Author: Joe MacDonald

Tufts Team Preview: Optimism Abounds in Medford

Courtesy of Tufts Athletics
Courtesy of Tufts Athletics

Editor’s Note: Unlike football, team previews are being released in no particular order.

Tufts Jumbos

2013-2014 record: 13-12 (4-6 NESCAC), seventh in NESCAC, reached quarterfinals of NESCAC tournament

Head Coach: Bob Sheldon, Jr., 27th season (373-277, .574)

Starters Returning: 3

G Ben Ferris ’15

G Stephen Haladyna ’16

F Hunter Sabety ’17

Breakout Player: G Vinny Pace ’18

With three starters returning and Tom Palleschi ’17 back in the mix (more on that later), the starting lineup is fairly solidified, but Pace has the potential to make a huge impact off of the bench. The 6’5″ combo guard brings great size to the backcourt, where he could be a defensive force. His skills are a mix between that of teammates Ferris, a double-double threat, and the sharpshooter Haladyna. He will have to battle classmate Thomas Lapham ’18, a true point guard, and returner Ryan Spadaford ’16 for bench minutes, but after a little over a week of practice Pace is pushing strongly for time.

Projected Starting Five:

Tarik Smith (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
Tarik Smith (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)

G Tarik Smith ’17

Smith has big shoes to fill with distributor Oliver Cohen ’14 gone, but he is next level quick, shoots the ball well from deep and got plenty of seasoning under his belt last year (25 games, 18.8 minutes per game). Smith will have the ball in his hands to start most possessions.

 

 

Ben Ferris (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
Ben Ferris (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)

G Ben Ferris

Ferris, the 2011-12 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, is the undisputed leader on the floor for the Jumbos. The guard missed the first half of last season due to injury, and never got fully into the swing of things. Though he put up points and rebounds similar to what he achieved during his sophomore season, he was much less efficient from the floor. However, after undergoing hip surgery during the summer, reports are that Ferris is as healthy as ever and ready to take this team to the next level.

StephenHaladyna
Stephen Haladyna (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)

G Stephen Haladyna

Of the starting five, Haladyna is the best long-range shooter, and he should get plenty of open shots off of passes from the two big men. He might be the fourth option on this offense, which is a scary thought for opposing teams.

 

 

 

Hunter Sabety (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
Hunter Sabety (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)

F Hunter Sabety

In the majority of seasons, Sabety would have been the hands down choice for Rookie of the Year after averaging 14.8 points per game (tops on the team) on 65 percent shooting and 6.6 boards per game. Unfortunately for Tufts, the hopes of a third straight ROY honor were dashed by Duncan Robinson. Sabety presents a huge matchup problem for almost every team in the league, and had stretches of dominance in 2013-14.

 

Tom Palleschi (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)
Tom Palleschi (Courtesy of Tufts Athletics)

F Tom Palleschi

Palleschi is the Jumbos’ X-factor, as well as the biggest question mark. He brings size and double-double potential to the front court. A heart condition held the big man out last season, and it’s an amazing story that he will even be on the court again. Palleschi is 100 percent cleared to play, but head coach Bob Sheldon, Jr. estimates that he has not quite returned to his former level of play just yet. That being said, Sheldon also expects the sophomore captain to return to form and be better than ever before long.

Everything Else:

The Jumbos were a sexy pick by some to make a surprise run at the NESCAC title last season, but the squad never got healthy at the same time. Ferris missed almost half the season, Haladyna was sidelined for a handful of games, and, of course, Palleschi never saw the floor. However, if Tufts can avoid the injury bug this season then they have a shot to realize those lofty expectations.

Expect the offense to work inside out on most possessions. It will be a challenge for Palleschi and Sabety, both 6’8″ and about 240 pounds, to mesh together, but if they do then their offensive potential is sky high. Expect a lot of high-low action from the big men, and open shots for the guards. Sabety brings more athleticism to the floor than Palleschi, so he might also be employed to run the base line while Palleschi works to get position inside.

Drew Madsen ’17 will be the primary reserve big man, and the aforementioned Pace and Spadaford should see a decent amount of minutes. The scoring should be spread out fairly evenly across the board, as every player in the starting five is strong offensively.

Look for the Jumbos to get better as the year goes along, as this group builds chemistry that is just now getting the opportunity to foster.

Fantasy Report Week 7: The Semifinals

The fantasy playoffs got under way this week with a pair of low-scoring rematches of Week 6 contests. Regular season champ Foye Story (MacDonald) matched up with Lord of the ‘CAC (Lamont), while Team Lindholm and The Bantams (Meekins) met for the third time.

1. Foye Story (MacDonald) vs. 4. Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont)

Foye Story had its second-worst week of the season while The Fellowship had its second-best, riding the strong legs of running backs Lou Stevens ’17 and Tyler Grant ’17. Only seven players across both teams were in double digits, as it was, overall, a pretty poor offensive week around the league. Lamont moves on to the championship with the easy victory over the top seed.

Foye Story (MacDonald) Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship
Pos. Player Pts. Player Pts.
QB G. Harrington 4 M. Cannone 9
QB A. Lommen 1 C. Rosenberg 13
RB A. Scyocurka 0 L. Stevens 25
RB C. Iregbulem 4 T. Grant 21
RB C. Brady 4 M. Gaines 0
WR M. Minno 28 B. Ragone 0
WR S. Kiesel 0 L. Duncklee 4
WR N. Joseph 0 M. Riley 6
TE B. Kurtz 2 N. Dean 0
FLEX D. Jacobs 0 D. Barone 2
FLEX J. Hurdle-Price 6 R. Arsenault 0
K I. Fuchs 16 L. Scheepers 1
D/ST Middlebury 15 Wesleyan 16
80 97
It was a big weekend for fantasy defenses across the board, including Wesleyan, which swarmed QB Mark Pomella '15 on this play. Courtesy of Williams Athletics
It was a big weekend for fantasy defenses across the board, including Wesleyan, which swarmed Williams all game.
Courtesy of Williams Athletics

2. Team Lindholm vs. 3. The Bantams (Meekins)

It was a tough week for Meekins, whose team fell flat and posted the second-fewest points of any team all season. When your defense is the only position in double figures, you know that there is a problem. You’ve got to hand it to Lindholm though. Despite some questionable draft picks (originally, Williams fullback Qadir Forbes ’14 was in place of Zach Trause ’15, but a mulligan was called on that one; and the early round choice of Trinity utility man Michael Budness ’15, who’s not what you’d called a “fantasy” stud), a complete lack of attention paid and absolutely zero free agent acquisitions, Lindholm’s squad is in the finals. I’m not even mad, I’m impressed.

