Tag: Coach Devanney

It Is What It Is: 2019 End-of-Season Power Rankings

(1) 1. Middlebury (9-0)

No surprises here – the Panthers capped off the first 9-0 season in NESCAC history with a convincing victory over Tufts in Medford. Rookie RB Alex Maldjian ’23 led the league in rushing with 905 yards on the season (100.6 per game) and he seems to be a shoe-in for the NESCAC Rookie of the Year award. The receiving corps took a big step up this year and that was in large part due to the enormous improvement of QB Will Jernigan ’21. The Georgia native must have spent the summer implementing the TB12 method because he looked like an entirely different quarterback this year than he did last year. As a sophomore in 2018, Jernigan was 8th in the league with 127 passing yards per game and 10 touchdowns on the year. In 2019 he finished 2nd in the league with 221 passing yards per game and 16 touchdowns. It’s starting to make sense why they went from 5-4 in 2018 to 9-0 this season. 

It would also be impossible to talk about this Middlebury team without talking about the defense – this unit led the NESCAC in interceptions and sacks, terrorizing opposing teams all year. The junior LB duo of Pete Huggins ’21 and Jack Pistorius ’21 finished tied for 4th in the conference in tackles with 72 each, they were both top-10 in TFLs, and they each added an interception for good measure. These guys would both be the best linebacker on any other team and the Panthers have them both! DB Kevin Hartley ’20 finished tied for 1st with 5 interceptions on the year and both Michael Carr ’20 and Finn Muldoon ’23 were top-10 in the NESCAC in picks as well. There’s no controversy this year – it’s safe to say that Middlebury was the best team and they proved it. Of their 9 games on the year, 6 of them were decided by one score or less and those include a double overtime victory at Amherst and a one-point scare against Colby. No matter who they were up against the Panthers were able to do just enough to find a way to win and that’s what championship teams do. Congrats to Panther Nation.

(3) 2. Wesleyan (8-1)

We’ve taken a lot of heat from Wesleyan fans over the past few weeks and deservedly so. Not a single one of us here at NbN believed that the Cardinals would be able to go 8-1 or honestly even 7-2. Even after their 5-0 start I thought that they were going to finish 6-3 or maybe even 5-4 given that they closed out the season with Middlebury, Amherst, Williams, and Trinity. Well they absolutely proved us wrong and I’m willing to admit that. Ashton Scott ’22 looks like the next star quarterback of the NESCAC and he made a legit POY case with his 17:3 TD:INT ratio and a league-leading completion percentage. Scott couldn’t have done it without the help of fellow classmate and breakout star Matthew Simco ’22 who finished 4th in the conference in both receiving yards and touchdowns, while finishing 3rd in receptions. The duo of Ben Thaw ’20 and Danny Banks ’22 are likely the best DB combo in the NESCAC with Thaw leading the league in picks and pass break ups and Banks coming in at 2nd in picks and 3rd in PBUs. The fact that Wesleyan was able to take down Amherst and Williams in consecutive weeks and going to 3 overtimes in the process is incredibly impressive and frankly it’s a shame that they couldn’t put up more of a fight against Middlebury because that would’ve been a ton of fun to watch. Either way this was a very impressive year for the Cardinals and with all the youth on their roster I don’t think this will be the last we’re hearing from these guys…

(2) 3. Williams (7-2)

I just want to go on record and say that if they’re able to avoid any major injuries to key players next year, the Ephs are my pick to win the 2020 NESCAC Championship. Yeah they lost two games this year and they lost those two games fair and square, but I really think this is the best team in the league. QB Bobby Maimaron ’21 has my vote for Offensive Player of the Year with his league leading 20 TDs and 2 INTs (also good for the best TD:INT ratio), while also adding the 4th most rushing yards in the conference. These are pretty incredible numbers and they’re also very difficult to sustain given that Williams almost exclusively runs RPOs. This kid is a stud. WR Frank Stola ’21 got off to one of the best starts to a season in recent memory for a receiver and Coach Raymond took full advantage, often using Stola as a decoy to draw away defenders during a few of their games later in the year. What may have taken the most pressure off of Maimaron was the Ephs’ menacing defense that led the league in both yards and points allowed. That’s how you keep your team in games. They say that defense wins championships so if this defense can ride the momentum into next year then it will be a very long season for anyone not wearing purple and gold.

(5) 4. Trinity (5-4)

In hindsight I kind of feel like we made the same mistake for Trinity that we did for Wesleyan, but the other way around. Because of their recent history, we assumed that the Bantams were pretty much the favorite for every game they played in. It turned out that they really weren’t that good this year, at least not by their standards. We all know how Coach Devanney loves running up the score so they had some lopsided victories over the Maine schools but when it came to the upper echelon of the league they really struggled. It took the Bantams until the 4th quarter to put away Hamilton and their 21-7 win over Amherst isn’t as impressive as it usually is because the Mammoths weren’t that great this year either. They lost one-possession games to Tufts, Middlebury, and Wesleyan, exposing their immaturity and showing that they tended to panic when time was winding down. Realistically this year is probably nothing more than a speed bump for this perennial powerhouse, but with the re-emergence of Williams and the improvements of Hamilton it’s time for the Bantams to start watching their backs.

