starting RB Dom Borelli ’19 in the third quarter ended up being the only score of the second half and was enough to propel them to victory. Tufts is a team I’d be very afraid of because they clearly can find all sorts of ways to score and they relentlessly keep pressure on opposing quarterbacks with their outstanding group of linebackers. They have a real shot at taking home the crown, but they need a win this weekend at Amherst in our game of the week.

(3) 4. Williams (4-2)

The past two weeks haven’t been good to the Ephs who have now dropped their last two games. QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 ran for 135 yards and a touchdown, but it wasn’t enough as he could only manage 107 yards through the air. Leading WR Frank Stola ’21 caught 9 passes but for just 44 yards and no scores, showing the lack of vertical threats present in the game against Tufts. As a fan (and as a fellow human being) I’m bummed that TJ Rothmann ’21 is out with a broken jaw because he is an impact player on the defensive end and this unit is reeling without him. Williams now finds themselves in the same position they were last year – the good news for us is that last year they took down Amherst in their final game to prevent the Mammoths from winning the championship. Could it happen again this year? They say history repeats itself…

(5) 5. Middlebury (4-2)

What a wild turn of events for the Panthers. One week after bringing home a huge win against Williams they were just an extra point away from heading to overtime against a winless Bates squad. It was a pretty solid effort on the offensive end, but the defense wasn’t really able to stop a Bobcat offense that ranked last in the league in almost every category. It’s possible (and I certainly hope) that this game says more about Bates than it does about Middlebury, because the Panthers have just started putting things together. QB Will Jernigan ’21 is really coming into his own, going 17-26 for a career-high 266 yards and 3 touchdowns on Saturday. I think this game was just a stumble and that Midd is surely going to be prepared for a big matchup against Trinity.

(6) 6. Wesleyan (3-3)

It’s never a good thing when you’re punting out of this formation

Losing 33-3 to one of your rivals on Homecoming Weekend is a bad look. Finishing a game with negative rushing yards is a bad look. Possessing the ball for 10 fewer minutes than your opponent is a bad look. Week 6 was not a good one for the Cardinals, to say the least. As the streakiest team in the league Wesleyan has had a lot of ups and downs, so we’ll go ahead and throw this one in the “down” category. The defense wasn’t good, Piccirillo couldn’t get anything going vertically, and there was no rushing attack whatsoever. I don’t mean to be too harsh, but this team was supposed to be a title contender. No way did anyone think that they’d have 3 losses before playing Williams and Trinity. They do still have one game left with Bowdoin, but all I’m saying is that ending with a losing record is a bad look.

(7) 7. Hamilton (2-4) 

The long bus ride must have gotten to them because the Continentals did not show up to play against Colby this weekend. The Mules have been playing well and are certainly on the rise, but Hamilton has more talent and frankly should have won this game. QB Kenny Gray ’20 couldn’t get anything going in the air and a solid effort running the ball wasn’t enough to make up for it. WR Joe Schmidt ’20 hasn’t been the same difference maker that he was last year and it’s hard to say whether that’s a result of a down year from him, Gray, or both. Probably both. Whatever the case may be, Hamilton has to refocus for their matchup with Williams or else they’re in danger of really embarrassing themselves.

(8) 8. Colby (1-5)

RB Jake Schwern ’19 is doing a great job taking some of the pressure off of first year quarterback Matt Hersch

I’m going to say nearly the exact opposite for Colby that I said for Hamilton. Things are looking good in Waterville. First of all, the Mules’ secondary receives more credit than it has gotten this year. This unit allows just 159 passing yards per game, which is second to just Trinity for fewest in the league. They did a terrific job containing the prolific arm of Kenny Gray and have quietly been putting together a fantastic season. On top of this, QB Matt Hersch ’22 continued to look excellent, orchestrating several impressive drives culminating in the final drive that resulted in the game-winning field goal. Whatever Coach Cosgrove is doing up there is working and they’ll look to keep it up this weekend in their first CBB matchup with Bates.

(10) 9. Bates (0-6)

They had their chances. The Bobcats trailed 28-6 late in the first half and came roaring back within 1 before ultimately losing 35-34 to the Panthers on Saturday. They had 3 full possessions while down a point and were unable to put the finishing touch on a remarkable effort. It turned out that the blocked extra point from Bates’ first touchdown of the day made the difference, and Middlebury escaped with this one. QB Brendan Costa ’21 looked very legit, finding 6 different receivers for 177 yards and 3 touchdowns while adding another 111 yards rushing on 13 attempts. Bates’ offense goes as Costa goes, and on this day Costa had it going. All they can ask for is another performance like this one, and they could really use it in a rivalry matchup with Colby in Week 7.