Team Lindholm The Bantams (Meekins)
Pos. Player Pts. Player Pts.
QB M. Lippe 5 J. Warren 7
QB M. Milano 29 M. Caputi 3
RB J. Semonella 0 N. Kelly 5
RB Z. Trause 10 K. Gibson 0
RB L. Ware 0 G. Ackley 0
WR H. Murphy 0 G. Garay 7
WR J. Hurwitz 1 I. Dugger 0
WR J. Fabien 2 J. McGonagle 8
TE J. Day 0 B. Oliver 0
FLEX M. Budness 0 D. Myers 8
FLEX R. Hislop 0 D. Sime 2
K M. Dola 7 P. Nwosu 0
D/ST Amherst 16 Trinity 16
70 56

Fantasy Report – Week 6

Bates Frank Williams '17 about to make a move Saturday (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)
Bates Frank Williams ’18 about to make a move Saturday (Courtesy of Bates Athletics)

The fantasy regular season is in the books, and with only two weeks left in the NESCAC schedule, the drama is mounting both on the field and on the computer screens of our four brave competitors. With three teams at 2-3 after last week, Week 6 proved critical for playoff seeding. Over the next two weeks a single elimination playoff will take place with the top seed playing the bottom and seeds two and three matching up.

The Bantams (Meekins) vs. Team Lindholm

Last time these two teams met up it was an 80-58 shellacking in favor of The Bantams, but Lindholm exacted his revenge this time around, topping Meekins 131-68. QB Jesse Warren ’15 was the only impact factor for Meekins, and Warren’s 38 was matched by QB Matt Milano ’16 on Lindholm’s side.

The Bantams (Meekins) Team Lindholm
Pos. Player Pts. Player Pts.
QB J. Warren 38 M. Lippe 18
QB M. Caputi 1 M. Milano 38
RB N. Kelly 1 J. Semonella 0
RB G. Ackley 1 Z. Trause 4
RB K. Gibson 0 L. Ware 13
WR G. Garay 3 H. Murphy 0
WR I. Dugger 1 J. Hurwitz 25
WR C. Ragone 6 J. Fabien 8
TE D. Von Euw 0 J. Day 8
FLEX J. McGonagle 1 K. Adinkra 0
FLEX D. Sime 4 M. Budness 1
K P. Nwosu 5 Dola 3
D/ST Trinity 9 Williams 13
68 131

Foye Story (MacDonald) vs. Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont)

Lamont got the best of me in Week 3 when Foye Story racked up a measly 62 points, 27 points below my next lowest-scoring week, but I turned the tables this time with an 18-point victory. Three injuries to Lamont’s lineup made the difference.

Foye Story (MacDonald) Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship
Pos. Player Pts Player Pts.
QB G. Harrington 33 M. Cannone 30
QB H. Foye 13 J. Doll -2
RB C. Iregbulem 6 L. Drew 0
RB A. Scyocurka 8 T. Grant 7
RB C. Brady 0 C. Lipani 0
WR M. Minno 27 B. Ragone 1
WR B. Berey 0 L. Duncklee 13
WR S. Kiesel 12 M. Riley 16
TE B. Kurtz 0 A. Way 1
FLEX J. Hurdle-Price 3 P. Donadio 3
FLEX D. Jacobs 7 M. Rando 0
K I. Fuchs 5 L. Scheepers 4
D/ST Middlebury 9 Wesleyan 22
113 95

The final regular season standings are below. With Meekins and Lamont splitting their in-season match ups, the advantage tilts in Meekins’ favor thanks to a 218-182 point total in those match ups.

Team Record Points
Foye Story (MacDonald) 5 – 1 639
Team Lindholm 3 – 3 516
The Bantams (Meekins) 2 – 4 441
Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont) 2 – 4 509

Fantasy Report – Week 5

The cream has risen to the top. Despite a pair of inactives on my roster, a handful of huge performances added up to the most prolific week of the season for Foye Story which topped Team Lindholm for the second time this year.

In the other matchup, The Bantams put up a monster week of their own, which was crucial because it evened the head-to-head matchup between Meekins and Lamont.

Foye Story (MacDonald) vs. Team Lindholm

Why, hello, Mr. Harrington. The Colby sophomore broke out in a big way last week, racking up four touchdowns in the Mules first win of 2014. What’s more, I think I found an answer to my defensive woes. Middlebury’s D destroyed Bates and tallied 31 fantasy points.

Meanwhile, Lindholm’s squad put up a healthy 117 points, but almost three quarters of that came from Matt Milano ’16, Jay Fabien ’14 and Zack Trause ’14. The rest of Lindholm’s roster was pretty unproductive, and a few roster moves are in order as he’s got some non-factors from a fantasy standpoint (whether for reasons related to injury or otherwise) still in his starting lineup.

Foye Story (MacDonald) Team Lindholm
Position Player Points Player Points
QB G. Harrington 37 M. Lippe 10
QB H. Foye 22 M. Milano 38
RB A. Scyocurka 6 K. Adinkra 0
RB C. Iregbulem 0 R. Hislop 0
RB C. Brady 8 J. Semonella 0
WR G. Luna 0 H. Murphy 0
WR S. Kiesel 18 J. Hurwitz 10
WR M. Minno 21 J. Fabien 24
TE B. Kurtz 1 J. Day 1
FLEX J. Hurdle-Price 5 Z. Trause 25
FLEX D. Jacobs 6 M. Budness 3
K I. Fuchs 6 M. Dola 3
D/ST Middlebury 31 Williams 3
161 117

The Bantams (Meekins) vs. Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont)

It was a tough week for Lamont’s squad, in part because his attempted waiver claim that would have replaced the injured LaDarius Drew ’15 in his lineup was blocked by yours truly. Scoreless games from Pat Donadio ’15 and Mark Riley ’16 really hurt as well, and solid production up and down the lineup for Meekins’ squad was too much for the Fellowship.

The Bantams (Meekins) Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship
Position Player Points Player Position
QB J. Warren 25 M. Cannone 6
QB M. Caputi 4 J. Doll 22
RB K. Gibson 14 T. Grant 6
RB G. Ackley 8 C. Lipani 0
RB N. Kelly 26 L. Drew 0
WR G. Garay 9 B. Ragone -1
WR I. Dugger 6 L. Duncklee 24
WR C. Ragone 10 M. Riley 0
TE D. Von Euw 0 A. Way 7
FLEX J. McGonagle 0 P. Donadio 0
FLEX D. Sime 10 M. Rando 2
K P. Nwosu 16 Scheepers 2
D/ST Trinity 7 Wesleyan 5
125 73
Tyler Grant is brought down by Trinity's Spencer Donahue. How representative of The Bantams' (Meekins) domination of The Fellowship is this? Courtesy of Greg Sullivan (http://www.sevenstrong.net/TrinityFootball)
Tyler Grant is brought down by Trinity’s Spencer Donahue. How representative of The Bantams’ (Meekins) domination of The Fellowship is this?
Courtesy of Greg Sullivan (http://www.sevenstrong.net/TrinityFootball)

With only one week remaining in the regular fantasy season, the standings are as such:

Team Record Points
Foye Story (MacDonald) 4 – 1 526
The Bantams (Meekins) 2 – 3 473
Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont) 2 – 3 414
Team Lindholm 2 – 3 385

 

Fantasy Report – Weeks 2-4

For the better part of two weeks, my time was occupied by swimming with sharks on the Great Barrier Reef and cruising around the beautiful Whitsunday Islands on a sailboat, among other activities (Editors Note- That sentence made me die a little inside). Admittedly, NESCAC football took a backseat on the list of my priorities for a short time. But no longer! Even while I was away, the season soldiered on, as did our fantasy teams. I must say, even in my absentee status, I run a damn good squad.