(6) 5. Hamilton (4-5)

I’m really torn about what to say here because I was fully prepared to write a rave review about this year’s Continental team until they totally blew it in their final game against Bates. If you’re up 21-0 in the first half against a team that has only won once in the last two years then there’s really no excuse not to close that one out. With that being said, there are still a ton of positive takeaways from this season for Hamilton. They were able to beat both Amherst and Tufts for the first time in a while and they battled with Trinity until the final whistle. The emergence of David Kagan ’20 as a legitimate threat out of the backfield was huge to ease the burden for QB Kenny Gray ’20 who has really carried this team for the last four years. They also benefitted from an experienced trio of receivers in Christian Donahoe ’20, Will Budington ’21, and Sam Robinson ’20, each of whom stepped up in big moments, particularly given that WR Joe Schmidt ’20 was battling injury. I also think kicker Sam Thoreen ’22 deserves recognition because this guy is truly the best kicker in the league – he was a perfect 10/10 on field goals and 23/25 on extra points, giving him 53 points on the year which trailed only Mason Von Jess ’23 of Wesleyan. Coach Murray has done an outstanding job with this program and they are absolutely headed in the right direction, but they lose a lot to graduation this year so now we’ll have to wait and see if they can continue this positive trend with a new generation of faces.

(4) 6. Amherst (4-5)

Much like the Bantams’ season, this one was a disappointment for the Mammoths. Their first losing season since 1993 is definitely tough to swallow, particularly when so many of their games were decided in the final minutes or even seconds. It sort of felt like they were losing steam every game – once they suffered their first loss in double overtime to Middlebury things really started to spiral out of control. They easily took down Bowdoin the following week but then blew an 11-point lead with 4 minutes left against Hamilton, lost in double overtime again, this time to Wesleyan, and were smacked in their final two games against Williams and Trinity to close out the year on a 4-game losing streak. It seems to me that we should have treated Amherst like we treated Wesleyan earlier in the year – they started the year with the easier portion of their schedule and took care of business, but struggled mightily against the top teams and at times seemed overmatched. This is pretty much what we expected the Cardinals to do, but instead they went the other direction and got better as the year went on, playing some of their best games late in the year and beating a few of the top teams. 

It’s clear that they really felt the losses of RB Jack Hickey and LB Andrew Yamin from last season because those guys were two of the best playmakers in the league. It felt like the Mammoths were lacking star power at times and that really showed; QB Ollie Eberth ’20 saw his interception totals balloon from just 1 last season to 13 this season. Thirteen!! That’s a ridiculous increase and it’s pretty much because he was only throwing to one guy. WR James O’Regan ’20 had twice as many touchdowns (8) as any other player on their roster and he had more than double the amount of receiving yards as the next most on the team. It’s hard to make things happen when defenses know exactly who you’re trying to get the ball to. This is definitely a season to forget for Amherst and they’ll lose their top two offensive players to graduation this year so it’ll be interesting to see who they bring in to replace these key pieces.

(7) 7. Tufts (4-5)

This was a really weird year for the Jumbos. It felt like every week a different team came to play. They felt the high of beating the defending champion Bantams in Week 1 and the low of getting blown out by Hamilton at home in Week 7. QB Jacob Carroll ’20 quietly led the league with 247 passing yards per game and was 2nd with 19 touchdown passes, but was sloppy with the ball at times and threw more interceptions than anyone in the league besides Eberth. QB Trevon Woodson ’23 looked excellent in his short stints as the backup, so it’s possible that they have a more than capable replacement waiting for next season. WR Frank Roche ’20 had an outstanding year as he led the league with over 100 receiving yards per game and was 2nd with 10 touchdowns, but they didn’t have many other receiving threats and the run game was essentially non-existant. LB Greg Holt ’20 led the league in tackles and will soon receive another All-NESCAC selection, but the defense was nothing special and forced the fewest turnovers of anyone besides Bowdoin. It seems like Coach Civetti is faced with a similar challenge to some of the other coaches in the league: his first generation of star players (i.e. Chance Brady, Ryan McDonald) have come and gone and now he has to continue the trend. All the pieces are in place to do that, but it’s hard to know what to expect from the Jumbos moving forward.

(9) 8. Bates (2-7)

Easily my most controversial* pick in the end-of-season rankings is putting Bates ahead of a Colby team that beat them head-to-head and finished with an identical record. It’s easy to forget, however, that the Bates-Colby game was all but won by the Bobcats when they scored a would-be game-winning touchdown in the final minutes before it ended up being nullified by one of those classic phantom holding flags that we’re all accustomed to in the NESCAC. It seemed like they only gained momentum from there because they destroyed Bowdoin the next week and successfully orchestrated a 21-point comeback against Hamilton in the final game to end up with a more respectable 2-7 record. Brendan Costa ’21 is probably the most underrated quarterback in the league and he showed towards the end of this year that not only can he run and throw at a high level, but he can lead crucial drives late with the game on the line. This type of thing only comes with experience and that’s something that Costa surely has now that he’s spent nearly 3 full years as the starter. The Bobcats also showed that they have some real offensive threats, although nearly all of them battled injuries this year. Christian Olivieri ’22, Jackson Hayes ’22, Sean Bryant ’22, and Mohamed Diawara ’23 are the core of a receiving unit that has seen some serious improvements and their committee of running backs headlined by Liam Spillane ’21, Jaason Lopez ’21, and Tyler Bridge ’23 looked competitive with the best of them in spurts. As evidenced by the plethora of underclassmen mentioned so far, Bates isn’t losing much to graduation this year. If they can add a few more pieces and pick up where they left off then this will be a very different Bobcat team in 2020.

