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Nothing New: Week 1 Power Rankings

With the first week in the books we finally got a glimpse of what each team is looking like this year. Obviously one game is a small sample size, but we’ve learned a thing or two about the league this year. Trinity is still Trinity, Wesleyan is not to be taken lightly, and the bottom of the league is still looking more or less the same. I’m sure this year will bring plenty of surprises like we see every year, but Week 1 didn’t bring too much excitement. There were exactly zero games decided by less than 12 points and besides Bates vs. Amherst none of the games were within 27. So much for more parity this season. Fortunately, this made it a bit easier to do the power rankings, so let’s see where each team falls:

Trinity

The two time defending champs did nothing to make me believe they aren’t still the league’s premier team in a 35-0 drubbing of Colby. RB Max Chipouras ’19 put up a stat line (15 carries, 173yds, 3TD) that would be ridiculous for anyone else, but given his standards I’ll call it “good.” A potential reason for concern is that QB Jordan Vazzano ’21 completed just 9 of his 26 pass attempts for 210 yards, although 97 of those yards were on one play. It was his first game with a new team, but 8-25 for 113 yards sounds a heck of a lot different than 9-26 for 210 yards. Either way, it’s easy to win when your defense doesn’t give up any points, and the Bantams continued to look outstanding on that side of the ball. A matchup with Bates in Week 2 isn’t particularly imposing, so Trinity will have another week to workout the kinks before they head to Williamstown for their first big test.

Wesleyan

Sean Penney ’21 has clearly found a role as the goal line back for Wesleyan

The Cardinals played host to Middlebury in Week 1 and made an absolute statement. Putting up 52 points is absurd even against the weaker teams in the league, let alone the Panthers. We all know how good QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 is, but I was very skeptical given that Wesleyan graduated 4 of their top 5 pass catchers from last season. Well they came out with a very balanced offensive attack that featured 3 rushing touchdowns from Sean Penney ’21, and just 19 pass attempts by Piccirillo. The Wesleyan defense looked excellent as well, and Ben Thaw ’20 put on the defensive performance of the week with 2 interceptions – returning one for a touchdown. Coach DiCenzo showed that he has already found his team’s identity, and will certainly game plan well for their Week 2 showdown at Tufts.

Tufts

I’m not quite sure whether the Jumbos’ 29-2 victory over Hamilton says more about them or the Continentals, but I’m going with the former. This was exactly the type of statement win that Tufts wanted to make in Week 1, highlighted by QB Ryan McDonald ’19 rushing for 98 yards and 4 touchdowns to go along with his 99 passing yards. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the season opener for Tufts was the outstanding effort by their defense. They intercepted 3 Hamilton passes, forced 1 fumble, and had 6 sacks. Granted the Continentals don’t have the strongest offense in the league, but it’s mostly the same personnel that dropped 28 points on the Jumbos in Week 1 last season. Tufts is clearly getting better and their defense will be tasked with slowing down a versatile Wesleyan team that just hung 52 on Middlebury. Mark this one on your calendar, folks.

Williams

Bobby Maimaron ’21 is a weapon. Let’s make that very clear. He completed 13 of 23 passes for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns, while tacking on 78 more yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. He can seemingly do anything, but he doesn’t have to because the Ephs boast one of the best receivers in the league in Frank Stola ’21 and one of the best running backs in the league in TJ Dozier ’21. Oh, and don’t forget about linebacker TJ Rothmann ’21 who looks like one of the most promising defensive players in the league. Notice anything these guys all have in common? They’re only sophomores. Look out NESCAC, Williams is here to stay. Mark Raymond is turning this program back into a dynasty and I, for one, am very afraid. They’re ready to be in the conversation with the conference’s elite because their championship window is just opening.

Amherst

Bo Berluti ’19 was the only Mammoth receiver to get anything going against Bates

A 19-7 victory over Bates isn’t the most impressive feat, but a win is a win. Plus, the Mammoths had no idea what to expect from a team that completely changed their schemes on both sides of the ball. Amherst is still Amherst and they’ll find ways to grind out wins. Jack Hickey ’19 is a workhorse out of the backfield, racking up 22 carries for 137 yards against the Bobcats. Ollie Eberth ’20 completed 9 of his 13 passes to his two favorite targets, Bo Berluti ’19 and James O’Reagan ’20, but there don’t seem to be too many reliable options beyond those two guys. Fortunately, their defensive unit is as good as any, so they don’t need to be putting up 30+ points every game to be successful. They’ll host a Hamilton team in Week 2 who looked like a JV squad against Tufts, so if that performance is any indication then this one should be a cake walk for the Mammoths. Editor’s Note: 5th?! Cmon, Cam. They have the best defense in the league and returned their whole lineup. I guarantee they move up in week two.

Middlebury

Middlebury showed us that they still have quite a bit to figure out. They did not come to play against Wesleyan and got ripped apart. I know that the suffocating defense of the Cardinals is a nightmare for opposing teams and Mark Piccirillo is pretty good, but the Panthers couldn’t even keep it within 30? Not a great start. Their defense was abysmal, and the offense couldn’t pick up the slack either. Seemingly the only bright spot was that 9 different receivers had multiple receptions, indicating that the pass-heavy offense that they’re known for is still very much in effect. Jack Meservy ’19 showed promise by completing 25 of 43 passes and 2 touchdowns, but also threw 3 picks and didn’t have a single completion for more than 18 yards. I’m confident that the Panthers will start to put things together, but this game should serve as a wakeup call. Luckily they host Bowdoin this weekend, so they’ll have an opportunity to continue finding out what works and what doesn’t.

Bates

The Bobcats should feel about as good as you can feel after a 19-7 loss. Amherst is one of the league’s best, and Bates refused to go away. In fact, it was still a one score game with 5 minutes left to play. The defense looked very solid, led by DB Jon Lindgren ’20 and LB Pete Daley ’19 who had 12 and 8 tackles, respectively. The new offense is going to need a bit more work as they were only able to muster 7 first downs the entire game. Someone besides QB Brendan Costa ’21 is going to have to step up on offense, because he’s the only one making plays at this point. It’s not good when your punter has almost triple the amount of punt yards as you have in total offense. Yes, the Mammoths play very tough defense, but so does Trinity, who the Bobcats will face in Week 2. The expectations shouldn’t be too high for this one, but after a solid showing in Week 1 Bates should continue to focus on making progress. It’s the little victories.

Hamilton

Apparently I was way too high on Hamilton going into this season. They returned a ton of key offensive players including QB Kenny Gray ’20, RB Mitch Bierman ’21, and WR Joe Schmidt ’20 who all did damage in 2017. I thought this would put them in position to have a breakout season and while this still could happen, it looks much less likely. Their offense put up a goose egg and was actually bailed out by their defense to avoid the shutout. Not to say that their defense played particularly well, but allowing 29 points isn’t a terrible effort. Alex Ganter ’19 looked solid, recording 7 tackles and 1 sack that resulted in the safety. Needless to say, the Continentals have a lot to figure out right now, as they’ll go back to the drawing board in preparation for their visit to Western Mass this weekend to take on the Mammoths.