Week 2

Foye Story (MacDonald) vs. Team Lindholm

My team (read: Chudi Iregbulem ’15) put up solid numbers in Week 2, but the matchup was really sealed more by Peter’s ignorance than my own management. Thanks, bud!

Foye Story (MacDonald) Team Lindholm
Position Player Points Player Points
QB G. Harrington 7 M. Lippe 0
QB H. Foye 13 M. Milano 26
RB A. Scyocurka 4 K. Adinkra 3
RB C. Iregbulem 36 R. Hislop 0
RB D. Jacobs 11 J. Semonella 0
WR M. Minno 3 H. Murphy 0
WR G. Luna 17 J. Hurwitz 4
WR S. Kiesel 0 J. Fabien 2
TE B. Harasimowicz 6 J. Day 5
FLEX C. Brady 9 M. Budness 0
FLEX N. Joseph 3 Z. Trause 9
K J. Mallock 0 M. Dola 9
D/ST Bates -5 Williams -8
TOTAL 104 50

The Bantams (Meekins) vs. Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont)

Meekins puts up 82 in Week 1 and 93 in Week 2 and can’t vulture a win either week. The Fellowship was carried by Lamont’s dominant QB duo, as Matt Cannone ’15 and Jack Doll ’15 alone outscored Lindholm’s team this week.

Jack Doll went 29-39 for 267 yards, 3 TD's and 0 INT's as Tufts went 2-0 for the first time since 2008. Courtesy of Tufts Athletics
Jack Doll went 29-39 for 267 yards, 3 TD’s and 0 INT’s as Tufts went 2-0 for the first time since 2008.
Courtesy of Tufts Athletics
The Bantams (Meekins) Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont
Position Player Points Player Points
QB J. Warren 17 M. Cannone 25
QB M. Caputi 7 J. Doll 31
RB K. Gibson 25 T. Grant 8
RB J. Rivers 2 C. Lipani 11
RB N. Kelly 11 L. Drew 0
WR G. Garay 9 B. Ragone 2
WR I. Dugger 4 L. Duncklee 3
WR C. Ragone 2 E. Drigotas 1
TE B. Oliver 0 A. Way 1
FLEX D. Von Euw 0 D. Barone 6
FLEX D. Sime 1 M. Rando 3
K P. Nwosu 6 Scheepers 1
D/ST Trinity 12 Wesleyan 15
TOTAL 93 109

Week 3

The Bantams (Meekins) vs. Team Lindholm

There were a pair of blowouts in Week 3, and Meekins got his first victory despite a few goose eggs on his scoresheet. Nick Kelly ’17 has proven to be a big pickup for Meekins, and his contributions grew every week over the first three weeks.

Team Lindholm The Bantams (Meekins)
Position Player Points Player Points
QB M. Lippe 0 J. Warren 19
QB M. Milano 3 M. Caputi 10
RB K. Adinkra 4 K. Gibson 14
RB R. Hislop 0 J. Rivers 0
RB J. Semonella 5 N. Kelly 20
WR H. Murphy 0 G. Garay 2
WR J. Hurwitz 8 I. Dugger 1
WR J. Fabien 8 C. Ragone 2
TE J. Day 7 D. Von Euw 0
FLEX M. Budness -2 B. Oliver 0
FLEX Z. Trause 15 D. Sime 0
K M. Dola 0 P. Nwosu 0
D/ST Williams 10 Trinity 12
58 80
The Bantams (Meekins) got their first W in Week 3 as the Trinity D, shown here swarming QB Chase Rosenberg '17 and blanketing his receivers, racked up 12 points. Courtesy of Greg Sullivan (http://www.sevenstrong.net/TrinityFootball)
The Bantams (Meekins) got their first W in Week 3 as the Trinity D, shown here swarming QB Chase Rosenberg ’17 and blanketing his receivers, racked up 12 points.
Courtesy of Greg Sullivan (http://www.sevenstrong.net/TrinityFootball)

Foye Story (MacDonald) vs. Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont)

I didn’t get the usual 30+ points from Iregbulem in Week 3, so I was bound to take my first loss. Tyler Grant’s ’17 Offensive Player of the Week performance was nearly enough to top my team on its own.

Foye Story (MacDonald) Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont)
Position Player Points Player Points
QB G. Harrington 1 M. Cannone 18
QB H. Foye 11 J. Doll 15
RB A. Scyocurka 16 T. Grant 44
RB C. Iregbulem 6 C. Lipani 0
RB D. Jacobs 3 L. Drew 0
WR M. Minno 0 B. Ragone 1
WR G. Luna 1 L. Duncklee 1
WR S. Kiesel 6 E. Drigotas 0
TE B. Harasimowicz 0 A. Way 1
FLEX C. Brady 8 D. Barone 4
FLEX N. Joseph -2 M. Rando 0
K J. Mallock -1 Scheepers 1
D/ST Bates 13 Wesleyan 19
TOTAL 62 94
Tyler Grant '14 had the game of his life against Tufts. Forty-three carries for 208 yards and 4 TD's. Courtesy of CIPhotography (http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/fball/2014-15/photos/0002/index)
Tyler Grant ’14 had the game of his life against Tufts. Forty-three carries for 208 yards and 4 TD’s.
Courtesy of CIPhotography (http://athletics.bowdoin.edu/sports/fball/2014-15/photos/0002/index)

Week 4

Foye Story (MacDonald) vs. The Bantams (Meekins)

I finally gave up on Gabe Harrington ’17 and subbed in the rookie Reece Foy ’18. I was hoping the rhyming combination of Foy and Foye would finally get me some production out of the QB slots. Alas, I was disappointed, but Iregbulem once again carried my team to victory. I also have to give a shoutout to Alex Scyocurka ’14, who’s averaging 15.0 points per week for me. I need to start getting some QB and TE production, and my rotating defenses haven’t been doing me much good, but nonetheless I’m feeling pretty good atop the league standings to date.

Meanwhile, Meekins was yet again topped despite a strong showing. He’s put up 348 points through four weeks, good for second-most and just 17 behind myself, and yet is 1-3. Tough luck. One interesting note, Jesse Warren ’15 is just as consistent in fantasy as in real life. He’s put up scores of 20, 17, 19 and 19.

Foye Story (MacDonald) The Bantams (Meekins)
Position Player Points Player Points
QB H. Foye 3 J. Warren 19
QB R. Foy 1 M. Caputi 17
RB A. Scyocurka 16 K. Gibson 9
RB C. Iregbulem 42 G. Ackley 1
RB C. Brady 17 N. Kelly 11
WR G. Luna 5 G. Garay 11
WR B. Berey 0 I. Dugger 4
WR S. Kiesel 3 C. Ragone 0
TE T. Miletich 0 D. Von Euw 0
FLEX D. Jacobs 20 J. McGonagle 0
FLEX J. Hopsicker 3 D. Sime 0
K I. Fuchs 4 P. Nwosu 3
D/ST Tufts -4 Trinity 18
110 93

Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship (Lamont) vs. Team Lindholm

Lindholm’s “loyalty” to Max Lippe ’15 finally paid off, as the senior QB led his team with 20 points, and despite a few zeros, and even some inactives, in his lineup, Lindholm bested Lamont for the second time this season. Matt Milano ’16 rebounded from a clunker against Amherst to have a solid fantasy week, and Lindholm even got a few points from Mike Budness ’15 who completed a 28-yard pass in Week 4.