*Yes, I do believe that the words “controversial” and “biased” can be used interchangeably.

(8) 9. Colby (2-7)

I’d say this ended up being a pretty standard season for Colby football. They were mildly competitive in some games, beat Bates and Colby, and gave Middlebury their biggest scare of the season. When the dust settled they found themselves the winners of the CBB for the second year in a row and because I anticipate hearing from someone how it’s ludicrous to put Bates ahead of Colby, I will address it – I was at the Bates-Colby game and to be blunt the Bobcats were the better team that day. Yeah they lost, but outplaying Colby and having the referees take away a win does not go unnoticed. The better team doesn’t always win in sports and that was the case here. The Bobcats went on to solidify this claim by taking down Hamilton (who obliterated the Mules in Week 3) in their final game.

At the end of the day, this was not a terrible season for Colby. Winning the CBB is still something to be proud of and QB Matt Hersch ’22 had himself a solid second season, averaging over 200 yards per game through the air. Chris George ’20 emerged as the replacement for Jake Schwern out of the backfield and he had a solid year, as did receivers Andrew DeFranco ’20 and Rory Glavin ’21. LB Marcus Bullard ’21 finished 3rd in the NESCAC in tackles, but other than him the defense was unremarkable. The Mules were 2nd to last in the league in sacks so the defense really wasn’t able to get much pressure on opposing quarterbacks. They were also 2nd to last in rushing yards allowed per game, so the front 4 will need to be a point of emphasis heading into next season. Colby has nothing to be ashamed of after this season, especially after nearly taking down the league champs in Week 5. Coach Cosgrove now has 2 consecutive 2-win seasons, so the bar is set. 3 is the magic number.

(10) 10. Bowdoin (0-9)

It can’t be fun to be a Bowdoin Polar Bear football fan. Last in the almost every statistical category on both sides of the ball in 2019, 1 win over the last 4 years, and a new coaching staff that has an uphill battle every step of the way. RB Nate Richam-Odoi ’20 was 2nd in the conference in rushing yards; though he was pretty much the only bright spot on the offensive side except for maybe RB Brendan Ward ’22 who had a team-high 4 touchdown catches. LB Joe Gowetski ’20 finished with 84 tackles on the year, which was good for 2nd in the NESCAC, but the same could be said for him as Richam-Odoi – they didn’t really have anyone else on defense who made an impact and Gowetski couldn’t do it all himself, so it was a very long year. Hopefully Coach Hammer has a good recruiting class lined up for next year because things are looking grim otherwise.

Who Are The Real Contenders?: Weekend Preview 9/28

Editor’s note: In addition to the weekend preview I wanted to update everyone on how our writers have been doing in picking the winners of each game. The majority of the games have been pretty easy to pick, but there have definitely been some early surprises. Our predicted scores have typically been pretty close to the actual scores, but Ryan Moralejo is the only writer to have correctly predicted the score of any of the games so far. Hopefully it doesn’t get any easier!

Matt Karpowicz: 8-2
Haven Cutko: 8-2
Ryan Moralejo: 7-3 (1 correct score)
Spencer Smead: 7-3
Cameron Carlson: 7-3

Colby @ Hamilton, 12pm, Clinton, NY

If we picked our Game of the Week based solely on competitiveness rather than championship implications, this game would absolutely be in the running. However, both of these teams have yet to prove that they belong in that conversation. Hamilton has been the one team the CBB schools have been reasonably within reach of beating in recent years. If any of the Maine teams want to get respect outside of the CBB, they need to start by beating Hamilton. Colby was able to do this last year, which suggested that they may be trending towards competitiveness in the middle tier of the league. However, starting off 0-2 and only putting up 10 points in each game has provided everyone with a reality check. Hamilton will provide less of a challenge for the Mules than Wesleyan and Amherst, so this is Coach Cosgrove’s best chance yet to show the league what his team can do. They will need to contain Continentals RB David Kagan, who has gotten off to a terrific start this season in leading the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Hamilton also leads the league in total rushing yards. Both teams have talented QBs who will be looking to prove themselves this Saturday. If you aren’t focused on end of season results and just want to see competitive NESCAC football, this should be an entertaining game to watch. 

Hamilton proved that they can (sometimes) compete with the league’s middle tier last season when they beat Wesleyan. Colby has not been able to show this with any team outside of the CBB except in their victory last year against Hamilton. On top of that, having to make the seven hour haul across New England never makes a team’s task easier. Hamilton has shown a little more offensive firepower this season (albeit mostly against Bowdoin), so I’ll take them in a tight one. 

SS: Colby 31, Hamilton 17 
CC: Colby 24, Hamilton 21 
HC: Hamilton 24, Colby 20 
MK: Hamilton 28, Colby 21 
RM: Hamilton 34, Colby 24

Writers’ Pick: Hamilton

Bowdoin @ Williams, 1pm, Williamstown, MA

Austin McCrum is doing everything he can to keep the Polar Bears competitive

You have to feel for the Polar Bears. Having to visit a Williams team that just put up 44 on Tufts certainly is not ideal…especially not coming off a game where you got 60 pieced. The scary thing is that the Williams offense very well could be just as good as Trinity’s this year. Polar Bears, just try to make it through these next couple weeks injury-free and you will (hopefully) get to play some close games at the end of the season. I hate to kick Bowdoin while they’re already down, but it’s very difficult to find any bright spots from their performance last week. It’s promising to see that they have some balance in their offense, with six players registering a carry and seven registering a catch. Now, the next step is for these guys to do this more often and maybe take that ball into the endzone while they’re at it. Easy, right?