Bowdoin

Austin McCrum didn’t look like a quarterback who once had D1 potential this past weekend

As Colby mentioned in the Stock Report, there has to be a bit of disappointment from Polar Bear fans after a poor performance from transfer QB Austin McCrum ’21 in their season opener against the Ephs. Bowdoin needs to establish their offensive threats after losing their top two receivers from last season in Nick Vailas ’18 and Bryan Porter ’18. RB Nate Richam ’20 looked serviceable, but they really could not get anything going on offense at all. Linebackers Liam Dougherty ’21 and Joe Gowetski ’20 had decent games, but they ran into a hot Williams offense that dominated the game from start to finish. It’s a tough road ahead for the Polar Bears who face Middlebury, Amherst, and Tufts over the next three weeks. They’ll try to take baby steps each week to improve steadily until they reach the weaker portion of their schedule later in the season.

Colby

The last two spots in the power rankings could go either way, but I put Colby in the cellar because of their inability to score a single point in Week 1. The game plan against Trinity was clearly ground and pound, as RB Jake Schwern ’19 carried the ball 29 times for 108 yards. QB Jack O’Brien ’20 only threw for 93 yards, and the Mules actually had 5 players with negative rushing yards. The defense could have been worse, but it’s hard to judge given that the Bantams had their reserves in for the entire second half. It’s hard to play the league’s best right from the get-go, and the result was pretty much as expected. Like Bowdoin, their upcoming schedule does not look promising so the focus will be on progress. Colby hired Coach Cosgrove for a reason, and he can’t be asked to produce results this quickly. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right?

Expectations vs. Reality; Week 1 Stock Report

Stock Report

Stock Up

Wesleyan Secondary: Ben Thaw was the defensive star of the weekend, racking up two INTs, a TD, and 46 return yards, all but handing the Cardinals the victory. Alex Kirk added another pick and Mark Piccirillo could easily do the rest, tearing through the Panthers. They also limited the speedy Jimmy Martinez to just 17 yards, and prevented any receiver from tallying over 60 yards receiving which is just as impressive as their onslaught on Middlebury’s QB. They face another challenge this weekend against Tufts but should handle McDonald and the Jumbos just like they did in Week 1.

Ben Thaw locked up a NESCAC defensive player of the week award with his two INTs.

Bates Defense: Although the Bobcats lost in the first game of Malik Hall’s tenure as head coach, they kept the score much closer than I thought they would against Amherst. Amherst has a number of offensive weapons in QB Ollie Eberth, receivers Bo Berluti and James O’Reagan, and RB Jack Hickey, but only scored 19 points. Granted, this showed that the Bobcat ground defense is worse than their pass defense as all three TDs came on rushes. Eberth threw for just 112 yards though, and that is a small start in a new era of Bates football. They had six tackles for loss and one sack, however, they will need a better pass rush in the future.

Trinity’s Title Chances: Jordan Vazzano is the real deal and that means that the Bantams are back. Unlike McCrum at Bowdoin, Vazzano had an excellent debut and led his new Trinity team to a dominating 35-0 victory against Colby. Now, nobody thought that the Mules had a chance in this one, but he certainly took his first step in the right direction with 210 yards passing and two TDs. I took some heat after predicting the Bantams to be just 6-3, and although there is a lot of season left, I don’t like the chances for that one panning out.

Stock Down

Jack Meservy needs to get it together before a week 4 matchup vs. Amherst.

Middlebury QB Empire: Following the graduation of past NESCAC legends, Donnie McKillop, McCallum Foote (possibly the best of the group), Matt Milano and Jared Lebowitz, who all called plays in Vermont, Jack Meservy had big shoes to fill. He performed well enough to retain the starting spot at the end of the 2017 season and the 2018 preseason, but bad decisions cost him in week one. He has been experiencing shoulder pain as well, and it’s unclear as to whether it effected him against Wesleyan, but his all star receivers didn’t get the balls they needed to make big plays happen. All three of the interceptions were costly, as one was a pick-6 and the two others left the dynamic Cardinal offense with a short field. Meservy has two weeks to figure it out against Bowdoin and Colby before taking on the mighty Amherst defense.

Hamilton’s Destiny Year: If there was ever a year for Hamilton to be good, this is it. They return heaps of players on both sides of the ball, but simply couldn’t get anything going against Tufts. In fact, their defense scored more than their offense with two points on a safety. They used three different QBs due to a tough three INT performance from Kenny Gray. Their offensive line allowed six sacks, making their QBs and run game without time to let plays develop. Will Budington was the lone bright spot with over 100 yards receiving, accounting for most of the Continental offense.

McCrum had a disappointing week one debut.

Excitement in Brunswick: After getting in transfer QB Austin McCrum from Lafayette, the Polar Bear fans should’ve had high hopes. After all, what else could take your team to the promised land than a fearless former D1 leader? Well, disappointment is here. A paltry opening week performance saw McCrum go just 10-25 with a pick before getting benched for Griff Stalcup, a promising sophomore who started most of their games a season ago. Stalcup did just fine, throwing a TD and no INTs, but he doesn’t quite match up against the signal callers of other quality teams.

It’s Not Too Early: NESCAC Football Preseason Awards

Now that you’ve read all of our team previews, it’s time preview the individuals. This year more than any year in recent memory, the league is just stacked with talent across the board. Plus when you factor in how many teams could make a run at the title, there are really so many players in contention for awards this year. Let’s see how they stack up.

Coach of the Year: Dan DiCenzo, Wesleyan

Barring a Williams-esque turnaround, which I don’t see happening (sorry Maine), this award is going to go to someone at the top of the standings. As evidenced in the Season Previews, it’s going to be crowded at the top with a whole lot of contenders, so your guess is as good as mine. But I’ll my chances with the 4^thyear man in Middletown for a few reasons. First, despite posting consecutive 6-win seasons, the Cards are facing a bit of a rebuild with their personnel. Okay, rebuild is probably too strong of a word, but the faces on the field are going to look a little different this year, especially on offense. Sure, First Team QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 is back and the talk of the league (more to come on that), but everything else is going to look a lot different. WR Mike Breuler is gone, which really can’t be overstated, as the 2017 Player of the Year was absolutely dominant, finishing with 87 catches, 1172 yards, and 10 TDs. Oh, and the NESCAC plays a 9 game schedule. Dario Highsmith has transitioned to WR, leaving the backfield a relative unknown. The defense will be strong as ever, but it’s the offense that will tell this team’s story. Also, their schedule shapes up nicely to Coach DiCenzo to make a run at this award. They have one of the toughest Septembers in the league, hosting Middlebury before traveling to Tufts. If they can grab those two they look set to cruise into contention, before a grueling Week 8 @ Williams followed by the finale at home vs. Trinity. They’ll be tested early, and they’ll be tested late, and if they can pass both tests DiCenzo will be a huge reason.

Defensive Player of the Year:

TJ Rothmann ‘21, LB, Williams

This is probably a little out of the box here, but if any defensive player in the league has the chance to improve the most it’s Rothmann. We often see just how big a jump in production is made between years 1 and 2, and as the only freshman named to the All-League defense last year, Rothmann fits that bill. Williams is going to make its name stopping the run this year, and his 83 returning tackles are going to be a big reason why. The biggest question is whether or not they’ll have the team success to get his name in this conversation.