On the other side, The Fellowship continues to suffer from the injury bug. LaDarius Drew ’14, Carl Lipani ’17 and Mike Rando ’17 were all inactive. That’s too much lost production for which to make up. Grant put up another strong week, though, and is looking like a back than can be relied upon now.

Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship Team Lindholm
Position Player Points Player Points
QB M. Cannone 0 M. Lippe 20
QB J. Doll 2 M. Milano 19
RB T. Grant 21 K. Adinkra 0
RB C. Lipani 0 R. Hislop 0
RB L. Drew 0 J. Semonella 0
WR B. Ragone 6 H. Murphy 0
WR L. Duncklee 0 J. Hurwitz 6
WR E. Drigotas 3 J. Fabien 12
TE A. Way 0 J. Day 1
FLEX D. Barone 9 M. Budness 4
FLEX M. Rando 0 Z. Trause 1
K L. Scheepers 5 M. Dola 5
D/ST Wesleyan 20 Williams 6
66 74

After four weeks of NESCAC football, the standings are as follows. Lindholm holds the tiebreaker over Lamont for beating the latter twice. There are two more weeks in the regular season before the fantasy playoffs commence, so stay tuned.

Team Record Points Scored
Joe 3 – 1 365
Pete 2 – 2 268
Adam 2 – 2 341
Sean 1 – 3 348

Fantasy Report – Week 1

Week 1 of the NESCAC football season is in the books. There will be plenty of “real” news and analysis coming later on in the week, but let’s kick Monday off with what everyone really cares about. Fantasy football.

 

The Bantams (Meekins) vs. Foye Story (MacDonald)

 

Meekins’ two controversial early picks of “back up” running backs looked pretty good this week. Kyle Gibson wasn’t spectacular, but Nick Kelly broke away for a 42-yard TD on his way to 77 yards over nine carries, and both was his team’s leading rusher on the day. Wesleyan and Meekins got pretty much what is to be expected from Jesse Warren, who posted 20 points by throwing for 163 yards and two TD’s, and Gene Garay made good on his first round status, outscoring all other wide receivers in play besides Jay Fabien (Team Lindholm).

However, Foye Story edged The Bantams, ironically, on the strength of Chudi Iregbulem’s NESCAC Offensive Player of the Week-winning performance. Well over half of my points came from Iregbulem and Alex Scyocurka, and I’m excited for both of their potential this season. The bad news: I started the wrong Hamilton tailback (Rico Gonzalez over Jeff Hopsicker) and Middlebury wide receiver (Matt Minno over Grant Luna), but a win’s a win.

Alex Scyocurka tore up the Bowdoin defense for 128 yards and two TD's.
Alex Scyocurka tore up the Bowdoin defense for 128 yards and two TD’s.
The Bantams (Meekins) Foye Story (MacDonald)
Position Player Points Player Points
QB J. Warren 20 H. Foye 6
QB M. Caputi 5 G. Harrington 10
RB K. Gibson 6 A. Scyocurka 24
RB J. Rivers 2 C. Iregbulem 32
RB N. Kelly 8 I. Reese 1
WR G. Garay 11 M. Minno 2
WR I. Dugger 4 G. Lanzillo 0
WR C. Ragone 7 N. Joseph 10
TE B. Oliver 0 B. Harasimowicz 1
FLEX D. Von Euw 0 R. Gonzalez 0
FLEX D. Sime 2 S. Carroll 2
K P. Nwosu 1 J. Mallock 3
D/ST Trinity 16 Colby -2
TOTAL 82 89

Team Lindholm vs. Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship

How ’bout those Ephs?! The Williams defense carried Team Lindholm, scoring more than everyone else in the matchup besides Panthers QB Matt Milano. Pretty amazing that Lindholm pulled off the victory despite four goose eggs on the board. Two of those are pretty glaring, as Lindholm (and the rest of us) assumed that Max Lippe and Ryan Hislop would be starting for their respective squads, but it looks like both could be looking at reserve duty unless injury or bad performance strikes. Kenny Adinkra, too, will need to step up his play after Kelly’s breakout day.

As for Team Lamont, he should be encouraged by a solid showing from Austin Lommen in his first NESCAC game, and Carl Lipani looked great in Colby’s season opener. Other than that though, Lamont got a lot of mediocre performances. The Wesleyan D/ST was good not great, and unfortunately Mike Rando didn’t accrue any points for his return duties, causing Team Lamont to pull up just short.

Matt Cannone, downed at the two here, and the triple option had little success against the Amherst defense.
Matt Cannone, downed at the two here, and the triple option had little success against the Amherst defense.
Team Lindholm Lord of the ‘CAC – The Fellowship
Position Player Points Player Points
QB M. Lippe 0 M. Cannone 10
QB M. Milano 21 A. Lommen 15
RB K. Adinkra 2 L. Drew 0
RB R. Hislop 0 T. Grant 4
RB J. Semonella 1 C. Lipani 13
WR H. Murphy 0 B. Ragone 5
WR J. Hurwitz 0 E. Drigotas 0
WR J. Fabien 14 L. Duncklee 1
TE J. Day 10 A. Way 2
FLEX M. Budness 1 D. Barone 4
FLEX Z. Trause 16 M. Rando 5
K M. Dola 2 L. Schweepers 0
D/ST Williams 19 Wesleyan 13
TOTAL 86 72

The Fantasy Comes to Life

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2014 NESCAC Fantasy Football League. With the season just a day away, we decided  just watching the games wouldn’t be enough. Like the multitudes of men and women in NFL fantasy leagues across the country, for the duration of the season our weeks will be defined by our fantasy squad’s performance.

Rules:

Roster:
2 QB
3 RB
3 WR
1 TE
2 FLEX (RB/WR/TE)
1 D/ST
1 K
4 BENCH

Scoring:
Our scoring scheme is essentially the same as an ESPN standard league, so in the interest of saving time and space I won’t put down every point total here.
The only difference is in the points we award for passing. In ESPN standard leagues, QB’s receive one point for every 25 passing yards and four points for a TD pass. However, the NFL is much more pass happy than the NESCAC. Over the last three years, from 2011-2013, there have been 316 passing touchdowns and 306 rushing touchdowns in the NESCAC, and 45,452 passing yards compared to 34,181 rushing yards. So, we decided to award six points for touchdowns of any kind (passing, rushing or receiving), and one point for every 20 passing yards as opposed to 25. Running backs and receivers earn one point for every 10 yards on the ground or through the air.
One other miscellaneous note: individual players do not receive points for kick returns. For example, Darrien Myers ’17 is one of the league’s best return men, but if he runs a kickoff back for a touchdown he will accrue no points, while the Trinity D/ST will receive six.