I wish I could say that this is a trap game for Williams, but at this point I honestly think it would be a reach to even call it that. The Ephs’ offense showed what they were capable of last week and absolutely shredded a solid Tufts defense. Bobby Maimaron and Frank Stola looked like Montana and Rice, linking up for 13 completions, 233 yards and 4 touchdowns. They also got their run game going, as both Maimaron and RB Dan Vaughn were within 10 yards of the century mark. Even kicker Andrew Schreibstein (whom I personally ripped on after his brutal first week) stepped up big time. He was 3/3 on field goals and 5/5 on extra points while earning Special Teams Player of the Week. The CBB contests can’t come soon enough for Bowdoin. 

SS: Williams 38, Bowdoin 7
CC: Williams 42, Bowdoin 7
HC: Williams 42, Bowdoin 7 
MK: Williams 35, Bowdoin 6 
RM: Williams 49, Bowdoin 10

Writers’ Pick: Williams

Amherst @ Tufts, 1pm, Medford, MA

This is another game that was under consideration for our Game of the Week. While it very well could live up to all expectations, it’s hard to feel good about Tufts’ chances after Williams absolutely had their way with them last week. At the same time, we still can’t forget that it’s a Jumbos team that also held Trinity to eight points just a week earlier. This inconsistency is the opposite of what Amherst has shown us so far, as they have played solid football since a rocky first half at Bates and have wins against the Bobcats and Colby under their belt. It’s been the usual suspects making plays for the Mammoths. Senior QB Ollie Eberth and classmate James O’Regan have already connected for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Tufts shut down Trinity’s three headed monster of receivers in their first game, but got lit up by Bobby Maimaron and Frank Stola of Williams a week later. If the Jumbos’ week one caliber defense returns, Amherst will have their hands full- the Mammoths have had a bit of a cakewalk so far. However, Coach Civetti’s first priority should be figuring out who Tufts will start under center. Trevon Woodson replaced Jacob Carroll in the midst of the beatdown last weekend and completed 12 of 17 passes, but also threw a pick. Neither quarterback has shown a ton of promise yet, so this week of practice will likely be a big factor in determining who gets the start on Saturday. Whoever we see out there would be smart to throw the ball to WR OJ Armstrong, who sits third in the league at 13 receptions and added a touchdown last week to boot. If the Jumbos cannot create holes for RB Mike Pedrini, they will need to rely on Armstrong and likely Woodson to make plays. Amherst’s defense does not look like they have fallen off since losing Andrew Yamin, only allowing 11.5 points per game. While we have not seen Tufts’ offense play to its potential, it’s a safe bet to say that they will have a little more firepower up their sleeve than Bates and Colby did. 

If Tufts’ performances in the last two weeks were reversed, I might feel differently about this game. And it would be especially interesting to see them, Trinity, and Hamilton all get wins this week, which would put six teams at 2-1 while leaving Wesleyan unscathed at the top. Realistically, though, they have not shown me enough on offense for me to predict them outplaying a traditionally strong Amherst D- especially in the midst of a possible quarterback controversy. Amherst is well coached, veteran-led and will be ready for their first legitimate test. 

SS: Tufts 21, Amherst 17
CC: Amherst 20, Tufts 14
HC: Amherst 24, Tufts 13
MK: Amherst 20, Tufts 14
RM: Amherst 27, Tufts 23

Writers’ Pick: Amherst

Trinity @ Middlebury, 1pm, Middlebury, VT

Trinity clearly had some steam to blow off coming into last week’s contest against Bowdoin 0-1, and Bowdoin is a great team to play if you like to blow off steam by scoring touchdowns. The Bantams’ offense woke up and dropped a seemingly effortless 61 points, led by receiver Devante Reid’s four touchdowns. Trinity successfully reminded everyone who the NESCAC’s daddy is, but their backs are still up against the wall and they can’t afford another loss this week against a very game Middlebury team. This is not a team that is used to losing more than one game. In fact, they did not have a losing record at any point in a season from 2001 up until their week one defeat at Tufts. As always, Devanney and company will feel the pressure to continue their tradition of dominance heading up to Vermont. The Panthers will have their own motivation after getting completely obliterated to the tune of a 48-0 loss last year in the Coop. This is our Game of the Week so I won’t go into all the details, but this Middlebury defense is not what it was last year. They sit right behind Trinity at second in yards allowed per game. Trinity will need to come out sharp from the jump if they want to continue their campaign for a four-peat. Fortunately for them, I have enough faith in their traditional success and their offensive weapons to pick them in a good one. 

SS: Trinity 28, Middlebury 24 
CC: Trinity 31, Middlebury 21 
HC: Trinity 27, Middlebury 20
MK: Trinity 31, Middlebury 17
RM: Trinity 27, Middlebury 14

Writers’ Pick: Trinity

Bates @ Wesleyan, 1pm, Middletown, CT

Wesleyan has sort of been sneaking under the league’s radar because they have yet to take on the heavyweights. They shouldn’t be slept on, though, because they currently have the best chance to be on top of the standings Saturday night at 3-0. This is looking like a Cardinals team carried by their defense, which is especially impressive given that they had the league’s best defensive player, DL Taj Gooden, on the sidelines in Week 2 while he served a suspension for shoving a referee in Week 1. Even without him, the defense has already recovered two fumbles and picked off six passes (most in the league), so Bates will need to be especially careful with the football. Ashton Scott is looking like the guy under center, passing for six TDs while also rushing for 150+ yards so far this year. 