Andrew Yamin ‘19, DE/LB, Amherst

It would be natural for the reigning DPOY returning for his senior year to be at the top of the list, but that would make way too much sense. Instead, the Amherst star falls at #2. 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for a loss are a lot to follow up. Yamin very well may be the best defensive player in the league this year, and he might have the numbers to back it up, but as we’ve seen many times, once you set the bar for yourself, it can be really hard to reach. Yamin is going to have to at least match these numbers this year if he wants to repeat, and in a linebacking core shared with LB Andrew Sommer, there might not be enough to go around.

Greg Holt ’20, LB, Tufts

This felt like such a slam dunk that I’m confident enough to feel like I’ve completely jinxed it. The 2016 Rookie of the Year took the jump into the First Team as a sophomore, and there’s only one more level to ascend to. Holt’s 84 tackles last season were good for 3^rdin the league, but it’s their Class of 2018 that make him the favorite to win this award. The Jumbos graduated a staggering three All-League defensive linemen in 1^stTeamer Micah Adickes and 2^ndTeamers Doug Harrison and Zach Thomas. Those were some bad dudes, but they’ve left a hole in their departure and Holt is going to fill it. Not only will there be more to go around for Holt, but we already know that he can do it. He had an incredible 98 tackles in just 8 games his freshman campaign, and if he hits that century mark this season you can begin drafting the press release. His tackles for loss and sacks should see an increase as well. I’ll take Holt.

Honorable Mentions: DL Corey-Jean Jacques ’19, Trinity, LB Andrew Sommer ’19, Amherst, CB Tim Preston ’19, Tufts

Offensive Player of the Year:

Ryan McDonald ’19, QB, Tufts

What’s with all the Tufts love, right? On paper, this pick doesn’t make a lot of sense. McDonald threw for just 11 TDs last year and paired them with 10 INTs. He was wildly inconsistent, but the entire pretense of this pick rests on the senior being able to develop into the kind of player he showed in flashes, but for all 9 games. McDonald threw for 267 yards against Trinity and followed it up with 336 against Williams the following week. His last three weeks, his passing high was 179 yards, and he was 14-31 with a pair of interceptions in that same game, a loss against Amherst. But McDonald could be the most talented player in the league because of his ability in the air coupled with his ability on the ground. He was third in the entire league with 722 rushing yards and rushed for 145 yards in his final game vs. Middlebury. If he can become a little more accurate and turn those 11 TDs and 10 picks into 15 TDs and, say, 6 INTs, he won’t even need much more improvement on his 1879 passing yards (2^ndin the league) and aforementioned 722 rushing yards.

Max Chipouras ’19, RB, Trinity

For the more casual readers of this site: yes, Max Chipouras is still here. The 2015 Rookie of the Year has been trucking linebackers and piling up the stats for what feels like forever, but he has finally arrived at his senior season. It’s a testament to Max that he led the league in both rushing yards with 947 and rushing touchdowns with 10 and it felt like his year was just okay. But when you take a closer look at the box score, you realize the kind of damage he could’ve truly done. He had 4 games with a YPC of 6+, but only had 50 carries in those games. Why wasn’t he given the ball more? Probably because Trinity outscored their opponents 190-27 in those games. Chipouras led the NESCAC in every major rushing category and he was taking his cleats off at halftime for nearly half of the season. In theory, Trinity shouldn’t be as dominant this year, and their offense not as balanced with QB Sonny Puzzo gone. They should have to give Chipouras the ball more, and that should lead to some serious numbers. If they decide to leave this guy in the game this year, they might have to rewrite the record books.

Mark Piccirillo ’19, QB, Wesleyan

I wanted to put Piccirillo at #2 so badly. Like so badly, you have no idea. The plan going in was to be contrarian and predict a regression while Chipouras carries a greater load and steals it away from his CT neighbors. But then you look at Piccirillo’s stats from last year, and it’s just impossible not to install him as the favorite. 2657 yards. 70.4% completion percentage. 20 TDs. That’s before mentioning the 474 rushing yards (6^thin the league) and 4 rushing TDs. I mean those numbers are insane. Now before you tell me that WR Mike Breuler is gone and any other arguments—save it—they were literally exactly what I was going to use to justify putting him at #2. In fact, I’m going to agree with some of those arguments. Piccirillo is probably going to regress. I mean it’s hard enough to throw for 2657 (2657!!) yards a second year in a row, and even harder without being able to throw it up to D3 Randy Moss 20 times a game. But the rushing numbers will probably go up due to the uncertainty in the backfield and increased playmaking responsibility on their senior quarterback. Coach DiCenzo always has the Wesleyan offense humming and Piccirillo will be the face of that. The team success certainly won’t be an issue, and quite frankly if he turns it over 15 teams again like he did last year, it probably won’t make a difference either. He’s the best player on one of the best teams in the league. I didn’t want to do it, but I have to go with Piccirillo.

Honorable Mentions: QB Bobby Maimaron ’21, Williams, WR Conrado Banky ’19, Middlebury, WR Joe Schmidt ’20, Hamilton

Game of the Week: Midd @ Wesleyan

Middlebury @ Wesleyan Game of the Week Preview

Rejoice NESCAC fans, football is back!

Ladies and gentleman, football is officially here. Right out of the gate, the NESCAC Gods have rewarded our patience with a matchup containing two of the league’s heavyweights, as the Middlebury Panthers travel to Corwin Field to take on the Wesleyan Cardinals. Normally inaugural games aren’t necessarily make or break, but for these two, it might as well be the case. The winner grabs a marquee victory and something to build upon as the season gets rolling, while the loser will be playing catch-up right from the get-go, with games against Amherst and defending champions Trinity still to come. Who’s ready for a shootout?

One Man on a Mission

Wesleyan will bring the air attack this weekend.

Wesleyan runs an RPO style attack on offense, and they do it to perfection; the Cardinals ranked 1^st in the ‘CAC last season in time of possession and first downs, displaying their patience and taking what the defense gave them. The combination of lengthy drives and an up-tempo pace (a fundamental component of the RPO offense) wears down opposing defenses throughout the game.

The Cardinals have serious aspirations to claim their first outright NESCAC Championship, and they have every right to be confident with QB Mark Piccirillo ’19 leading the way. Although he falls on the smaller spectrum in terms of prototypical quarterback height (5’10’’), the man is a magician with the football. Last year’s First Team All-NESCAC selection accounted for more than 3,100 total yards of offense, torching opposing secondaries for 20 TD while adding another 4 on the ground. His absurdly high completion percentage (70.4%) highlights his football IQ, and he knows when to tuck the ball and run, leading the Cardinals in rushing. One smudge on an otherwise brilliant junior campaign was in the turnover department – Piccirillo’s 10 interceptions were tied for worst in the NESCAC and something he must improve on if the Cardinals truly want to have a special season. This is a puzzling stat considering how efficient and prolific the other offensive numbers are, so Cardinal fans will be hoping the senior cuts down on his mistakes.