(9) 10. Bowdoin (0-6)

I know you can’t expect much when you’re a weak team playing against one of the league’s best, but the Polar Bears have to be disappointed with what they’ve gotten out of QB Austin McCrum ’20 so far this year. When you transfer from a Division I school there’s obviously a lot of hype, especially at a position as important as quarterback. With a league-worst 13 interceptions to go along with the fewest yards per attempt and lowest efficiency rating among starters, McCrum is showing us why he ended up in Division III after all. Bowdoin takes on Wesleyan this Saturday, followed by Bates and then Colby in the final two weeks. That gives them 3 chances to end their losing streak that currently sits at 23 games. Good luck, fellas.

Changes to Tradition: Week 6 Stock Report

Stock Report 10/22/17

Stock Up

Tufts’ Title Chances

Obviously this isn’t a slight to Amherst, they are still the favorite and will be at the top of tomorrow’s power rankings, but Tufts is making serious moves. After handing Williams their second consecutive loss by a score of 28-21, Tufts now sits at 5-1 and is just one game back from first place. Since they play Amherst this weekend, they control their own destiny if they win out. Now, I still don’t think that the Jumbos would be the favorite this weekend as the game is in Mammoth territory, but Ryan McDonald and the strong Tufts receivers are looking ready to take us all to upset central this weekend.

Tufts is playing as a team like Chance Brady ’17 did as an individual.

Colby’s CBB Chances

Although Hamilton has been consistently inconsistent, they are far more talented than some of the other Maine teams, and Colby’s win last weekend (23-21) was a turning point in their program history. This was their first win over a non-Maine team since October 22nd, 2016, and shows that perhaps Coach Jack Cosgrove has something in the works for this team. Matt Hersch ’22 threw for nearly 300 yards and connected with ten different receivers to lead them to a win against the Continentals who were fresh off of a win against Wesleyan, who beat Midd, who beat Williams. Does that mean Colby beat all those teams by the transitive property? Not quite, but it was a big win, and the first one of the Cosgrove era.

Bates QB Brendan Costa ‘21

I had never seen Costa play in person until last weekend, and after looking at the box scores in his career, I had assumed he was just a run first player. I thought that last year, his stats were the product of the system Bates ran, and although they tried to switch to more of a pass first system this year, I thought their lack of pass success was due to Costa’s inability to throw. Although he hasn’t thrown for over 177 yards, reaching that season high this weekend, his arm is big and once he gets more on the same page with his receivers Bates could have a dangerous offense. He had several impressive touchdown passes, leading his receivers well and throwing an incomplete downfield bomb showing his arm strength. He also clearly has speed and is super shifty, so once the Bobcat blocking improves, they could be dangerous.

Stock Down

Wesleyan’s…everything

The Cardinals have lost a lot of credibility in recent weeks.

It’s been all downhill for Wesleyan since their week one win against Middlebury. They are 2-3 for the last five weeks and have only beaten teams from Maine. The previously beastly Mark Piccirillo has looked not only human but even weak at some points, throwing for just 104 yards against Amherst last weekend. Yes, Amherst has the best defense in the NESCAC (yes, I said it, Amherst parents) but he really dropped the ball, ensuring their elimination. He didn’t account for a touchdown and neither did anybody else on the Cardinals, and the entire team rushed for just 3 yards. Wait, no, they rushed for -3 yards. Yikes.

Williams’ Grit

I’d like to exclude TJ Rothmann from this stock down on the disappointment of how Williams has played in recent weeks. They have looked young, undisciplined, and overmatched against teams they are simply more talented than. Reports said Rothmann was only questionable last week rather than designated as out after suffering a broken jaw…so he is definitely not soft. Bobby Maimaron threw for just 107 against Tufts and no receivers tallied up over 44 yards. Yes, Maimaron ran for 135 yards on the ground, but that’s the point—they have the talent to win every game they play, but unless they figure it out and put a whole game together, especially on defense in the secondary with their linebackers, they will be just a team with potential.