Schedule:
We will be competing in weekly head-to-head matchups. There are four teams, so each team will play each other team twice over the first six weeks. Weeks 7 and 8 will serve as a single-elimination playoff. The top seed will play the fourth seed, the second will play the third, and the winners of the Week 7 matchups will compete for the title.
First tie-breaker: Head-to-head record
Second tie-breaker: Most points in head-to-head matchups
Playoff tie-breaker: QB points
Second playoff tie-breaker: RB points
Third playoff tie-breaker: WR points

Player Acquisitions:
Trades are fair game through the first six weeks. After games begin in Week 6 no more trades will be allowed.
Waiver requests must be submitted by Tuesday night. The last team in the standings will get the first chance to acquire any free agent, followed by the second-worst team, the second-best team and finally the first place team. There is no limit to player acquisitions, so if the last-place team places two waiver claims and the second priority is still available after each team has a chance to claim players, then the last-place team will be allowed to acquire that player.

The Draft:
Finally, here’s how the draft shook out, with some analysis from the participants.

Round 1
Sean Meekins: WR Gene Garay (Amherst)
Peter Lindholm: QB Max Lippe (Amherst)
Adam Lamont: RB LaDarius Drew (Wesleyan)
Joe MacDonald: WR Matt Minno (Middlebury)

JM: Aware of the dependency of NESCAC offenses on the run game (3,158 rushes compared to 2,579 pass attempts in 2013), and the lack of elite receiving options, Sean led us off with one of the few top returning receivers with an experienced quarterback throwing to him. I think that move inspired Pete to some effect, and I completely understand Adam going for the top running back out of the gate. For my part, despite the desire of head coach Bob Ritter to run the ball more this season and the lack of experience for expected starter Matt Milano, I think Minno only gets better and as we will see in later rounds I have confidence that the Middlebury offense will keep rolling.

Round 2
JM: RB Alex Scyocurka (Williams)
AL: QB Matt Cannone (Bates)
PL: RB/TE Mike Budness (Trinity)
SM: WR Chris Ragone (Trinity)

PL: Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I thought Mike Budness was a running back when I made this pick. So when Joe told me that he was more a fullback/wingback/hybrid, I was naturally a little concerned. After some seriously frantic googling, I now feel a deep connection to Mike Budness. He is not a fantasy player; he’s a football player, and although his stats maybe don’t deserve a second round pick, he should be great for Team Lindholm’s chemistry. And we all know that team chemistry is what wins fantasy football gold. There were other bold picks in this round, including Adam’s pick of Bates QB Matt Cannone, the leading passer on a team that runs more than the broken faucet on the fourth floor of Coffrin (seriously though, it’s been two weeks.) Anyway, long story short, rough start for the Lindholms.

AL: I am a believer in Cannone. Think he will put up big stats as a dual threat guy

JM: I might regret going with Scyocurka over Cannone, but I wanted to make sure I got a feature back, and Scyocurka will almost definitely lead the league in carries if he remains healthy all year long.

Round 3
SM: QB Jesse Warren (Wesleyan)
PL: RB Kenny Adinkra (Amherst)
AL: WR Luke Duncklee (Colby)
JM: RB Chudi Iregbulem (Trinity)

AL: Duncklee’s production might dip a little bit with the change at quarterback, but he should still be one of the league’s best receivers.

JM: I know Iregbulem only carried the ball 19 times last year to Jacob Rivers’ 12, but it appears that Iregbulem won the starting job and with the run-heavy offense down there in Hartford I’m pretty confident that he can return third-round value or better. Oh by the way, he averaged 7.2 yards per carry last season

Round 4
JM: QB Gabe Harrington (Colby)
AL: RB Tyler Grant (Bowdoin)
PL: WR Josh Hurwitz (Wesleyan)
SM: RB Kyle Gibson (Wesleyan

Round 5
SM: RB Jacob Rivers (Trinity)
PL: TE Jonathan Day (Wesleyan)
AL: RB Carl Lipani (Colby)
JM: RB Ivan Reese (Bates)

SM: With these two picks, I took Kyle Gibson (Wesleyan) and Jacob Rivers (Trinity). These were controversial picks because both are considered the back up running backs on their respective teams. However, the NESCAC is a running back dominant league and both have very strong offenses. With this being true both are going to get many carries throughout the year. They should get just as many carries as the starting running backs from the bottom teams in the league. Trinity’s Ben Crick thrived behind Evan Bunker, and I feel Rivers can break out and have similar success.

JM: I feel like I got another great value in Reese in the fifth round. He replaces the graduated Ryan Curit in the fullback position in Bates’ triple option. Curit had the fourth-most rushing attempts in 2013, so hopefully Reese can match that total. He also ran for over 100 yards in his only start of 2013.

AL: Bowdoin wants to run the ball more this year and Grant is the only running back returning with experience. As for Lipani, he will get the ball more without Ciero running around, but the question remains whether he can make a substantial leap in carries from the 52 he had last season.

Round 6
JM: TE Brett Harasimowicz (Middlebury)
AL: WR Brian Ragone (Amherst)
PL: RB Ryan Hislop (Middlebury)
SM: Trinity D/ST

AL: No reason to think that both Ragones can’t have productive seasons.

JM: I probably could have waited on Harasimowicz here seeing as the general response was, “Who’s that?” But I’ve watched first hand over the past two seasons as Billy Chapman and Billy Sadik-Khan earned All-NESCAC honors as tight ends in the Middlebury scheme. Of course, there will be fewer passes to spread around with Mac Foote gone, but I think the string of success for Middlebury tight ends continues, and Harasimowicz’s main competition for playing time, junior Trevor Miletich, has been nagged by injury in the preseason.

Round 7
SM: WR Ian Dugger (Trinity)
PL: Amherst D/ST
AL: QB Austin Lommen (Williams)
JM: WR Brendan Rankowitz (Middlebury)

AL: I felt that I needed to grab another QB and I’ve liked everything that I’ve heard about Lommen so far.

JM: Yup, that’s my third Middlebury target in seven rounds. Am I a bit of a homer? Maybe. But four Middlebury receivers were in the top-11 in yards last season, and even if Rank or Harasimowicz are the third or fourth option they will put up bigger numbers than the top options on other offenses. And I think QB Matt Milano will surprise a lot of people around the NESCAC this year. By the way, check out Round 12. Figured I might as well get every reception for the Panthers.

Round 8
JM: QB Henry Foye (Trinity)
AL: WR Ethan Drigotas (Bowdoin)
PL: RB Zach Trause (Tufts)
SM: Phillip Nwosu (Amherst)

SM: A very bold pick in the 8th round, but kickers are extremely important in the NESCAC. That is why I went with Phillip Nwosu. He is a very consistent kicker, something that is not guaranteed in the NESCAC. Adam named him Amherst MVP, so I felt it would be smart to take a consistent kicker on a team who is going to score a lot of points this year.

AL: Drigotas might not grab a lot of TD’s but he should see an uptick in production.