Another cause for concern for the Wesleyan offense is the departure of last year’s NESCAC Player of The Year, WR Mike Breuler ’18. Piccirillo and Brueler were like Will Grier and David Stills (for anyone who doesn’t know these two from West Virginia, I suggest you look them up and watch how lethal this tandem is): you knew the ball was going in Brueler’s direction nearly every time the offense lined up, yet there was nothing opposing defenses could do to stop it. Finding a replacement for someone who set NESCAC single-season records in receiving yards (1,172) and touchdowns (10) is nearly impossible, but the Cardinals are hoping that some sort of chemistry has been built between the veteran QB and his returning weapons during practice.

New QB, Same Artillery

Frankie Cosolito is one of Midd’s many weapons.

If it wasn’t for a season-ending injury to stud QB Jared Lebowitz ’18, Middlebury just might have won the NESCAC last year. Unfortunately, the senior’s career was cut short just before their de-facto championship matchup vs. Trinity, and now the Panthers must move on without their prized Division 1 transfer manning the helm on offense. The new man in charge is Jack Meservy ’19 who is hoping to show the rest of the league that the Panthers will be just fine at the quarterback position. Thrust into the starting role against a formidable Bantam defense, struggles were expected; however, Meservy bounced back nicely with impressive performances against Hamilton and Tufts.

Meservy will have a multitude of weapons to choose from as Panthers return nearly every single starting offensive player from a year ago. Conrado Banky ’19 ( two-time 1^st Team All-NESCAC selection) leads an impressive wide receiver bunch that is laden with depth. Tight end Frank Cosolito ’19 is the best in the ‘CAC and led the Panthers with six scores last season. What’s more, the Panthers feature an offensive line that rivals any such unit in the league, which is critical so Meservy can have time in the pocket to go through his progressions. Similarly to Wesleyan, Middlebury doesn’t have too much success running the ball; since Piccirillo can keep opposing defenses honest with his legs, however, the Panthers must utilize their committee of running backs in order to stray away from being overly one-dimensional on offense. Look for Coach Ritter to give Drew Jacobs ’19 and Peter Scibilia ’21 a chance to take the load off of Meservy and use the O-line to create more manageable 3^rd down conversions.

Let’s Talk Defense

While the focal point of the matchup centers around the offense units, both teams aren’t too shabby in the defensive department. With 6 starters returning on a defense that allowed 16.1 ppg (good for second in the ‘CAC), Wesleyan will be optimistic in regards to containing the Middlebury air assault. The Cardinals boast a fantastic defensive line headlined by DT Grant Williams ’19, and their linebacking core features Brandon Morris ’19, who led the NESCAC in tackles a season ago. The secondary is a bit suspect, with two brand new starting safeties in addition to replacing Second Team All-NESCAC DB Elias Camacho ’18.

The Panther D prided themselves on their ability to pressure the quarterback and create turnovers; they led the NESCAC in sacks (31) and forced 16 total turnovers on their way to a league-best three defensive touchdowns. Middlebury features a solid secondary and enough pass-rushing ability to test the Wesleyan offensive line. They will have to replace two All-NESCAC linebackers, so look for Kevin Maxwell ’19 to step up and take charge of the group.

Key Player for Wesleyan:

WR Evan Hull ‘19

The obvious choice for this would be Piccirillo, but the wide receiver position for the Cardinals is of the utmost importance. Losing four of your top five WR’s is an absolute killer, and Hull is the only remaining one. He finished second on the team with 340 receiving yards and needs to become a security blanket for Piccirillo. Most of Hall’s fellow position mates lack meaningful game experience, so he needs to set the tone and have a big game in order to instill confidence in both his teammates and his QB.

Key Player for Middlebury:

QB Jack Meservy ‘19

This time I’m sticking with the obvious choice. Meservy has waited a long time to finally take control of the offense and he’s ready to show the rest of the league what he’s capable of. He’s got a plethora of weapons surrounding him and a great offensive line ready to give him time in the pocket to throw. Banky, Cosolito and company will create separation on opposing defensive backs, but it remains to be seen if Meservy can consistently keep the chains moving in order to outgun the Cardinals. If he can do so, Middlebury will leave Corwin Field with a monumental victory. If not, it will be a long day for the Panther offense.

Everything Else:

I’m expecting a tight contest, so special teams will definitely play a big part in determining the outcome of this game. Middlebury has the edge in the KR/PR department, with the two-headed monster of Banky ’19 and fellow WR Jimmy Martinez ’19 eager to take one to the house. The Panthers don’t kick too many field goals, but one area of concern is K Carter Massengill’s ’20 below-average PAT percentage (82.1%, second-worst in the NESCAC last season). Wesleyan returns Second Team All-NESCAC punter Sam Han ’20, who hopefully won’t need to be used too much if the Cardinals offense is moving up and down the field. Wesleyan is handing the kicking duties to Pat Wolfe ‘21, and he might be feeling the butterflies come kickoff.

Prediction:

Get your bathroom breaks in before the start of this one, because both these teams are going to light up the scoreboard. In what I think will be a fast-paced, aerial assault, every defensive stop matters. Piccirillo can only do so much, and I think there are too many question marks concerning both Wesleyan’s receiver bunch and their secondary. Meservy will make his presence known to the rest of the league, Banky will shine, and the Panthers will head back to Middlebury with a huge victory

Middlebury 34 – 28 Wesleyan

College Football is Back: Weekend Preview 9/15

If I told you that Urban Meyer has the second highest winning percentage of any active college football coach that has coached 10+ years, who would you think has the highest? Probably Nick Saban, right? Actually, the answer is Jeff Devanney of Trinity College. When most people think of college football powerhouses they think of Alabama, Ohio State, and Clemson. I think of Trinity, Amherst, and Middlebury. The real college football is finally back and it’s shaping up to be an exciting year with more teams in contention than usual. The NESCAC has been very stratified in recent years, but we anticipate that there will start a bit more parity this season as the weaker teams are beginning to make some changes, and the top teams have lost some of their stars. It’s year two of the ninth game, so now teams should be adjusting to the shorter preseason since they’ve had a chance to experiment once already. Let’s see how the matchups look for Week 1 of the new season:

Williams @ Bowdoin, Brunswick, ME

Bobby Maimaron will look to pick up right where he left off last season (Courtesy of Williams Athletics)

Two years ago, these teams both finished 0-8, leaving a sour taste in their mouths as they looked to get back on track the following season. Williams was able to do more than just get back on track, as they surprised everyone with a 6-3 finish. Unfortunately, Bowdoin was unable to right the ship as they struggled even more, finishing 0-9. The Ephs feature a pair of star sophomores in QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 and WR Frank Stola ’21 who broke into the NESCAC scene with huge freshman seasons. They’ll be asked to carry a strong offense with very high expectations after such a successful 2017 campaign. The big question for the Polar Bears will be who is going to start at quarterback since they return both QB’s from last year’s team and welcome Lafayette transfer Austin McCrum. Aside from that there doesn’t appear to be a whole lot of change for a team that really needs it. Even with the addition at quarterback, I don’t see this being the week that things start to turn around in Brunswick.