2018 Midseason Awards Update

Midseason NESCAC Awards

At this point in the season, we usually see a couple of teams separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Through six games, Amherst is the only undefeated team remaining (although their strength of schedule to date is nothing to scream about). Trinity and Tufts loom in the background with just one loss. The parity at the top of the table allows for some exciting MVP predictions, so without further ado, here they are:

Coach of the Year: Jeff Devanney, Trinity

Coach Devanney, Trinity

Initially, I penciled in Mark Raymond of Williams, but after last Saturday’s hiccup against Middlebury and this past week’s loss to Tufts, I’m siding with Jeff Devanney of Trinity. After securing NESCAC Championships in 2016 and 2017, Coach Devanney has his side right in the thick of things in 2018. There were some questions surrounding Trinity’s offensive identity heading into their 2018 campaign: how would Coach Devanney utilize Rhode Island transfer Jordan Vazzano ‘21? Could Vazzano gel quick enough with star running back Max Chipouras ‘19 and the wide receivers? Through five games, it’s safe to say the Bantams are having no problem moving the ball and finding the end zone. The offense is by far the most effective in the league, averaging 38.4 ppg.  Despite Vazzano’s completion percentage ranking dead last in the NESCAC, his passing yards/game and throwing yards per attempt lead all starting quarterbacks. In addition, Chipouras is the only running back in the NESCAC to average over 100 ypg. The defense isn’t too shabby either, stifling opposing rushers to a mere 71.4 ypg. The 13-year head coach has things rolling again in Hartford, and they have the personnel to secure their third straight NESCAC Championship.

Defensive Player of the Year:

  1. TJ Rothmann ‘21, LB, Williams
TJ Rothmann ’21

Rothmann is the heart and soul on defense for this young Eph squad. He had a fantastic freshman season at Williams, landing on the All-NESCAC 2nd Team Defense. The Massachusetts native is third in the NESCAC in tackles and has both an INT and a forced fumble/fumble recovery. His Defensive MVP stock took a slight hit, however, after suffering a broken jaw in the Ephs 21-10 loss to Middlebury two weeks ago. Rothmann was questionable all week before being ruled out for Sunday’s game against Tufts and if his season isn’t over he could improve his stock here. I have absolutely no idea how this is possible, but props to the kid for doing everything to help his team.

2.  Taj Gooden ‘21, DL, Wesleyan

Taj Gooden ’21

Gooden had an immediate impact as a freshman defensive lineman for Wesleyan last season, finishing third on the team in tackles for loss. The sophomore from Brooklyn, New York has taken a huge leap this season and cemented himself as one of the league’s dominant interior forces. He ranks second in the conference in both sacks (5) and tackles for loss (11). His best performance of the year came against Colby, where he racked up four tackles for loss along with two sacks. If Wesleyan gets hot and finishes in the top third of the table while Gooden keeps performing at this level, the sophomore could sneak his way up to the top spot.

  1. Andrew Yamin ‘19, DL/LB, Amherst
Andrew Yamin ’19

There’s no sugarcoating it: this dude is an absolute unit. The reigning DPOY isn’t quite on pace to match last season’s ridiculous numbers (13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss) but he still leads the NESCAC in both those categories (6.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss). The senior from Cheshire, Connecticut is a huge reason why the Mammoths allow a league-best 7.8 ppg, in addition to limiting opponents to a mere 43.3 ypg on the ground. Yamin had a quiet game for his standards two weeks ago at Colby (two tackles, one tackle for loss), but came back strong with a sack against Wesleyan.

Honorable Mentions: Greg Holt ‘20 (Tufts), Jared Ahsler ‘19 (Tufts), Corey Jean-Jacques ‘19 (Trinity)

Offensive Player of the Year:

  1. Jonathan Girard ‘21, WR, Trinity
Jonathan Girard ’21

Girard is the best wide receiver in the ‘CAC, and it’s not even close. He blows away his competitors in yards per game and averages a ridiculous 24.2 yards per catch. His six touchdowns leads the NESCAC; in fact, the only category in which he isn’t at the top is in receptions, and even there he’s third. If Girard continues on this torrid pace, Trinity will be extremely tough to defend; opposing defenses will have to respect the Bantam passing game, leaving holes for Max Chipouras to exploit. 

  1. Bobby Maimaron ‘21, QB, Williams
Bobby Maimaron ’21

Maimaron took the league by storm last season, leading the Ephs to a remarkable 6-3 record after the team finished the 2016-2017 campaign winless. The sophomore wonderkid led Williams to a huge victory against Trinity, vaulting them to the top of the table. Could Maimaron actually engineer one of the craziest turnarounds in NESCAC football history – leading a team who finished 0-8 two years ago to their first NESCAC Championship since 2010? The answer to that question will have to wait (probably until next year), because the Middlebury and Tufts defenses showed that Maimaron is indeed human.  After accounting for twelve total touchdowns/zero turnovers in his first four games, the Ephs’ QB turned the rock over three times in their first defeat of the 2018 season. Maimaron didn’t really bounce back against Tufts, throwing for 0 TDs and barely over 100 yards. He needs to end the year on a very strong note to really be in the conversation.