JM: I didn’t feel like there were any great fantasy quarterbacks to be had, though I expect someone to emerge. I went with Foye hoping that he can be solid and won’t hurt me. He should have a strong running game helping him out as well, so if he can not turn the ball over and rack up some TD’s I’ll be happy. And his numbers were good last year in limited time, though I’m worried that if the coaching staff benched him once they might do it again.

Round 9
SM: TE Brendan Oliver (Trinity)
PL: WR Harrison Murphy (Bates)
AL: Wesleyan D/ST
JM: WR Nick Joseph (Colby)

AL: The Amherst and Trinity defenses were both gone, but Wesleyan could have the best D/ST by season’s end.

PL: In the NESCAC there are very few top tier players and a huge amount of middle tier guys, so these middle rounds can be crucial in determining the league champion. That said, I really like Meekins’ pick here. He was able to snag a solid tight end in the later rounds, allowing him to focus on grabbing good skill guys earlier in the draft, when they’re still available. Adam grabbed the Wesleyan defense, which is bold because although they won’t give up many points, they also won’t be on the field much because Wesleyan’s offense is so dominant, which will give them less chances to force turnovers. I took Bates WR Harrison Murphy because I was worried about my depth at WR, and because my relatives in Lewiston would have all cut me out of their wills if I didn’t grab a Bates guy, and they’re getting old so it’s time to make some moves.

Round 10
JM: RB Rico Gonzalez (Hamilton)
AL: TE Alex Way (Williams)
PL: K Zach Dola (Middlebury)
SM: WR Darrias Sime (Williams)

JM: In all honesty, I’m not totally confident that Gonzalez will get the lion’s share of carries, so I made this pick with the full intention of handicapping him later on. Unfortunately, the Hamilton running game could be a three-headed monster early on. I’m hoping one of my two Continentals will emerge as the workhorse.

AL: I needed a tight end here and I like the potential production of Way.

Round 11
SM: TE David Von Euw (Colby)
PL: QB Matt Milano (Middlebury)
AL: WR Mike Rando (Tufts)
JM: RB Shaun Carroll (Bates)

AL: Tufts players got overlooked a lot in this draft because the team hasn’t been very good in recent years, but they throw the ball a ton and Rando will be one of their guys out of the slot.

Round 12
JM: WR Grant Luna (Middlebury)
AL: QB Jack Doll (Tufts)
PL: Williams D/ST
SM: QB Spencer Aukamp (Trinity)

AL: Same logic as the previous round, and I needed a good backup QB.

SM: I went with Spencer Aukamp with this pick as insurance. Trinity’s offense changed last season when they went to the freshman Puzzo after a few games. I figured to take a chance on this one because Trinity’s offense likes to mix things up. Aukamp might also get some fourth quarter snaps in which he can prove something if the Bantams are blowing other teams out.

Round 13
SM: RB Gus Ackley (Trinity)
PL: WR Jay Fabien (Wesleyan)
AL: WR Dan Barone (Bowdoin)
JM: WR Greg Lanzillo (Tufts)

PL: I was starting to get a little confused here in the later rounds, but I still didn’t feel good about my receiving depth, so I was psyched to get a Wesleyan receiver so late in Jay Fabien. Their offense should be so powerful that I assume some of the glory will go to Fabien. Like I said earlier, the NESCAC is a league that is relatively thin at the top in fantasy terms, but very deep throughout the middle, so all of the picks in this round should contribute to their teams (both fantasy and real) throughout this season. I particularly like Joe grabbing Lanzillo, who could be poised for a breakout year. I want to give Joe another shout-out for being so focused on the draft despite having to fight off kangaroos with eucalyptus bark during the whole thing down in Australia. An incredible performance, to be sure.

JM: Why was Lanzillo still on the board? He’s the top receiving threat on the league’s second-most pass-happy offense. Come on, guys.

Round 14
JM: WR Steve Kiesel (Williams)
AL: K Louw Scheepers (Colby)
PL: RB James Semmonella (Bates)
SM: WR Darrien Myers (Trinity)

JM: Sort of the same thing here. Kiesel’s teammate, Sime, went four rounds earlier, and they were essentially equal in production in 2013. And I think they should both be even better this year with what should be an upgrade at QB.

AL: I saw Scheepers hit a 45-yarder in a scrimmage so I’m a believer.

Round 15
SM: QB Mac Caputi (Bowdoin)
PL: RB Lashawn Russell-Ware (Hamilton)
AL: WR Pat Donadio (Hamilton)
JM: RB Jeff Hopsicker (Hamilton)

AL: Joe Jensen is gone so Donadio should see a big uptick in production.

JM: I really feel like one of these Hamilton backs will end up the team’s leading rusher. Pete made my decision easy by grabbing the speedy Russell-Ware, so I went with the former safety.

Round 16
JM: Colby D/ST
AL: TE Henry Falter (Amherst)
PL: K Andrew Murowchick (Bowdoin)
SM: WR Jackson McGonagle (Amherst)

AL: To get a guy as talented as Falter this late is a steal in my opinion.

Round 17
SM: RB Nick Kelly (Amherst)
PL: RB Andrew Miller (Middlebury)
AL: WR Mark Riley (Bates)
JM: K Joe Mallock

JM: I stuck to my fantasy strategy of taking defenses and kickers at the end, and I’m totally happy with both of these selections, although in hindsight maybe I shouldn’t have picked up Colby as my starting D/ST in week one, seeing as the trip to Hartford is never fun.

PL: At this point in the draft you could have told me that the remaining names were the cast of the Broadway hit “Newsies” and I would have believed you, but once I got my bearings I was happy with my pick. Having already drafted Middlebury’s prospective starting running back, Ryan Hislop, I decided to go with the other member of that position battle, Andrew Miller. I wanted to be sure that I had the Panthers’ running game locked down, as the quarterback uncertainty in Middlebury signals a greater reliance on the ground game. This was the final round of the draft, and it was a great time. Should be a lot of fun to follow throughout the fall, so stay tuned to Nothing but NESCAC for all the fantasy news. And, you know, some stuff about the real games as well.

Wesleyan Team Preview – Same Team, Greater Expectations

2013 Record: 7-1

Returning Starters: 19 (eight offense, 10 defense, one specialist)

Offensive Overview:

You won’t find a more complete team on either side of the ball in the NESCAC. Eight All-NESCAC honorees return to the Cardinal lineup, four on offense. The Cardinals will lean heavily on the run, as they rushed 353 times last year compared to just 174 pass attempts. LaDarius Drew ’15 ran for 94.5 yards per game last year, and his “back-up,” if it’s fair to call it that, Kyle Gibson ’15 earned Second Team honors by rushing for 73.4 yards per game. If miraculously either of those two workhorses stumble, Lou Stevens ’17 averaged 5.9 yards per carry over his 40 touches. Quarterback Jesse Warren ’15 wasn’t an All-NESCAC recipient, but he had the highest completion percentage and yards per attempt in the league and was second to Mac Foote in TD passes. His only three interceptions came in the season finale at Trinity. Josh Hurwitz ’15 and Jay Fabien ’15 are both in their fourth years as starting receivers. Tight end Jonathan Day ’15 is another All-NESCAC honoree. He serves primarily as a run blocker but was fourth on the squad in receptions last year. The offensive line is stacked as well. Pat DiMase ’15 (Second Team) and Blake Cunningham ’16 line up at tackle, while there is some competition for starting time on the interior, although Taylor Bishop ’15, Shane Scannell ’15 and Austin Frank ’15 are the frontrunners and each has game experience.