Prediction: Williams 31, Bowdoin 14

Middlebury @ Wesleyan, Middletown, CT

As far as Week 1 matchups go, this is as big as it gets. Our game of the week features perennial title contenders Middlebury and Wesleyan as they’ll go to battle again this year right out of the gates. Wesleyan returns star quarterback Mark Piccirillo ’19 who led the league in passing last year in just about every category, but they lose their top receiving threat in Mike Breuler ’18 (who led the league in receiving in just about every category) as well as 4 of their top 5 receivers. It’ll be interesting to see how Piccirillo fares, as he has to make relationships with an entirely new group of receivers. On the other hand, Middlebury lost their star quarterback Jared Lebowitz ’18, but return the entirety of their very strong receiving corps, headlined by Conrado Banky ’19, Jimmy Martinez ’19, and Frank Cosolito ’20. They’ll have to make it easy on first-time starter Jack Meservy ’19, who was able to put up some impressive numbers last season playing behind Lebowitz. It’ll be tough to start against a defense as strong as Wesleyan, but I think Meservy is up for the challenge. The Panthers’ strong team rapport tips the balance because I think it’ll take the Cardinals a week or two to find their identity this season.

Prediction: Middlebury 31, Wesleyan 28

Tufts @ Hamilton, Clinton, NY

These teams each feature very talented – albeit inconsistent – quarterbacks who are in position to have big seasons. Both teams have the capability to compete with anyone, but haven’t been able to string together consecutive strong performances. Maybe it’s because I just wrote the team preview for the Continentals, but I really like their defense. Tyler Hudson ’19 is one of the best defensive players in the league, and he leads a unit that now has a few years of experience together. This is their year to prove that they belong, and it starts against a quarterback in Ryan McDonald ’19 who is notoriously turnover-prone. Losing to the same team twice in a row isn’t fun – especially when it’s in overtime. Hamilton isn’t going to let that happen again. I’m ready to hop on their bandwagon.

Prediction: Hamilton 28, Tufts 24

Amherst @ Bates, Lewiston, ME

We’ll have to wait and see if Brendan Costa is ready to make the transition from a run-first to a pass-first offense (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

Bates is experiencing more change than any team from 2017 to 2018 as they hired a new coach who put in a new offense. This is very promising for a team that underachieved last season, has an up and coming quarterback in Brendan Costa ’21, and a wide receiver who has a chance to make an immediate impact in Derek Marino ’22. Unfortunately, they start the 2018 campaign against one of the league’s best. Amherst has won 3 of the last 5 NESCAC championships and look like the favorites again this season. Andrew Yamin ’19 could very well be the defensive player of the year and he leads the league’s top defense against a team who will be playing their first game with a new offensive scheme. The Mammoths also return their top offensive threats in tailback Jack Hickey ’19 and wide receiver James O’Regan ’20 who will help walk game manager Ollie Eberth ’20 through the full 60 minutes. The Bobcats have potential and their massive system changes will be beneficial in the long run, but they won’t be ready this early to take on an opponent as strong as Amherst.

Prediction: Amherst 33, Bates 13

Trinity @ Colby, Waterville, ME

We don’t know who will be under center for Trinity tomorrow (probably Jordan Vazzano ’21), but it doesn’t really matter. Whoever it is, they’ll be able to either hand it to Max Chipouras ’19 who will probably find his way into the end zone or throw it to Koby Schofer ’20 or Jonathan Girard ’21 who will likely find their way into the end zone, too. Colby made the right move in getting Jack Cosgrove to be their next head coach, but it’s almost not fair that his first game is against Trinity. The Mules have nowhere near the amount of talent as the Bantams, but it’ll be important to see that they’re making strides in the right direction for when they face a more formidable opponent. I’d like to see Bernie Sander ’21 catch a few passes, as he’s one of the most promising receivers on the Colby roster. Plus I’m going to love referring to him as “The Senator.” This one is going to be a blowout, but at least there will be nowhere to go but up.

Prediction: Trinity 45, Colby 7

Sophomore Slump? Williams College Season Preview

Coach Raymond and the Ephs shocked everybody in 2017, but can they improve?

Sophomore Slump? Williams College Season Preview

2017 Record: 6-3

NBN Projected 2018 Record: 5-4

Projected Starters:

Offense (8 Returners*):

QB: Bobby Maimaron ‘21*

RB: TJ Dozier ‘21

FB: Kyle Horihan ‘20

WR: Frank Stola ‘21*

WR: Justin Nelson ‘21*

WR: Rashad Morrison ‘21

TE: Justin Burke ‘21*

LT: Jeremy Subjinski ‘20*

LG: Mike Ludwig ‘20*

C: Jeff MacArthur ‘20

RG: Pat Watson ‘21*

RT: Karsten Salveson ‘19*

Defense (9 Returners*):

DL: Jameson DeMarco ‘19*

DL: Brendan Rosseau

DL: Oscar Unobskey

OLB/DE: Austin Thomas ‘19*

ILB: TJ Rothmann ‘21*

ILB: Jarrett Wesner ‘21*

OLB: Luke Apuzzi ‘20*

CB: Amhyr Barber ‘19*

CB: Des Butler ‘19*

FS: Ben Anthony ‘20*

SS: Jake Kastenhuber ‘21*

Special Teams (2 Returning):

K: Min Kyu Park ‘21*

P: TBD

KR/PR: Frank Stola ‘21*

Offensive MVP:

WR Justin Nelson ‘21

In this offense there are certainly a lot of options with this choice, but I’m going to go with the other Sophomore WR at Williams. Everyone knows about Frank Stola ’21, and for good reason, but Nelson has a chance to be the guy who takes this offense and this team to the next level. His freshman year looked like a typical freshman year—flashes of brilliance in the form of 6 catches and 125 yards, including a 76-yard TD vs. Hamilton—and games against Tufts and Amherst in which he failed to register a catch. Stola is still going to be their top big play threat but Nelson has the most unique skillset to be a target all over the field. He can catch it short and take it 76 to the house like he did against Hamilton, he can work the 10-15 yard routes that Coach Raymond loves in his offense, and he also might possess the most raw speed in the entire league. Williams’ running game looks to be their weakness offensively, but Nelson’s ability to turn short plays into big plays could make up for that.

Defensive MVP:

LB TJ Rothmann ‘21

Is 83 tackles in just 8 games good? Because that’s what TJ Rothmann’s freshman year consisted of, good for 4^th in the entire league. Despite returning 9 guys on defense, the two vacancies are up front on the line. All League NT Chris Hattar ’18 is gone and so too is Sam Gowen ’19, a fellow defensive lineman with a couple of years of starting experience. They might struggle at the line of scrimmage, especially early in the year. This team’s strength last year has been its run defense, and I expect that to continue, but it is going to be contingent upon Rothmann and the rest of the linebacking core stepping up and making a lot of tackles in the box. He has a legitimate chance to lead the NESCAC in tackles, and I expect him to be in the top 3 regardless. Ask anyone around the team and they’ll tell you that Rothmann is the most talented player on the team. He’s going to need to play like it if they want to continue to grow as an elite run-stopping unit.

Williams struggled to get anything going against Trinity in 2017.