Tyler Bridge has been one of the lone bright spots for the Bobcats so far

Everyone wants the CBB teams to be more competitive with the rest of the league, so it was disheartening to see Bates get shut out by Middlebury after a promising first week performance against Amherst. Getting a win may be a stretch, but Bates should be doing all it can not to take another step back this week. While their overall stats have not looked good, there are certainly some individual performances to feel good about. Freshman LB Tony Hooks had nine tackles last week, including three for loss. Another freshman (and a Maine native), running back Tyler Bridge has stepped in to take some carries and has shown promise as a 6’3” speedster. So, while the scoreboard may not be what the Bobcats want to see right now, their fans should be excited about the team’s young talent and coach Malik Hall’s ability to recruit. To add insult to injury, Bates’ two top QBs have a concussion and mono, so whoever we see come out as their third stringer will have the pleasure of figuring out Wesleyan’s defense on the road. Hang in there Bobcats, your schedule gets easier. 

HC: Wesleyan 31, Bates 0
CC: Wesleyan 31, Bates 6 
SS: Wesleyan 28, Bates 13 
MK: Wesleyan 31, Bates 7 
RM: Wesleyan 27, Bates 13

Writers’ Pick: Wesleyan

That Was Only Week 1??: Stock Report 9/17

Stock up

Tufts defense

There was no way that the Jumbo D wasn’t going to find itself in the stock up column this week. They held the league’s top scoring team over the last several seasons to just 8 (!!) points – the Bantams haven’t scored that few points in a game since the 2015 season. On the day, the Tufts defense recorded 6 sacks, 13 tackles for a loss, 2 interceptions, and 5 pass breakups. They were in the face of Trinity quarterback Seamus Lambert all day – so much so that Coach Devanney subbed in Jordan Vazzano ’21 for the final drive. While the entire unit deserves credit, the performance of the day was undoubtedly that of D-lineman Jovan Nenadovic ’22 who added 9 tackles including 3 sacks and 5 tackles for a loss. It was also a terrific effort by the Jumbo secondary in locking up the lethal wide receiver duo of Koby Schofer ’20 and Jonathan Girard ’21 because those guys truly are two of the top three or four receivers in the league. If this defense can hold the NESCAC’s best offense to just 8 points then it’ll certainly be a scary year for any opposing team who visits Medford.

Will Jernigan clutch gene

Jernigan is starting to look like an upperclassman

This is also an easy one because Middlebury surprised all of us by beating Williams in the final minute on a drive orchestrated by none other than Will Jernigan ’21. The junior had a solid day under center – 16-33 for 170 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions, while adding 82 yards and a touchdown on the ground as well. This is certainly a fine effort, but what’s interesting here is that Jernigan is known as more of a run-threat quarterback and he was put in a position where he had to throw the ball. The Panthers got the ball back from Williams on their own 22-yard line with 2:31 left, down 13-10. They had to at least get into field goal range to give their kicker a chance to send it into overtime, but Jernigan engineered a 7-play, 78-yard drive in which he went 4-4 with 61 yards in the air. This was not something we were seeing out of him last season and it’s very, very promising for Middlebury. Look for Jernigan to keep things rolling as the Panthers head up to Maine to take on the Bates Bobcats.

Championship excitement

More than anything else, the first weekend showed us that the league is wide open this year. The three-time defending camps have a losing record for the first time since 2001, Hamilton leads the league in points (Trinity has the fewest), Amherst and Bates were tied going into the fourth quarter, and Ashton Scott ’22 proved that Mark Piccirillo isn’t the only Wesleyan quarterback who can throw the ball. I also like that the NESCAC decided to flip around the schedule a little bit this year – seeing Tufts and Trinity play each other Week 1 was pretty cool. I honestly was starting to think that Trinity was going to run away with the league this year, so I’m glad that they got handed a loss right off the bat. This is going to be a fun season.

Stock down

Chance for a four-peat

Is Vazzano the guy again in Hartford?

The archives on the NESCAC website only go back to 2000, but there has never been a team win four consecutive outright NESCAC football championships since then. Trinity had a real chance to do that coming into this season and they still very well do, but this weekend was a real setback. Their schedule is somewhat backloaded, however, because their last three games are against Williams, Amherst, and Wesleyan who are three of the four best teams left on their schedule. They play Middlebury on the road during Week 3 and that will be a huge one too, but for now they’ll have to focus on Bowdoin this weekend. I’m interested to see if the Bantams stick with Seamus Lambert ’22 at quarterback, or if putting Vazzano in for the final drive against Tufts was some sort of foreshadowing. They’ve got some work to do.

Power rankings

I have to admit; I chuckle to myself at the thought of having to write the power rankings this week. Wesleyan had the biggest win, but how good is Colby? They looked pretty good at the end of last year. Bates held their own against Amherst, but they are coming off an 0-9 season so how much does that factor in? Do you go 0-1 Trinity over 1-0 Hamilton? I think you do, but that’s sort of hard to justify. Although at the same time it’s not hard to justify because it’s Trinity. Does 0-1 Williams sneak ahead of a 1-0 team? I’m excited to see what he comes up with but I honestly feel bad for Karp having to write the power rankings this week. Keep an eye out for them over the next few days…

Familiar Faces: Preseason Awards Watch List

Coach of the Year: Jeff Devanney, Trinity

With the exception of Williams Head Coach Mark Raymond’s 2017 season in which he guided the Ephs to a 6-3 season just one year after going 0-8, this award has been given to the title-winning coach every year since 2012, and even then Trinity won the league and Coach Devanney split the award with then Bates HC Mark Harriman, whose Bobcats went 5-3 and posted their first winning season since 1981. I say all of this to say that this award is almost guaranteed to go to the winning coach, and why would I pick against the Bantams?