Defensive Overview:

The returning depth on the defensive side might even be more impressive than that of the offense. Linebacker Myers Beaird graduated, but starters are back everywhere else. Furthermore, the Cardinals like to rotate players on defense and keep legs fresh, so players up and down the roster have in-game experience. Nik Powers ’15 and grad student Jordan Otis line up at defensive end. Ibraheem Khadar ’15 and Mitch Godfrey ’15 will be on the interior. A host of others will rotate through the defensive line, including Alex Sakhno ’15, Greg Blaize ’16 and Jordan Stone ’17. The linebacking corps is a strength, with leading tackler Alex Daversa-Russo ’16 and Gregg Kelley ’15 back. The third spot will be filled by Jake Siciliano ’15, who opened 2013 as the starter but it was then discovered that he had a stomach tumor. Siciliano’s injury made room for Daversa-Russo in the line up, and having both on the field in 2014 will make the Wesleyan defense that much scarier. In the defensive backfield, grad student Jake Bussani will make a run for his fourth straight All-NESCAC First Team award. Vincent Davis ’15 will be the opposite corner. At safety, two-sport stud Donnie Cimino ’15 returns and is joined by Justin Sanchez ’17 who started in 2013. Lastly, Devon Carrillo ’17 will be on the field as a safety-linebacker hybrid. Carrillo was the team’s second-leading tackler, and was awarded All-NESCAC honors as a return man for his 25.7 yard average on kickoffs. In reality, the defense has more than 10 starters returning. Add Siciliano and Carrillo to the tally, and there are 12 players back who could be considered starters.

Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics
Clockwise from top left: Donnie Cimino; Jonathan Day; Jay Fabien; Jake Bussani – Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics

Three Big Questions

1. Can Wesleyan Win the Big One?

After rolling through the first half of the season, outscoring its opponents 163-22, Wesleyan saw some stiffer competition in the final four weeks, and squeaked out victories over its Little Three rivals by a total of eight points. Then disaster struck, Warren failed to take care of the ball as he had all season, the defense imploded, and Trinity closed out its season with a 40-10 beat down of the would-be outright champs. The Cardinals are out to prove that they have become the preeminent program in the NESCAC, and that they can beat big brother down the road in Hartford.

2. Will the Little Three Crown Stay in Middletown?

After a 43-year drought, Wesleyan finally defeated Amherst and Williams in the same season, earning the Little Three championship. Though as mentioned above, the victories were slim. Amherst essentially threw away that matchup with three interceptions and a fumble lost, allowing the Cardinals to get out of Amherst with a 20-14 win, while a late field goal was the difference in Wesleyan’s 16-14 defeat of Williams. Wesleyan will be the favorite in both games but victories will not come easily.

3. Who Steps in for Departed Placekicker Sebastian Aguirre?

Aguirre was arguably the best placekicker in the NESCAC last year, and indeed made the All-NESCAC Second Team for his efforts, and as noted above he kicked the game winner that sealed the Little Three title for the Cardinals. Options to replace Aguirre include backup QB Ike Fuchs ’16, who came into camp atop the depth chart, Corey Phillips ’17 and newcomer John Henry-Carey ’18.

Team MVP: LaDarius Drew. You know that the Cardinals are going to pound opponents with the run game, and Drew will be the team’s workhorse. Expect both him and Gibson to be at the top of the leaderboards in every rushing category. Oh by the way, if healthy Drew will easily become the school’s all-time leader in rushes, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

Biggest Game of the Year: Nov. 8 against Trinity

Is there any doubt? These are probably the two best teams in the conference, they are a 25-minute drive up 91 apart from one another, and Wesleyan still has a sour taste in its mouth from last year when the Bantams took the Cardinals’ NESCAC title and divided it into three parts. It’s not impossible that both teams could be undefeated heading into this game.

Best Tweet of the Offseason: The Wesleyan Football Twitter account (@Wes_Football) kept its followers up to date on what a lot of the Cardinals were doing this summer. Kyle Gibson interned at JPMorgan and was offered a full-time job upon graduation, Josh Hurwitz worked with the Celtics organization and Mitch Godfrey was with the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod League. But our favorite has to be this series of tweets about how LaDarius Drew spent his summer.

The Cardinals are locked and loaded. Anything short of a NESCAC title will be a disappointment for Wesleyan.

Williams Team Preview – The Defense Knows Howe to Win

2013 Record: 2-6

Returning Starters: 17 (seven offense, eight defense, two specialists)

Offensive Overview: 

One thing is certain about the Williams offense. Number 22 is going to see a lot of carries. Fifth-year running back Alex Scyocurka saw 155 of the team’s 261 carries in 2013, and that percentage will likely rise as the Ephs plan to ride the workhorse back. Where there is less certainty is the quarterback position, where returners Tom Murphy ’15 and Mark Pomella ’16 are competing with Boston College transfer Austin Lommen ’17. Lommen redshirted his first year at BC and didn’t see the field in year two, but that’s a similar story to that of a pretty successful quarterback who left his mark on the program up in Middlebury over the last couple years. Neither Murphy or Pomella had consistent success in 2013, so the door stands open for the newcomer.

Whoever is under center (or behind, as head coach Aaron Kelton intends to spread the field a bit more this season) will have experienced targets at his disposal. Steven Kiesel ’15 and Darrias Sime ’16 saw starter-like reps last year and were second and third on the team in receptions, and starting tight end Alex Way ’16 returns. The offensive line should be a strength. Led by Alan Felix ’15, the entire o-line will have starting experience.

Defensive Overview:

Williams’ 4-3 defense was slightly above average in 2013, but one area where the Ephs excelled as pass defense, allowing the second-fewest pass yards per game of any team in the conference. This is due in part to the work done by All-NESCAC First-Teamer James Howe ’16 at defensive end, arguably the best returning defensive player in the league. Howe racked up 10 sacks and 17 tackles for loss, and remarkably led the team in total tackles. All-NESCAC Second Team safety Tom Cabarle ’15 and company benefited from the pressure created by Howe and others. Both starting corners are back from last year, and fifth-year man Andre Lafontant will return from an injury that kept him out most of 2013 and should slot in next to Cabarle at safety. The Ephs return their entire starting linebacker core with Antonio Blanco ’15, James O’Grady ’16 and John Bond ’16 as well as Jack Ryan ’16 who has plenty of experience. The defense should improve in 2014 and will benefit if the offense can do a better job with time of possession.

Three Big Questions:

1. Can the offense sustain long drives?

The defense was better last year than most people realize, allowing the third-fewest yards per play in the NESCAC. But the offense did little to help out, putting up the worst time of possession in the league. Despite seeing so much time on the field, the defense was able to hold the league’s top four offenses to 21 points or less. So for Williams to turn its record around in 2014, the offense will need to show marked improvement. Much of that responsibility lies with the quarterback position, as there is experience and production returning at every other position.