Biggest Game: 9/29 vs. Trinity

Ironically enough, despite starting the season 4-1, it was the Ephs’ 17-9 loss in Week 3 @ Trinity that was arguably their most impressive performance. They lost a one score game on the road to the reigning undefeated league champions, and at no point did it seem like they couldn’t hang. But when the Bantams come to Williamstown this year on the last Saturday in September, it might as well be an elimination game. Both teams should be 2-0, and if you’re Williams, winning this game could mean starting the season 5-0 if they can get through Middlebury. But this league is Trinity’s until proven otherwise, regardless of who’s returning and who isn’t, and if the Ephs are the real deal this will be their chance to show it.

The Eph squad is young and has energy, but they need to bring the heat to replicate 2017.

Summary: What a difference a year makes, right? A year ago, this team was hoping to get on the board with a win in what felt like a huge game against fellow 0-8 Bowdoin. Now, it’s championship or bust in Williamstown. This team, on paper, has all the talent it needs to win the NESCAC. The offense has no shortage of weapons in 2017 ROY QB Bobby Maimaron ’21, WRs Frank Stola and Justin Nelson ’21, and swiss army knife WR Rashad Morrison ’21. The defense looks primed to be a top three unit in the league again, led by one of the best two linebacking groups in the NESCAC. It feels crazy to say but this team is returning 17 starters and yet I can’t get past the potential shortage up front on the defensive line. Whatever pairing gets rolled out there with DeMarco is going to be undersized and the weak link of a defense that relies heavily on being able to stop the run. Luckily, opening with Bowdoin and Colby should give them time to iron out the kinks. Other than that, any problem this team is going to have is going to be mental. Are the Ephs ready to take that next step and be a true championship contender, where every week is either spent dodging an upset bid or going toe-to-toe with another ring-chasing team? Last year, they were the happy-go-lucky group of upstarts who swung big and toppled a couple of giants. This year, can they be the last ones standing?

Karp’s Projected Record: 6-3

Jumbos Need to Prove They Can Hang; Tufts University Season Preview

The Tufts O Line should be solid, but their D Line leaves a lot to question.

2017 Record: 5-4

Projected Record: 4-5

Projected offensive starters (*9 returning)

QB – Ryan McDonald ’19*

RB – Mike Pedrini ‘21*

WR – Jack Dolan ‘19*

WR – Frank Roche ‘19*

WR – Dan de Leon ‘19*

WR — Winton Blount ‘20*

LT – Nick Roy ‘19*

LG – Josh Thibeault ‘19*

RG – Dan MacDonald ‘19*

RT – Logan Herodes ‘20*

C – Jack Rhodes ‘19

Projected defensive starters (*4 returning)

CB – Miles Shipp ‘20

CB – Mark Mastrog ‘20

S – Tim Preston ‘19*

S — Alex LaPiana ‘19*

LB – Greg Holt ‘20*

LB – Tylor Scales ‘20

LB —Stephen Timmins ‘20

DL – Nmesoma Nwafor ‘19*

DL – Jared Ahsler ‘19

DL – Kevin Quisumbing ‘20

DL — Tom Baker ‘20

Projected specialists (*2 returning)

PK – Matthew Alswanger ’21*

P — Alex LaPiana ’19*

KR/PR – Jack Dolan ‘19

Offensive MVP:

QB Ryan McDonald ‘19

McDonald became one of the most efficient signal-callers in the league but also tallied 10 interceptions in 2017. That number is definitely not what you’d like from a quarterback seeking to win a championship, but McDonald is constantly improving and he’ll lead an offense that returns nearly all of its starters. McDonald finished the season with eleven passing touchdowns and was definitely a point of emphasis in training camp thus far. Along with his elite running ability, we see him as breaking out with all of his receivers returning and building on already developed relationships. The Jumbos finished seventh out of ten last season in passing touchdowns a season ago, but we think that they will rank up there in the top five in this statistic, competing with Trinity and Amherst, but behind Midd and Wesleyan.

Defensive MVP:

LB Greg Holt ‘20

Although Tufts only returns four defensive starters, Holt should lead his side of the ball and at least make them competitive against. Holt is an All-NESCAC honoree and racked up an impressive 98 tackles his freshman season and 84 last year. He led the team in that stat and also led the team with 5 pass break ups, and should be ready to go this Saturday against Hamilton.

Biggest Game: October 20th vs. Williams

This might not stick out as the game to watch, but currently we have Williams, Midd, and Trinity all duking it out for the 4th-6th spots in the league standings this year. This game is following their matchup against Trinity that’ll be tough to handle, and if they can knock off the Ephs, they could go on a run the finish their season and finish in the top four.

Best Tweet:

https://twitter.com/CoachCivs/status/1027006817581318144

This tweet was a reply to Bryant University’s twitter that posted a video of a rock, paper, scissors competition that received national media attention. Well, the D3 version was better, and if the Jumbos can compete this well in a RPS competition, they should do pretty well on the gridiron.

Coach Civetti’s talent will be on display this year with few returning defensive starters.

Everything Else: (Andrew Martin’s insight from his Wesleyan centric point of view)

Medford, Massachusetts, has been the site of a budding NESCAC football program for the past few seasons. The Tufts Jumbos have transitioned themselves from the worst team in the league to one that is competitive. The 2016 season marked a historic turnaround for the program. The Jumbos finished second in the league with an impressive 7-1. The constant improvement from a 0-8 2013 campaign is a testament to head coach Jay Civetti and his coaching staff. The head coach since 2011, Civetti has coached NESCAC stars such as NESCAC player of the year Chance Brady and star quarterback Alex Snyder. The 2017 on paper, however, illustrated a fall from the remarkable growth the Jumbos showed over the previous seasons. A 5-4 2017 season didn’t live up to the high expectations after such a successful 2016 year. All four losses were within ten points.

McDonald was good enough to be the NESCAC’s best QB for a week last season, but to get his team a ring, he will likely have to do that every week.

The youthful Jumbos proved they can compete in close ball games, but couldn’t make the key plays to beat the league’s elite: Middlebury, Trinity, Wesleyan, and Amherst. The Wesleyan game in particular represented a turning point in the Jumbos’ season last year. Coming off a victory over Hamilton in their season opener, the 1-0 Jumbos traveled to Middletown to face the Wesleyan Cardinals under the lights at Andrus Field. The hype around a Wesleyan night game was palpable around campus in Middletown. The heart of Wesleyan’s campus was filled that night with proud students and alums ready to see the fast paced Cardinals face the second best team from a year ago. Tufts dominated the first half, building a seemingly insurmountable lead. As the Jumbos came storming onto the field for the second half, I heard the coaches emphasize to the team to treat the second half like a 0-0 ball game. Like that 28-3 lead the Falcons had over the Patriots in Super Bowl LI, a few Wesleyan touchdowns gave life to the Cardinals and the crowds. Mark Piccirillo and Mike Breuler slowly and steadily cut down the Jumbos’ lead. The Cardinals ending up winning the football game in one of the best comebacks I’ve witnessed in sports. Tufts could’ve easily been 2-0, then win the next two weeks against inferior Bates and Bowdoin. Week five represented their Super Bowl if they were 4-0 facing off against eventual league champion Trinity. Hindsight is 20/20, so this is all speculation. Like Bill Belichick said, ‘We’re onto Cincinnati.’ Coach Civetti probably echoes the same sentiment.