Defensive Player of the Year:

3. Greg Holt ’20, LB, Tufts

My pick to win this award last year, Holt had the unfortunate luck of taking the field in the same year as Amherst DE/OLB Andrew Yamin ’19, who will finally vacate this honor after taking it home in his final two seasons. Strangely enough, Holt’s numbers have dropped every year since he arrived in Medford—from a staggering 98 tackles in 8 games his freshman year, to back to back years of 84 and 72 in the now longer 9 game seasons. However, his 2.5 sacks last season and 8.5 TFL were more than his first two seasons combined. This tells me he has grown into a more disruptive role where he can cause much more damage in opposing teams’ backfields.

2. TJ Rothmann ’21, LB, Williams

Rothmann has been a disruptive force for Ephs since he stepped foot on campus, logging 83 tackles his freshman year and 58 tackles his sophomore season, which essentially amounted to 6 healthy games. He’s arguably both the most talented football player and best athlete on his team, and that should be in full force this year. Some injuries in the past provided a setback, but this guy is back and better than ever. Williams has boasted a top defense the last two years, and if they are contending for a championship then Rothmann, too, will be contending for DPOY.

1. Taj Gooden ’21, DL, Wesleyan

The best interior lineman in the league, by a mile. Gooden was second in the league with 9 sacks (half a sack behind Yamin) and first in the league with 17.5 TFL in 2018. In any other season, he wins this award with ease because guys like Yamin don’t roll around in the NESCAC very often. This season, where he should take his biggest expected leap in production as he transitions into being an upperclassman, we could see record breaking numbers. The only question is whether or not the Cardinals have the team success to go with it.

Offensive Player of the Year:

3. Ollie Eberth ’20, QB, Amherst

I’ve always seen Eberth in more of a glorified game manager role, in charge of taking care of the ball and letting the Amherst RBs go to work, but it would be tough to deny that his numbers last year told a different story. Eberth was second in the league in passing yards per game with 181.6, threw 10 touchdowns to just 1 interception, while also finding the end zone 9 times on with his feet, tied for 2nd in the league. It remains to be seen whether or not the weapons on Amherst’s offense will allow him to continue to thrive in this role, with the graduations of two-time first team RB Jack Hickey ’19 and loss of RB Biafra Okoronkwo ’20 to a semester abroad.

2. Bobby Maimaron ’21, QB, Williams

Pretty straightforward logic here—for Williams to reach its ceiling, Maimaron has to play like a first team all-league guy. Probably the most talented dual threat QB returning to the NESCAC season, Maimaron should have the weapons and the system to put up the numbers everyone knows he is capable of. He has now had two full season to gel with this talented offensive unit and get accustomed to Coach Raymond’s system, so the sky is the limit now that Maimaron jumps into an upperclassmen role. His 17 total TDs were third in the league last year behind Eberth and co-OPOY Ryan McDonald ’19 of Tufts—that number should be in the 20s this year if he stays healthy.

1. Jonathan Girard ’21, WR, Trinity

There have been 3 seasons in NESCAC history in which someone has recorded more receiving yards than Girard’s 1005 in 2018, just the 4th 1000-yard season since the league began keeping records in 1992. It feels like it got swept under the rug because of the Bantams’ overall dominance, but Girard was as good as anyone last year—as a sophomore. Additionally, you would think it would be the case that now that Girard presumably an entire season paired with QB Seamus Lambert ’22, but the numbers tell a different story. Girard’s 5 100-yard games were the 1st 5 games of the season—the 5 that Jordan Vazzano ’21 played before being replaced by Lambert. His 3 lowest receiving games were the last 3 games—totals of 74, 49, and 58, against Middlebury, Amherst, and Wesleyan, respectively, a far cry from beating up on the CBB. But I’m going to bet that Girard strikes a more consistent partnership with Lambert this season, and although RB Spencer Lockwood ’22 appears to be more than ready to replace Max Chipouras at lead back, more of the production will fall to Girard.

It’s a Dynasty in Hartford: Trinity Football Preview 2019

Editor’s Note: This article was written by one of our new writers this year – Haven Cutko from Trinity. A fun fact about Haven is that he was actually accepted into Harvard as a senior in high school but chose to attend Trinity due to its superior location.