Ryan McDonald ‘19, QB, Tufts

Ryan McDonald ’19

While the second and third place spots in both the DPOY and OPOY are underclassmen, it’s the seniors who take the top slots – for now. In this case, Tufts quarterback Ryan McDonald has led the Jumbo attack with both his arm and legs. McDonald is first in the ‘CAC with 16 total touchdowns, and averages just under 260 total yards per game. In their 38-24 loss to Trinity two weeks ago, McDonald outdueled Jordan Vazzano, throwing for nearly 300 yards combined with three total touchdowns. He had a strong performance in the Tufts win against Williams which was pivotal for the OPOY race. With 3 games left, McDonald is definitely the frontrunner.

Honorable Mentions: Ollie Eberth ‘20 (Amherst), Max Chipouras ‘19 (Trinity), Mark Piccirillo ‘19 (Wesleyan)

Big Spreads and Small Hopes; Week 6 Weekend Preview

 

Well folks we are just over halfway through the season and are getting a pretty clear idea of how the conference is going to shake out. Teams have separated into three tiers and it is pretty easy to see where each team lies. The top four teams all have at least four wins, Amherst leading the way with five. Secondly, there are the 3 mid-tier teams, all hovering right around the .500 mark. Finally, we have the three winless teams, all of whom happen to reside in the same state. These three tiers make predictions much easier, almost always if a higher-tier team is playing a lower one, they will win by a significant margin. That being said, it is football and there are some unexpected upsets every now and then. Let’s hope for more unexpected results as we roll into the final half of the season.

 

Hamilton (2-3) @ Colby (0-5)

 

Hamilton found themselves on the right side of a blowout for the first time in a long time. The Continentals dropped 62 points on Bowdoin, the second highest total in their 128 years of football.  QB Kenny Gray was absolutely incredible. He completed 74% of his passes, totalling 293 yards and 4 touchdowns in their air. Additionally, he contributed 8 rushes for 87 yards. David Kagan and Mitch Bierman added a touch down each while Joe Park added 2 of his own. Will Budington was Gray’s main endzone target, hauling in three touchdowns on the day. It was clear that Bowdoin had no answer for the Hamilton offense and Hamilton took advantage of that. Bowdoin tried to stay in the game initially, only trailing by 11 at halftime. After a few second half adjustments Hamilton was able to shut down the Polar Bears completely, not allowing a single point in the second half. Hamilton has now established itself as a middle of the league program and they have another opportunity to trash a lesser team this weekend. If the Continentals are in similar form on Saturday, things may go their way in Waterville.

 

Colby has lost 5 straight games to start the season, but not all losses are created equal. Their 35-9 loss to Amherst last weekend was to be expected, but they seem to have more and more positives to build off of as the season goes along. QB Matt Hersch continued to look solid for the Mules despite playing arguably the best team in the conference. Hersch completed 28 passes, resulting in 212 yards and a touchdown. Those numbers are not too shabby considering that he is a freshman, in his 3rd ever start, playing an undefeated team. Their defense left more to be desired as they allowed Amherst to jump out to a 28-0 lead at the half. A much improved second half saw the Mules only allow 7 points and even record a turnover, but the damage had been done a while ago. Colby has been overpowered from the start in each of their previous matchups, but perhaps that is not true this weekend. Despite their blowout last week, Hamilton seems to be the weakest opponent that the Mules have faced to this point. With constant improvement and a decrease in opponent quality, maybe the the Mules can pull off a surprise win at home.

 

Score Prediction:

Hamilton 31 Colby 24

 

Bates (0-5) @ Middlebury (3-2)

 

Conrado Banky might just have his way with the Bobcat defense at home this weekend.

Bates was clearly overmatched by Wesleyan last week, dropping the contest 44-13. The big play plagued their defense, allowing 4 touchdowns on plays of 30 or more yards. Although their defense did give up quite a few big plays, they made one of their own on a 68 yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. In fact, their defense scored half of their points. QB Brendan Costa was basically a non-factor in the game, only amassing 78 yards in the air. Their ground game was equally unimpressive, totaling 79 yards between 5 different carriers. With only 157 yards of offense as a team, Bates never give themselves a chance. After a surprising victory, as a result of much improved defense, Midd will be another tough task for the Bobcats.

