Editor’s Note: Our other previews will look a little different than this one. With a new Head Coach at Bowdoin, we wanted to look a little more into the changes in Brunswick.
Additionally, while 99 percent of the work done in these previews is credited directly to the author, the projected records are a decision made solely by the editors, Adam and Joe. So if you don’t like it, blame us.
Projected Record: 3-5
Projected Offensive Starters
QB: Tim Drakeley ’17
RB: Tyler Grant ’17
FB: Tyler MacNeil ’18
WR: Dan Barone ’16
WR: Seamus Power ’16
TE: Bryan Porter ’18
LT: Kyle Losardo ’17
LG: Brian Mullin ’17
C: Matt Netto ’16
RG: Stephen Melgar ’16
RT: Jack Lucy ’17
Projected Defensive Starters
DE: Parker Mundt ’16
DT: Nadim Elhage ’16
DT: Dan Wanger ’17
DE: Latif Armiyaw ’18
LB: Branden Morin ’16
LB: Brendan Lawler ’16
LB/Rover: Bjorn Halvorson ’17
CB: Jibrail Coy ’16
CB: Alan Banks ’18
SS: Reeder Wells ’17
FS: Greg Thompson ’16
Overview
First-year coach JB Wells is not implementing a turn-around project for the football program; it is a realignment. “It has just been a change in our mentality rather than a change in our game plan,” said junior RB Tyler Grant. Beginning last spring, when he met his team for the time, Wells made it clear that he wanted to establish a level of consistency and a tradition of success. A change in culture was paramount to the goals he had in mind. The first phase had to do with establishing team standards and raising the expectations of every player.
“We have not necessarily made any big changes,” said senior captain Parker Mundt. “The things Coach Wells has stressed to the team have been extremely easy to get behind and have brought our team closer together”. The next phase focused on establishing core values.
“One thing that I thought was missing from the Bowdoin team culture was that they really didn’t know what they were all about,” said Wells. “I knew the guys really liked football, I think they liked what it was all about, but it was really one of those things that came down to finding out what [the team] is at its core – at its base level.”
Wells encourages a culture of mutual understanding. He wants Bowdoin football to have its own definitions of words like “passion, toughness, love, integrity, and tenacity”, defined not by the coaching staff but by the players themselves. In Wells’ mind, there is a stark contrast between process and outcomes; rather than looking at it as an eight game season, it should be looked at as a 365-day process.
“The goal is not to beat a rival or win the NESCAC; that’s an outcome,” said Wells. “Instead, focus on how you play rather than who you play, to make investments rather than sacrifices”.
The goal is to dominate the day and to develop unparalleled team chemistry. “It’s like building on sand. You need to sink things in as deep as you can,” Wells notes. “When that happens, you create a culture of achievement, and that’s what we’re trying to do here”.
Bowdoin starts its season with a blank slate and a battle at every position. “I don’t care what you’ve done up until this point, it’s what you do going forward,” said Wells. The Tufts scrimmage will be a good indicator of who will fall into leading roles, but there will be depth at every position.
Junior Tim Drakeley is the likely candidate to win the starting quarterback job, but sophomore Chad Carrera ’17 and two incoming freshmen are making the decision for Coach Wells a difficult one. It is unlikely that junior RB Tyler Grant ’17 will replicate the heavy load he carried last year with Wells’ new playbook and the re-emergence of senior Trey Brown. Grant rushed for 893 yards in 226 attempts and added 11 receptions for 77 yards. He finished with eight touchdowns, which was good for second among running backs, trailing only Chudi Iregbulem ’15 of Trinity. The Polar Bears have depth at WR this year led by seniors Dan Barone ’16, Kenny Skon ’16 and Seamus Power ’16.
Barone looks to perform at the same level he did last fall when he finished fifth in the NECAC in receptions (36) and averaged nearly 50 yards per game (48.8). Skon returns after missing all of last season due to back and knee injuries, and the 6’2”, 212-pound wide out will prove to be a valuable deep ball threat if he is able to stay healthy. A converted WR from QB, Power will play on the outside along with Liam Blair-Ford ’17 and the two will look to create more big plays in the passing game.
The only lock on the offensive line appears to be All-League center Matt Netto ’16, but seniors Jonathan Macat ’16 and Stephen Melgar ’16 and juniors Kyle Losardo ’17, Brian Mullin ’17 and Jack Lucy ’17 are expected to see a big bump in production. Tevin Montgomery ’18, a transfer from Boston College, is another player that will play a good amount on the line. Coach Wells has depth on the o-line, and he plans to take advantage of it throughout the season by rotating lineman.
The defense will showcase a 4-2-5 scheme, with a defensive line that is highlighted by captain DE Parker Mundt ’16 and senior DT Nadim Elhage ’16, the two unquestioned leaders of the defensive line this year. Seniors Branden Morin ’16 and Brendan Lawler ’16 will handle the inside LB duties, with junior Bjorn Halvorson ’17 returning as the OLB/rover. Senior Jibrail Coy ’16 will man one of the cornerback positions, with the other looking to be a battle between sophomores Henry Little ’18 and Alan Banks ’18. Coy turned in a noteworthy junior season, finishing with 44 total tackles, one interception, and eight broken up passes, which was tied for first in the NESCAC. Reeder Wells ’17 makes the transition from cornerback to safety and may be joined by converted senior wide receiver Greg Thompson ’16. Andrew Murowchick ’16 looks to continue his success as the team’s punter and sophomore Andrew Sisti ’18 hopes to pick up where he left off last year with the placekicking duties.