With an elite signal caller who sparks a solid ground game, plenty of returning offensive weapons, the Jumbos should be able to make all of their games close. With that said, on paper they aren’t as sharp as those top teams in the NESCAC since their defense returns so few starters. However, as everybody knows, the lines that Vegas makes for week 1 of the NFL season are always narrow, and we would make them narrow for the Jumbos against those top teams right now, too, as that defense could always show up to be elite. Let’s see what they can bring, Tufts should be a dynamic team to watch—they could go 3-6 or 6-3, although we have them at 4-5 right now.

The start of a new era: Colby College Season Preview

Colby College Football Preview

The Mules may have a tough road ahead of them, but their program will be on the rise in the coming seasons.

2017 Record: 1-8

Projected Record: 2-7

Starting Offensive Players: (*5 Returning Players):

QB: Jack O’Brien ‘20*

RB: Jake Schwern ‘19*

WR: Bernie Sander ‘21

WR: Andrew DeFranco ‘20*

TE: Ethan Smith ‘21

OT: Shane Normandeau ‘19*

OT: Trevon Bradford ‘20

G: Brandon Leibman ‘21

G: Brandon Troisi ‘19*

C: Rashawn Grant ‘21

Starting Defensive Players: (*5 Returning Players):

DB: Pat Yale ‘19*

DB: Asher Inman ‘20

S: Will Caffey ‘19*

S: Don Vivian ‘19*

LB: Marcus Bullard ‘21

LB: Sean Godin ‘20

LB: Will Turzi ‘22

DE: AJ Carrigan ‘19*

DT: Harrison Verdani ‘21

DT: Patrick Sopko ‘20*

DE: Hans Gabriel ‘20

Projected Special Teams Starters (0 Returning):

K: Walter Thilly ‘21

P: Moises Celaya ‘22

Offensive MVP:

RB Jake Schwern ‘19

Jack Schwern was the heart and soul of a lackluster offense for the Mules last season. The running back will return for his senior year after leading the Mules in rushing, receptions, all-purpose yards, and touchdowns. He also returned nine kicks for 183 yards. Schwern does a little bit of everything for the Mules who needed help on almost everything last season. In Colby’s final game of the season last year, their sole win versus Bowdoin, Schwern rushed for 262 yards as well as tied school records for most touchdowns scored in a game and most points scored in a game. In order for the Mules to turn their luck around this year and have a shot at a CBB championship, they will need Schwern to perform well against mid and top tier team as well as bottom tier teams such as Bowdoin.

Defensive MVP:

S Will Caffey ‘19

Will Caffey will lead a fairly experienced defense for the mules, who return 5 starters. Caffey played in all 9 games for the Mules last season and lead the team in pass breakups with 9 and recorded 2 interceptions. The Mules (along with Bowdoin and Bates) allowed over 30 points per game last season while scoring less than 14. Colby allowed the 2nd most rushing yards per game as well as the 3rd most passing yards. The stats don’t lie, Colby’s defense was really, really bad last year and they’re going to need some new leadership to turn it around. Someone like Caffey who has the experience and the talent to right the ship may be just what they need.

Best Tweet: https://twitter.com/CoachJBrooks/status/1034069989786042373

This tweet comes to us from the Mules’ defensive line coach Jason Brooks. Gotta love that enthusiasm.

Everything Else:

Schwern will need to lead an underperforming offensive group, but, hey, everybody loves an underdog.

The biggest X-factor for the Mules this season is their new head coach, Jack Cosgrove. Cosgrove is the winningest coach in the history of the University of Maine, where he had coached for 23 years. This hiring shows that Colby is starting to get more and more serious about their athletics. In the past, especially in football, the Mules have not fared as well as the likes of Tufts or Amherst in NESCAC athletics. with many new coaches, fields and athletic centers coming to Waterville, the Mules are looking to up their game. The Mules have a healthy mix of returning starters and fresh faces on their roster. Jack O’Brien will return as quarterback, last season he put up 130 yards per game and threw for 8 touchdowns as well as 8 interceptions. When it comes to catching O’Brien’s passes, there’s plenty of competition. The Mules list 4 tight ends as well as 10 wide receivers on the roster. Andrew DeFranco should be the WR1 for the blue and gray this year. Last season DeFranco ended with the third most receptions on the team as well as being the go-to punt and kick returner. WR2 looks to be Bernie Sander, who saw limited action as a Freshman last year but the Mules are very excited about him. Jake Schwern will be trying to show the league that he is an elite running back after breaking several school records last season. Defensively the Mules are deep at linebacker, including Sebastien Phileman, Marcus Bullard, Sean Godin and freshman Will Turzi. The offensive line has now had another year to mature and with that hopefully they will be able to help O’Brien have a little more time in the pocket. Colby has an up-and-coming program which they have entrusted to Coach Cosgrove. Don’t be surprised if the former Black Bear is able to pull off a few upsets and possibly steal a CBB ‘ship.

I don’t play football, but I already want to run through a brick wall for this guy.

Is This the Year?: Hamilton Football Preview 2018

QB Kenny Gray ’20 looks to breakout after a solid 2017 campaign.

Is This the Year?: Hamilton Football Preview 2018

2017 Record: 3-6

Projected Record: 4-5

Projected Offensive Starters (*7 returning)

QB – Kenny Gray ’20*

RB – Mitch Bierman ’21

WR – Christian Donahoe ’20

WR – Joe Schmidt ’20*

TE – Trevor Pinkham ’19*

LT – Sam Palomaki ’20*

LG – Stephen Kelley ’19*

C – Micah Balogh ’19*

RG – AJ Rattee ’21

RT – AJ Cantarella ’20*

Projected Defensive Starters (*8 returning)

DB – Colby Jones ’19*

DB – Bryce Phillips ’20

DB – Justin Leigh ’20*

LB – Tyler Hudson ’19*

LB – Cole Burchill ’19*

LB – Tim Russell ’21

LB – Sean Tolton ’19*

DL – Alex Ganter ’20*

DL – Michael Friedman ’19*

DL – Jeff Martinez ’20

DL – Will Rothschild ’19*

Projected Specialists (*3 returning)

K – Joe Suski ’21

P – Billy Wagner ’20*

KR/PR – Joe Schmidt ‘20*/Sam Robinson ’20*

Offensive MVP: Wide Receiver Joe Schmidt ’20

The 2017 First Team All-NESCAC selection is back for more. This kid is an absolute stud receiver, finishing his second season 3^rdin the NESCAC in receptions (55), 2^ndin receiving yards (811), and tied for the league lead in touchdowns with 10. He also is capable of having a huge game, as he showed in Week 1 last year against Tufts, when he caught 8 passes for 214 yards and 4 touchdowns. 4 touchdowns! Now that Wesleyan’s Mike Breuler ’18 is out of the picture, Schmidt officially becomes the conference’s top receiver. With budding star Kenny Gray throwing to him, he’s in a fantastic position to duplicate (or even top) his outstanding 2017 performance. Schmidt is an absolute nightmare for opposing secondaries.

