FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[fulbakdad]

The drive from Manchester up is WAY better than from Boston!!!!

[ColbyFootball]

Preliminary word out of Mayflower Hill is that the new OC is the real deal. Now the question is whether they have the horses to beat the second tier teams they've been bunched with, and compete against the big boys.  5-4 would be a step in the right direction, and 6-3 would be a great year. Nothing like pre-season for endless optimism.

[ColbyFootballDad]

ColbyFootball from your mouth to God's ears!!

[OldCardinal]

Colby guys - I wouldn't be discouraged if you finished 4-5.  The gap between the lower half and the top half is bigger than you might think. Coaching matters for sure but depth of talent is critical.  That gap takes time to fill.  Now that Tufts has returned to the top tier, it's getting really crowded up there.  Williams, with their history of sports and football success will likely improve pretty quickly now that their dysfunctional coaching situation is behind them (talent has never been a problem there). Hamilton has shown improvement under a new coach (now in third year) so they are no longer an easy win. Bowdoin has a new field and seem to imply they are committed to an improved football program, although time will tell.  Their are only so many wins in this league and cracking the top tier will be very hard.  I'm just cautioning against record expectations that may not be realistic and set you up for disappointment.

[lumbercat]

Its only been a few days on the field but everywhere you look around the NESCAC there is great amount of passion and enthusiasm surrounding the 9 game schedule. It's been long in coming but at the end of the day everyone is happy for the student athletes. These kids have worked hard and dedicated themselves to a great game and they deserve this kind of experience. Anyone who preceded these guys in the NESCAC is envious but happy that a great Football experience will be enhanced.

It's early but a lot happening as the conference begins preparation for an unprecedented year in NESCAC football. A lot seen and heard around the league.

Bowdoin- putting the finishing touches on a beautiful new field. Wells has a young team with a strong FY class. The Anchor Noah Nelson seemed to be the favorite at QB but he is being pushed by younger prospect(s) who have impressed. Bears lost some good guys without explanation. RB Richam needs some coaching but can be a good one.

Hamilton- Really not a lot of info from the western front but it will be more difficult traveling west this year. New coach has shown to be a great game day manager. No free rides in Clinton.

Bates- Tremendous advances in overall team speed. They will not be the biggest team again but they have added very impressive speed guys at DB, RB and in the Slot to compliment Captain Frank Williams. This may be the fastest Bates team in a long time and they have been a fast team recently. They will be big and athletic at WR which was sorely needed.

Amherst- Rumor has Foy a little rusty but nobody worried. Hickey will be all conference.

Colby- Looks like Sparacio and O'Brien are neck and neck for the QB spot while Soph Cam Drew has surprised. An interesting battle. Mules lost great receiver in Ferrell, who knows why, but a couple of guys named Snyder and Richman say bring it on! Mules staff looking for 6'7"  tackle Bradford to develop that "edge" that will elevate him to an elite OT. Blue and Grey very strong in the secondary.

Wesleyan- A little bit of a QB controversy with Piccorillo, who is a Puzzo in the making, and great athlete Hawkins. Wonder if DiCenzo has intentions to utilize Hawkins in slot or varied role. If he's back and healthy Dario Highsmith will be the most explosive back in the league.

Middlebury- Still trying to figure out if Rocket Jack Newman from Analy, Ca. got off the bus in Middlebury and is in camp with the Panthers. If anyone knows please give me a heads up. It's never been radio free Europe up there....who knows what the hell is going on. No question they will sling it with the UNLV transfer back in the pocket. Some trepidation about their running game but Don Diego Meritus is solid. At the end of the day one thing is certain- Ritter will have a great QB as long as he coaches

[ColbyFootball]

Colby guys - I wouldn't be discouraged if you finished 4-5.  The gap between the lower half and the top half is bigger than you might think. Coaching matters for sure but depth of talent is critical.  That gap takes time to fill.  Now that Tufts has returned to the top tier, it's getting really crowded up there.  Williams, with their history of sports and football success will likely improve pretty quickly now that their dysfunctional coaching situation is behind them (talent has never been a problem there). Hamilton has shown improvement under a new coach (now in third year) so they are no longer an easy win. Bowdoin has a new field and seem to imply they are committed to an improved football program, although time will tell.  Their are only so many wins in this league and cracking the top tier will be very hard.  I'm just cautioning against record expectations that may not be realistic and set you up for disappointment.

I agree depth of talent is important, and coaching does matter. I also think quality coaching attracts talent for many reasons. Where I disagree is the gap between the top and bottom tiers. A good coach and a few top players can elevate a team very quickly. Your Cardinals at Wes are a great example, as is Tufts.

[lumbercat]

Old Cardinal-

Couldn't agree more with you.

Disagree with Colby Football- there is a bigger gap between the top and bottom teams than you perceive.
The most significant factor is something we have not alluded to recently.....Admissions!

Admissions leniency combined with an enhanced administrative commitment (money $$$) are the major factors that brought about improvements at Wesleyan and Tufts.

[dadof4bz]

Thanks Polarcat  Plays for Middlebury.  Just texted son about Jack Newman to see if he "Got off the bus"! Whether he gets back to me is a different story.  Last year had another son playing college so we stayed with the home games last year.  This year we are making almost all the games.  Trying to book now before air gets out of hand.  Going up as I type due to the hurricane situation.  Thanks for the airport recommendations by everyone.  Glad to see the 9th game tooi!