2. Can Scyocurka stay healthy?

The feature back has struggled with injuries over the course of his career, which explains why he’s earned an extra year of eligibility. As a freshman Scyocurka carried the ball 67 times, but then only played in six games between 2011-12. Reports were that Scyocurka was healthier than ever entering camp. If he can combine his 2013 durability (59 percent of the team’s carries) and his 2012 explosiveness (5.3 yards per rush), Scyocurka might make a surprise push for Offensive Player of the Year.

3. Can James Howe elevate his game?

Howe already put up great numbers in 2013, earning 2.5 more sacks than the next most prolific pass rusher. But he can’t become complacent. So much of the defense’s success depends on his getting pressure on the quarterback and plugging holes against the run. It’s a long shot, but Williams has a Player of the Year candidate on both sides of the ball.

Team MVP: James Howe. He was probably the team’s best player last year, and even if he only repeats those numbers he would still be a logical choice. One could also look to the aforementioned Scyocurka or Felix as possible candidates, but Howe’s production from defensive end is so far above his peers that there’s really no debate.

Biggest Game: Nov. 8 at Amherst

The Biggest Little Game in America lives on for its 129th edition in 2014. No matter the records, this game is the most important on both teams’ schedules. Williams holds the historical advantage having gone 71-52-5, but the Lord Jeffs have won three straight. It’s possible that one (or both) of these teams will still be playing for a title in Week 8, which adds even more drama to this already emotionally-charged game.

Best Tweet of the Offseason: This is from back in March. Wide receiver Darrias Sime and former Williams basketball center Mike Mayer took some time to read to a class of first graders at South Elementary School.

Improved quarterback play should give the Ephs a good chance at competing for a spot near the top of the NESCAC in 2014. The defense will be strong again and the offense will lean heavily Scyocurka. If everything clicks the Ephs will be a surprise team this season.

Middlebury Team Preview – Panthers Look to Find Their Matt Saracen

2013 Record: 7-1

Returning Starters: 15 (5 offense, 8 defense, 2 specialists)

Offensive Overview:

In case you hadn’t heard, there was some pretty good quarterback play in Middlebury over the last couple years. Mac Foote’s name is all over the NESCAC record book, right alongside his predecessor Donnie McKillop. The question now is whether there is a young Panther ready to step up and be the next great NESCAC quarterback. Middlebury’s one-back, spread offense depends heavily on good quarterback play, and three signal-callers are currently in the hunt for the starting job. Each has played well and shown improvement this preseason, and the competition is still up in the air. Matt Milano ’16 served as the primary back up in 2012 and 2013, but had just seven passing attempts in 2013. Eric Bertino ’15 fell behind Milano on the depth chart last season, but one more year of familiarity with the playbook will help him in this battle. Youngster Jake Stalcup ’17, who doubles as a reliever on the baseball team, has the best size of the group at 6’5″, and is absolutely a factor as well. The coaching staff probably won’t make a decision on its starter until the week before the team’s season opener.

There are further question marks on offense. All-NESCAC tight end Billy Sadik-Khan is gone to graduation, and explosive playmaker Joey Zelkowitz ’17 has followed the path of multiple two-sport stars before him at Middlebury and hung up the football cleats in order to focus on lacrosse. The offensive line has two returning starters in Blake Shapskinsky ’15 and Dan Finta ’15, and BC transfer Win Homer should provide stability at left tackle, but the other two spots are up for grabs. Whoever wins the QB battle will have talented and experienced receivers at his disposal with All-NESCAC First-Teamer Matt Minno ’16, Second-Teamer Brendan Rankowitz ’15 and Grant Luna ’17 all back. Ryan Hislop ’15 is the favorite to see the majority of the carries early on, but he has yet to show consistency in his career.

Defensive Overview:

The opening day defense will have more experience than its counterparts. Tim Patricia ’16 is among the best tacklers in the NESCAC, and indeed leads the league over the past two years in total tackles. There isn’t tremendous size on the defensive line, and coach Bob Ritter tends to rotate bodies through those positions in order to keep legs fresh. At the back, Matt Benedict ’15 is a strong all-around safety with a lot of experience, and Nate Leedy ’17 burst on the scene last year at cornerback and instantly became one of the NESCAC’s best, tallying one pick and seven pass break ups. Patricia and Benedict each made the All-NESCAC Second Team in 2013. The defense was above average last year, ranking fourth in points per game allowed despite seeing more snaps than any other team in the league, but will need to be even better while the offense goes through a transition.

Courtesy of Middlebury Campus
Courtesy of Middlebury Campus

Three Big Questions:

1. How great was Mac Foote’s impact?

The Middlebury offense always provides the opportunity for a few great individual seasons. But you still need talented players in order to be successful. The best player on the field for Middlebury over the past three seasons has been Foote, and it’s impossible to know right now if Minno and the rest of the receiving corp can repeat last year’s production with a new wing under center. Will Middlebury be able to hold onto the ball for long drives? Or will the defense be playing with a lot of short fields behind them? Can the offense repeat the level of red zone efficiency that it displayed in 2013? The ramifications of Foote’s departure are multiple, and his replacement will need to play at a similar level in order to come close to again earning a share of the NESCAC crown.

2. Can the defense create big plays?

Middlebury employed a bend-don’t-break strategy in 2013, allowing the fifth-most yards per game but only 16.2 points per game. It worked for the Panthers last year, but it is a dangerous way to play defense. Furthermore, the Panthers would like to improve on the eight interceptions and five fumble recoveries they garnered last season.

3. Is Middlebury here to stay?

The Panthers have three championships since 2000, but two of those (2000 and 2013) were one-third shares, with the only outright title coming in 2007. After a 4-4 2011, Middlebury has gone 7-1 in back-to-back seasons. Can the Panthers maintain their current level of success? It will come down to whether Coach Ritter and the rest of his staff have brought in enough talent to reload given the departure of so many impact players on the offensive side of the ball.

Team MVP: Middlebury will rely more heavily on its defense than in past years, and Nate Leedy has the ability to shut down a team’s best receiver. Cornerbacks don’t often get this kind of recognition, with the majority of the glory on defense going to the linebacking corps, but Leedy might be the most talented Panther on the defensive side of the ball.

Biggest Game: Oct. 25 at Trinity

Middlebury opens the season against tri-champion Wesleyan and meets Amherst, the third member of the championship trio, in Week 3, but both of those games come at home. While the first three weeks will tell us a lot about this year’s Panthers team, the most interesting game for Middlebury will be its Week 6 trip to Hartford. Trinity’s winning streak is well-documented, and assuming that Middlebury doesn’t sweep Wesleyan and Amherst (and the rest of its early season games), the Panthers will need a win at Trinity to stay in the championship hunt.

Best Tweet of the Offseason: From Middlebury freshman Logan Shrout, who has already figured out the best part of college sports.

The 2014 Panthers still have plenty of talent on the roster, and will undoubtedly have some newcomers make an impact. Is it enough to compete for a championship once again? Only time will tell.