 

Middlebury’s victory over a previously undefeated Williams has to be the upset of the season so far. After Williams beat Trinity, it seemed as if they were the lead candidate for conference champs. Midd was able to turn that narrative around by handing them a clinical 21-10 loss. QB Will Jernigan took over the game, running for one of Midd’s touchdown and throwing for the other two. RB Peter Scibilia was fantastic as well, putting up 143 yards on the ground. The defense is truly what shined for the Panthers this weekend. They held Williams to their least points scored on the season and was able to pick off QB Bobby Maimaron twice as well as force a sack-fumble. Midd was able to shut down the player with the most combined passing and rushing touchdowns in the league, a big turnaround from giving up 52 points to Wesleyan opening weekend. Midd is red hot right now and I would not expect an 0-5 team like Bates to be able to stop them. This should be a fun weekend for Midd fans up in Vermont.

 

Score Prediction: Middlebury 38 Bates 9

 

Trinity (4-1) @ Bowdoin (0-5)

The Bantams are going to keep chugging along this weekend.

Trinity bounced back nicely last week, earning themselves a 38-24 come from behind win against Tufts. The Bantams allowed Tufts to jump out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter, but were able to take control after that. The majority of Trin’s scores came on their ground game. QB Jordan Vazzano rushed for 2 while Max Chipouras and Devante Reid added scores of their own. Vazzano tacked on 220 yards and a touchdown in the air for good measure. After the first quarter the Bantam defense took over, not allowing Tufts a point in the second or third quarter. This was a great momentum shifter for Trinity after suffering their first loss of the season in the previous weekend. The Bantams have proved that they can still beat anyone in the conference and still have an opportunity to clinch yet another conference championship. After last week, Bowdoin should make for very light work.

 

There are not many positive comments to make about the Polar Bears after they allowed themselves to be demolished by mid-tier program such as Hamilton. Their defense could do absolutely nothing to slow down the Continentals and it more than showed in the scoreline. QB Austin McCrum was able to record 3 touchdowns but continues his woes by being picked off 3 times as well. RB Brendan ward couldn’t get much going either, picking up 81 yards and not reaching the end zone. When you turn the ball over 4 times, as Bowdoin did, you don’t give yourself much of a chance to win. When you allow over 500 yards of offense and 8 touchdowns, you give yourself absolutely no shot at a win. It probably won’t get much better this week as Bowdoin has to face a Trinity team that may be the most talented in the league.

\

Score Prediction: Trinity 55 Bowdoin 17

 

Amherst (5-0) @ Wesleyan (3-2)

Andrew Sommer and the Stampede are coming to take their sixth win in as many chances this weekend.

Amherst continued their dominance last week in a 35-9 win over Colby. Amherst played a very simple and efficient game and was able to take home an easy win. QB Ollie Eberth continued to look excellent for the Mammoths, he threw for 194 yards and completed 3 touchdowns. Eberth was able to add another touchdown on the ground to add on to an excellent day. RB Biafra Okoronkwo had an absolute day of it, rushing for 185 yards and a touchdown of his own. Everything about Amherst’s offense was working and they were able to manipulate Colby’s defense with ease. The defense was equally as impressive, forcing the Mules to punt 5 times as well as forcing them to turn the ball over on downs on 4 separate occasions. This Amherst team seems to be the most complete program in the conference and the fact that they are undefeated reflects that. Although Wesleyan is a better team than Colby, there is nothing to prove that Amherst have slowed down at any point this season, or that anyone can beat them.

 

Wesleyan didn’t face many challenges in their 44-13 win over Bates last weekend. The Cardinals were able to put up 23 points in the third quarter alone while limiting the Bobcats to only one score in each half. It only took QB Mark Piccirillo 10 completions to find the back of the endzone on 3 separate occasions. Piccirillo, Charlie McPhee and Sean Penny were also able to score on the ground, rounding out the 6 touchdowns for the Cardinals. 2 of Piccirillo 3 touchdowns went to WR Dario Highsmith, making him the most targeted red zone receiver on the day. Defensively, Wesleyan was terrific. They only allowed the Bates offense to score on them once, while their other touchdown was on a fumble recovery. Wesleyan stuck to their game plan and it played dividends. Although everything seemed to go Wesleyan’s way last weekend, it will likely be a different story this weekend. Nobody is yet to be Amherst and the Cardinals are likely not going to be the first one. While Wesleyan has appeared to be a dominant team at points in the season, they have not shown that against the top-tier teams in the conference. This weekend is another chance for them to dismiss that narrative and show they can run with the big dogs.

 

Score Prediction: Amherst 28 Wesleyan 13