2018 Record: 8-1 

Projected 2019 Record: 9-0

Projected Offensive Starters: (*7 returning) 

QB- Seamus Lambert ‘22*

RB- Spencer Lockwood ‘22 

OT- Austin Baiardi ‘20*

G- Alex Wukovits ‘20*

C- Kyle Woodring ‘22 

G- Matt Evans ‘20

OT- Kalvin Guillermo ‘22*

WR- Jon Girard ‘21*

WR- Koby Schofer ‘20* 

WR- Devante Reid ‘22

FB/TE- Joe Samuelman ‘20* 

Projected Defensive Starters: (*6 returning) 

DL- Jimmy Christiano ‘21*

DL- Devyn Perkins ‘20*

DL- Hassan Azeem ‘22 

LB- Daniel Negron ‘20*

LB- Will Dencker ‘21*

LB- Brian Casagrande ‘22 

LB- Sean Smerczynski ‘20 

DB- Matt Patry ‘20*

DB- Matt McCarthy ‘21*

DB- Jalen Weathers ‘22 

DB- Rob Levine ‘22

Projected Specialists: (*2 returning)

K- Kimball Winans ‘20 

P- Ian McDonald ‘20* 

KR- Colin Beaulieu ‘21* 

Offensive MVP: QB Seamus Lambert ‘22 

This was not an easy pick to make, because WRs Koby Schofer ‘20 and Jonathan Girard ‘21 have both probably proven more at this point in their careers. However, they are both elite receivers (arguably the NESCAC’s two best) and they complement each other so well on the field that I’d be remiss to select one over the other for this honor. They also cannot do what they do without a great quarterback, which is what Lambert proved to be as he stepped in after an early season loss at Williams and did nothing but win games while leading Trinity to a third straight championship. Lambert’s stats were not off the charts, but he made accurate throws and showed that he could run the ball as well, posting 75 rushing yards against Bowdoin and 56 against Middlebury the following week. Look for former Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year Spencer Lockwood ‘22 to have a breakout season at running back as well. Lockwood had to play behind Max Chipouras last year, but he still put up 425 yards and 7 TDs getting plenty of garbage time reps in the Bantams’ various blowout wins. As the number 1 back he’ll get a chance to prove himself against the top defenses and their first stringers, which Lambert did from the quarterback position last season. Lambert has all the weapons in place to ball out this season and continue to win games, but if he falls off at all, URI transfer Jordan Vazzano ‘20 will be motivated to win back the starting job he had up until the Williams loss last season. Not many D1 transfers ride the bench in the NESCAC, but it’s hard to sit a QB who came in as a freshman and won every one of his starts as Lambert did. Either way, Trinity’s offense is in great position to make a mockery of their opponents as they have done for the past few years. 

Defensive MVP: DE Jimmy Christiano ‘21

Christiano has steadily improved over his career at Trinity, and with two more seasons to play, the sky is the limit for this burly edge rusher. An all-NESCAC first teamer last season on a loaded defense, Christiano was third in the conference in both sacks and tackles for loss and will be looking to boost both numbers this year. He can force fumbles (3 last year) and he also recorded both a blocked punt and an interception. While the Bantams graduated some strong defensive players, they return another NESCAC first teamer on the other end of the D-line, Devyn Perkins ‘20. With offensive lines having to gameplan for both of those guys, Christiano has an opportunity to have an even better season than his last. He also plays without gloves. Does your favorite defensive lineman do that? 

Biggest Game: October 26th vs. Williams 

These days, Trinity football is at the point where one loss is jarring to everyone associated with the team and the league. When the Bantams lost at Williams last year, they had to refocus and make changes- this was Jordan Vazzano’s last game starting at quarterback before Coach Jeff Devanney switched to Seamus Lambert. Although the team righted the ship and still took home the NESCAC title (would we expect anything less?), the one loss is still a blemish on the record that the Bantams would undoubtedly  love to get back. Williams did not play up to their potential towards the end of last season due to some injuries, but they return a lot of their best players and will be coming for that number one spot this year. This matchup also kicks off a gauntlet of three tough games for Trinity to finish the season: Williams, Amherst, and Wesleyan. If they can pass each of those tests, there’s a good chance a four-peat is in the cards. The matchup with the Ephs in the Coop will be one that everyone in the league has an eye on. 

Best Tweet: 

Real recognize real. Coach Belichick may be a Wesleyan alum, but his son played lacrosse at Trinity and he is clearly smart enough to know who the superior NESCAC program is. It’s possible that Belichick has some other fall commitments, but if he made it to a game in Hartford in the past four years, maybe we’d be preparing to see Max Chipouras on Sundays this season at Gillette. The Patriots are a running back by committee kind of team, right? 

Everything Else:

How dominant has this team been in recent years? Trinity’s senior class currently has more championship rings than total losses in their college careers. If the Bantams can again win the NESCAC championship with one loss or by going undefeated, they will be able to make that claim for the rest of their lives…in addition to achieving a four-peat. While it will feel different for many not seeing Max Chipouras in the backfield, the team returns plenty of talent on both ends of the ball and has to be looked at as the heavy favorite once again coming into the 2019 season. What this means is that every NESCAC team, contender or bottom-feeder, will be aiming to knock Trinity off their throne this fall. As Amherst and Williams have shown the past two seasons, the Bantams are not unbeatable, but another team will need to step up and put together a complete season if anything is going to change. If the Bantams can win their opener at Tufts and get past the other NESCAC heavyweights in their final three games, a fourth ring for Coach Devanney and the boys will be in the forecast in Hartford.

Defense Wins Championships (hopefully): Trinity Football 2016 Season Preview

If Trinity's offensive line can create space, Max Chipouras '19 should run all over opposing defenses (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics).
If Trinity’s offensive line can create space, Max Chipouras ’19 should run all over opposing defenses (Courtesy of Trinity Athletics).