Defensive MVP: Linebacker Tyler Hudson ’19

Hamilton boasts one of the best linebacker groups in the NESCAC, and Hudson is right at the front of that group. He has earned First Team All-NESCAC accolades in each of the past two seasons, leading the league in solo tackles (2^ndin total tackles) last year. The converted defensive end is one of the best true athletes you’ll find at this level and at times it feels like you can’t run a play without him getting involved. I’d like to see his sack numbers improve a bit, but there really isn’t much this guy can’t do. The Continental defensive unit is a force to be reckoned with and Tyler Hudson is the face of that unit.

Biggest Game: September 15^thvs. Tufts

While it might be just the first game of the season, it’s a big one. The last two meetings between these two teams have ended in overtime victories for the Jumbos. Hamilton has been just one possession away from victory each time but has come up empty as Tufts has proven that they can win these close games. With the amount of returning stars in Hamilton’s lineup, I think this could be the year that the Continentals make a leap into the upper echelon of the conference. It all starts Week 1 when the Jumbos roll into town and this Continental team comes to play with a chip on their shoulder.

Best Tweet:

https://twitter.com/HamCollFootball/status/1033556077172994053

As a non-football player I have to say that catching a punt doesn’t look particularly difficult. However, it clearly is, evidenced by how many muffed punts there are by people whose job it is to catch punts. I know how good it feels to get out of conditioning at the end of practice, so this definitely hits home a bit. This right here is what a team looks like, so let’s see if they bring this type of intensity every Saturday this year.

Everything Else:

Hamilton always seems to find themself in a weird place. They’ve been pretty consistently better than the CBB schools but worse than everyone else in recent years. There wasn’t a whole lot of turnover in their starting lineup on both sides of the ball, and they’ve got some true stars in their lineup who are ready to lead. Kenny Gray ’20 continues to get better and I think he has a chance to be in the same conversation as elite NESCAC quarterbacks such as Mark Picirillo from Wesleyan and Ryan MacDonald from Tufts. A difference maker in this lineup is going to be running back Mitch Bierman ’21 who split carries in the backfield during his rookie season. He proved to be a monstrous red zone threat, as he still finished 6^thin the conference with 6 touchdowns. If he can adjust to a larger workload, this will provide a much-needed rushing attack to complement the powerful arm of Kenny Gray.

Mitch Bierman ’21 is going to be the x-factor for this offense.

Their defense has players who have proven that they belong among the NESCAC’s best, but they haven’t quite been able to put it together as an entire unit. Guys like Cole Burchill ’19, Colby Jones ’19, and Alex Ganter ’20 are going to have to step up more than they have in the past, as they now have several years of experience under their belts. There isn’t really a whole lot to say about the Continentals other than they need to be better against the leagues tougher opponents. Wins over Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby have become commonplace for them at this point, so their season will be defined by how they fare against teams like Middlebury and Tufts, against whom they have come up just short over the past few years. Kenny Gray and co. have a chance to make some noise, so we’ll see if they’re ready to finally change the way things have gone recently.

Who can take those rings off their fingers? Trinity College Season Preview

Trinity College 2018 Football Preview

2017: Record 8-1

NBN Projected Record: 6-3

Projected Offensive Starters (*6 returning):

QB: Jordan Vazzano ‘21

RB: Max Chipouras ‘19*

WR: Koby Schofer ‘20*

WR: Jonathan Girard ‘21*

WR: John Spears ‘19*

TE: Teddy Allmendinger ‘20

T: Austin Baiardi ‘20*

G: Alex Wukovits ‘20*

C: Steve O’Reilly ‘19*

T: Sam Bowtell ‘19

G: Matt Covel ‘19

Projected Defensive Starters (*7 Returning):

DB: Matt Patry ‘20

DB: Matt McCarthy ‘21

S: Chandler Colberg ‘19*

S: Sameir Madden ‘19*

LB: Dago Picon-Roura ‘19*

LB: Shane Libby ‘19*

LB: Sean Smerczynski ‘19*

DL: Corey Jean-Jacques ‘19*

DL: Nick Rose ‘19*

DL: James Christiano ‘21

DL: Devyn Perkins ‘20

Projected Special Teams Starters (*2 Returning):

K: Eric Sachse ‘19*

P: Ian McDonald ‘20*

KR/PR: Colin Beaulieu ‘21

Offensive MVP:

Max Chipouras ‘19

Seasoned NESCAC vet Max Chipouras will look to continue his dominance of the conference into his senior year. A former NESCAC Rookie of the Year and a two-time 1st team selection, Chipouras already has more hardware than some entire teams in the NESCAC.

There is no doubt that he will be featured early and often for the Bantams this season and I doubt that this will be the year that the conference figures him out. Chipouras will be supported by an offensive line that lacks neither experience or talent. Not only will defenses struggle to get Chipouras to the ground, they will struggle to get to him at all.

Defensive MVP:

Corey Jean-Jacques ‘19

Another former 1st team selection, something that the Bantams are far from lacking, Jean-Jacques returns for a final year of terrorizing quarterbacks. Last season the defensive linemen recorded 4.5 sacks as well as 9 tackles for a loss. Jean-Jacques is the cornerstone of an experienced defensive line for the Bantams, which helped them to a conference-low 9.8 points allowed per game. Trinity also allowed less than 100 rushing yards per game, the only team in the NESCAC to do so. Jean-Jacques is one of 7 returning starters for the Bantam defense who should only improve upon their dominance from last season.

Biggest Game: Saturday, November 3rd at Home vs. Amherst

Amherst was able to stifle the Bantams perfect season last year, handing them their only loss 28-20. I’ve got no doubt that Trinity has revenge on their mind and has circled this date on their calendar.

Best Tweet:

https://twitter.com/TrinFootball/status/978251755401211905

They’re cocky but they can back it up. Gotta respect the rings.

Everything Else:

Everybody wants to know–Can Trinity get it done without stud QB Sonny Puzzo ’18?

The biggest question by far this year for the Bantams is about the quarterback position. At this point, it looks like Jordan Pizarro, a transfer from Rhode Island, will be the guy for the job. While Pizarro has the D1 pedigree to his advantage, other quarterbacks such as David Ryan and Brad Whitman are certainly not out of the question. The biggest thing that Trinity has going for them is their abundance of returning starters. Between offense, defense and special teams; the Bantams are returning 15 starters from their NESCAC championship squad last season, many of whom were decorated with All-NESCAC awards at the end of the year. Their top receivers Koby Schofer and Jonathan Girard will be returning this year and whoever their quarterback is will be grateful to have their talents at their dispense. There’s absolutely no doubt that Max Chipouras will be making a significant impact as he has every other year he’s been on the field. The vast majority of their shut-down defense is returning, meaning that the best defense (Editor’s Note: I still think Amherst has the best defense) in the conference should only be stronger and less relenting. Overall, Trinity has been, can be and will be an absolutely dominant force in the NESCAC this year and it will take nothing less than an incredible performance to take them down this year. My projected record for them is 8-1.

Editor’s Note: As you may have noticed, we have three writers projecting teams to have 8-1 seasons, which doesn’t make much sense. Spencer, Andrew, and I disagree which team, Amherst, Wesleyan, or Trinity, will win the NESCAC, but luckily, as supreme power, I can overrule them. Our official projected records have Amherst at 8-1, Wesleyan at 7-2, and Trinity at 6-3. I’m not quite as good as Vegas at setting the win total for the season, but we’ll see how it all plays out in the coming weeks.