Other than the leadership and talent being put on display in training camp, Coach Wells considers the players’ efforts to do things right as the team’s greatest strength. As for the weaknesses, Wells cannot pinpoint any area of concern, not a particularly surprising thing for a coach to say. The cultural realignment that began last spring is paying dividends.
“Our team culture this year really revolves around accountability. If your teammates cannot hold you accountable to do the little things like knowing your role and doing your job, you will not survive on our team,” noted Mundt.
Training camp has been physical and competitive, and Wells can already see the Polar Bears building toward a level of consistency. They have come a long way and they are a much different team than they were last year. There is work still to be done, but the players and coaches are putting trust into the process and laying the foundation for a successful season. Like in every facet of life, the biggest obstacle will be consistency. “The biggest challenge for us will be to keep a level mindset throughout the entire season,” said Grant. “It is a short season so we have to maintain our focus and effort game in and game out”. When the Polar Bears take the field against the Williams Ephs on September 26, they will showcase much of the same talent as last year, but this year they have a new weapon: unity.
Offensive MVP: QB Tim Drakeley ’17 – The Polar Bears are not going to run the ball as much this season as they did last fall. They had a meager one passing touchdown, and it was to fullback Jack Donovan ’15. All-League RB Tyler Grant will be an integral part of the team’s offense this fall, but with the return of Trey Brown, he will not be asked to carry the offense how he did last year. He’ll be put into space more often where he’ll be able to use his pass-catching ability and speed to his advantage, but in Coach Wells’ new regime, the Bears will showcase a more balanced offensive attack, and QB Tim Drakeley will be the driving force behind it all. In 2014, Drakeley played in only two games, but he showed flashes of promise, notably in his 13-24, 96-yard performance against an undefeated Amherst team. With an experienced offensive line, reloaded arsenal at WR, and a three-headed, pass-catching monster at RB in Tyler Grant, Trey Brown, and Garrett Thomas ’17, Drakeley is equipped for success. Fantasy owners should be buying high on the QB in his first full season under center.
Defensive MVP: Junior OLB/Rover Bjorn Halvorson – Coming off a season in which he finished third on the Polar Bears in total tackles (51), Halvorson looks to replicate and improve upon the success he had last fall. A safety in high school, he moved to outside linebacker at Bowdoin, and the junior is set to thrive under Wells’ new defensive scheme. The way the new Bowdoin defense is designed, Halvorson will be in the thick of it all. In the 4-2-5 alignment, he will be tasked with stopping short runs and covering the short passing zone. Expect the skilled defender to become a force in the NESCAC this year and see an increase in his totals from last season, especially in terms of big time plays like takeaways.
Biggest Surprise of Camp: When asked, Coach Wells was cagey about singling out a player who has excelled in camp. Wells did, however, have nothing but high praise for Nadim Elhage.
“Nadim is a hell of a defensive tackle,” said Wells. “He’s as good of a player as there is in the league”.
As he inherits a more expanded role after the Bears lost leading defensive tackle Jake Prince ’15 to graduation, there are high expectations for Elhage by his coaches, teammates, and himself. “I came to Bowdoin with really high expectations for myself and since I’ve been here I’ve felt like I haven’t come close to meeting those expectations,” Elhage said. “This summer and preseason I have worked incredibly hard to fulfill my potential and become the best player I can be”. His hard work has not gone unnoticed, as Elhage is described by senior captain Matt Netto as having come into camp “strong, quick, and in overall great shape”. In limited playing time last fall, Elhage recorded nine tackles and one broken up pass, but finished fourth on the team in sacks (1.5). We know what Elhage is capable of; it’s only a matter of time until number 98 breaks out. Check out his Twitter account if you don’t believe me.
Best Tweet of the Offseason:
Don’t ask me if I’m working today you should know the answer #polarbearstrong #forwardthewhite #100degrees @BowdoinFB pic.twitter.com/dwa0Z14RUH
— Nadim Elhage (@Nadream_98) June 23, 2015
Biggest Game: Colby, November 14 – If Bowdoin takes care of business from the start of the season until the finish, their biggest game may be the season finale against Colby College at home on November 14. It’s a short season, and the most important game is going to always be the next one, but if Bowdoin plays itself into a position to compete for a title, it will have stolen a couple surprise wins and the Polar Bears may be controlling their own fate when they take on Colby in the last game of the season. Even if Bowdoin is not in the championship fold by then, the Bears may be playing for the best record of the three Maine colleges and the CBB (Colby-Bates-Bowdoin) crown. Last fall, the Polar Bears lost a 14-7 thriller to Colby in the last game of the season, resulting in a tie in the standings between the two schools. Also, in case you don’t remember what happened the last time these two played at Bowdoin…