Projected Record: 8-0

Projected Offensive Starters (*Eight Returning)

QB: Sonny Puzzo ‘18*

RB: Max Chipouras ‘19*

WR: Darrien Myers ‘17*

WR: Bryan Vieira ‘18*

WR: Nick Gaynor ‘17

TE: Matt Hirshman ‘18*

LT:    Chris Simmons ‘18*

LG: Angel Tejada ‘17*

C: Mamadou Bah ‘17

RG: Joe Farrah ‘18*

RT: (to be determined)

Projected Defensive Starters (*Eight Returning)

DE: William Lochtefeld

DT: Matt D’Andrea ‘17*

DT: Brandon Blaise ‘18

DE: Jameson Law ‘17*

OLB: Dago Picon-Roura

MLB: Liam Kenneally ‘18*

OLB: Shane Libby ‘19*

CB: Paul McCarthy ‘17*

SS: Spencer Donahue ‘17*

FS: Yosa Nosamiefan ‘17*

CB: Archie Jerome ‘17*

Projected Specialists (*Two Returning)

PK/P: Eric Sachse ‘19*

KR/PR: Darrien Myers*/Nick Gaynor/John Spears

Offensive MVP: RB Max Chipouras ‘19

Max Chipouras looks to improve on his stellar first campaign for Trinity, after being named the  USA College Football Division III Rookie All American, the NESCAC Rookie of the Year, and to the 2nd Team All-NESCAC. He led the conference with 12 touchdowns and had an average 4.7 yards per carry, racking up 649 rushing yards on the season. This sophomore is already a star – look for him to continue his success in 2016.

Defensive MVP: DB Paul McCarthy ‘16

NESCAC offenses might have thought that they saw the last of McCarthy in 2015, but the 5th year senior returns to Trinity’s defense following a 1st-Team All NESCAC season. McCarthy was second in the league in interceptions with 5 and should build on that number in Trinity’s dominant secondary, the NESCAC’s version of the Legion of Boom.

Welcome Back (Again): RB Joe Moreno ‘18

Junior Joe Moreno is set to return to the gridiron after injuries have held him out of his first two years at Trinity. After a hamstring injury plagued Moreno during his freshman year, he returned as the frontrunner to start in the backfield before tearing his ACL in the season opener, leaving the door open for Chipouras. With Moreno back and healthy in 2016, Trinity could have a monster rushing attack between these two stud tailbacks.

Biggest Game: vs. Amherst, November 5th, 12:30 PM

Obviously the 7th game of the season is going to be one of the biggest as the race for the NESCAC title narrows. With that being said, Trinity can’t sleep on its earlier games. They face tough contests against Tufts, Middlebury, and Wesleyan, but if recent history is any indication, this game against Amherst could easily become the quasi NESCAC championship.

Best Tweet:

Any time your head coach appears on a list with Urban Meyer, it deserves recognition.

Summary:

Coach Devanney and the Trinity Bantams return in 2016 to battle for the NESCAC title yet again. Trinity is a winning program, with only one losing season in their last 35, and will continue that trend this year. The Bantams face an easy first few games, and if they roll through unscathed as they should, they will have good momentum heading into a tough week 4 matchup against Tufts. Fortunately for them, they will be playing on their new home turf for three of their four toughest games (Tufts, Middlebury, and Amherst). The major key for this team is going to be staying healthy through the first few games heading into the home stretch.

This roster is loaded with young talent, and junior quarterback Sonny Puzzo ‘18 looks to lead his team from under center after they fell just one game shy of a conference championship last year. Puzzo will get help from last year’s breakout freshman Chipouras who is expected to build on an impressive first year at tailback. The Bantams are stacked at running back with Moreno returning from injury, and should be a force to reckon with on the offensive side of the ball. Receivers Darrien Myers ‘17 and Bryan Vieira ‘18 will be back to spread the field for Chipouras, and Nick Gaynor looks to fill in for wideout Ian Dugger who graduated last year. Puzzo will also give Matt Hirshman plenty of looks at tight end for Trinity.

With so many great players, it looks like the only hole in Trinity’s offense could be Puzzo. Don’t get me wrong, Puzzo could be a great QB, and could well lead Trinity to a championship, but he seems to be the weakest link with so many great pieces around him. Clearly the goal for Puzzo is to get the ball into the end zone and out of the other team’s hands. Look for him to improve on his 5:8 TD to INT ratio.

On the other side of the ball, Coach Devanney is excited to have five senior defensive backs returning. Paul McCarthy ‘17 returns for his fifth year, and he is joined by Spencer Donahue ‘17, Yosa Nosamiefan ‘17, Patrick Dorsey ‘17 and Archi Jerome ‘17 in the secondary. This experienced unit will lead the defense for Trinity.

The linebacking corps also returns a lot and is led by last year’s leading tackler Liam Kenneally ‘18. The rest of this youthful unit is made up of Shane Libby ‘19, Sean Smerczynski ‘19, Dago Picon-Roura ‘19 and Carty Campbell ‘18, who will all mix in with Kenneally, and will be a huge help for Matt D’Andrea ‘17, Jameson Law ‘17, William Lochtefeld ‘17 and Brandon Blaise ‘18 up front. Eric Sachse ‘19 is back and healthy after breaking his leg against Tufts last season, and he will be kicking and punting for the Bantams.

Trinity didn’t surprise anybody by going 7-1 last year, with their only loss coming to Amherst on November 7th. Their schedule matches up in the same way this year, with that game coming again in week 7. If Trinity can pull out a win against the Purple & White, that would likely hand them a conference title. This race is going to come down to the wire again, so expect some good football from the Bantams as they eye the title that just slipped from their grasp in 2015.