[PolarCat]

You lucked out (sort of).  For reasons I will NEVER understand, Bates has a home game during their Fall break.  (With only 4 or 5 home games a year, how can you consistently schedule one of those to occur when the students are off campus?  Maddening).  This year, it's Midd.  So the bad news is that you won't see many Bates students in the stands at Garcelon.

The good news is that hotel rooms are available in decent properties, at not-outrageous rates.  Our favorites are the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn, and the Hampton Inn in Lewiston.  Don't go expecting the Drake or the Four Seasons; this is Maine, after all.  But those are clean, comfortable properties.  (Pity the poor Trinity parents who want to travel.  For reasons even more obscure than scheduling a home game over break, Bates has combined Family Weekend and Homecoming into one weekend, the Back to Bates Weekend.  The result is that restaurants are booked solid, and hotels with available rooms have doubled or tripled their rack rates.  Everyone loses.  Bates parents get gouged or wind up staying in Augusta, young alumni can't afford to come, and the local restaurants and merchants are robbed of a weekend of business.  And visiting team parents?  Football, soccer, field hockey, etc.?  Fuggedabout it).

End of rant.  PM me if you want some restaurant recommendations.  And feel free to stop by the tailgate and introduce yourself to Lumbercat and me.  LC's beer is colder, but my grillin' skills may be better.

[polbear73]

Lumbercat-thanks for the information.  Disappointed to hear that Bowdoin once again has some non-returners, especially on top of last year's loss of players due to the plaigerism scandal.  While every NESCAC team suffers lossess, it's especially damaging to a program trying to change the culture while rebuilding. 

[lumbercat]

Dadof4BZ
Polar Cat is the king of tailgating. His menu rivals the Four Seasons. No better tailgate anyplace.

[Grabowski]

On the subject of Colby, my very limited data set would suggest that it may be less the admissions office and more of a location issue.  I know of two kids from the swamps of Jersey that were engaged w the Mule staff and "offered a spot."  In both cases they liked the coaches and the school, but were turned off by the 7 hour drive/remote location and ended up playing elsewhere.  Obviously, this isn't the only factor, and Middlebury manages to overcome it.  But IMO the Maine schools are fishing from only one large metro pond while the more southern CACs can effectively work two. 

[nescac1]

Seems like very little information about Williams out there.  Take all of this with a grain of salt -- hugely speculative.  I'm curious to hear from anyone with an insider perspective how things are going in the turnaround.  One thing is for sure, Bowdoin vs. Williams will be two teams DESPARATE for a win in week one.   The stakes are very high for both teams as neither has more than probably three, maybe even two, other remotely plausible W's on the schedule ...

It's hard to know what the team will look like -- on the one hand, other than offensive line and linebacker (two positions that have been very, very thin on talent for years), nearly the entire starting roster returns.  On the other hand, it's fair to expect that a good number of frosh are going to be playing early and often.   The first local article on the team (pasted below) mentions two quarterbacks, Jansen Dunham (who played pretty well under tough circumstances as a frosh I though) and John Gannon, who was injured all last year and who despite being a senior has never seen any meaningful time.  I'm not sure if the two promising incoming frosh quarterbacks are omitted entirely from the discussion because they are clearly behind those two guys, or because it's premature to speak about first-year players at this stage of the game.  My hope is that Bobby Maimaron will play a lot as a frosh, since he can add another dimension with his legs that Gannon and Dunham both lack, but if not perhaps one of the returnees will make major strides.  At least there is some competition at the position this year. 

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/stories/nowhere-but-up-williams-football-returns-to-practice-ready-to-forget-winless-mark-from-last-season,518073

One position that I think could be a surprise position of strength for Williams this year is TE / WR.  The entire unit is back, and Tyler Patterson (a hybrid) had an absolutely massive game vs. Middlebury (7 reception, 172 yards, 2 TDs) followed by two other productive games, but seemed to play little the rest of the season; I'm assuming he was hurt?  Adam Regensburg is a high-quality possession receiver who will be rock solid as a enior.  Kellen Hatheway, a baseball star, was another big-play threat as a sophomore and should improve.  Those three are a nice foundation and what's also interesting is that there will be several converted QBs who are good athletes to potentially contribute to the unit: JJ Dunn, who played some as an undersized TE last year and hopefully bulked up a bit in the offseason; Jaelon Moaney, who is very quick, and who made the switch mid-year from QB ... if he is now a full-time WR, as I would assume, he seems ideally suited for the slot; and maybe also Peter Cahill, who is big and a very good athlete but may be squeezed out at the QB position, but could be an asset elsewhere.  I'm also interested to see what frosh are added to the unit.  One of note may be Justin Burke, a TE who I think turned down the Ivy League for Williams.  In sum, should be a much more talented, explosive unit to work with this year, if the Ephs can find a QB to get them the ball in good position consistently (which I'm also hopeful about given the improved experience and added competition on the unit).  TB is all set with last year's three returnees, who are all solid-if-not-spectacular, and hopefully will make some improvement as a unit. 

On offense, the biggest question by far for the Ephs is on the OL, which has been undermanned for years.  The Ephs have only two returning starters there (Kent Blaezer and Patrick Loughran) plus a rising sophomore who saw a lot of time (Jeremy Subinski).  My guess is that two first-year players will likely join them.  I remember several highly regarded recruits on the OL; always tough to play there as a frosh, but the Ephs may have no choice.   Patrick Watson out of BC High seems highly regarded and will be one to watch (and his high school teammate, TJ Rothmann, may play early at MLB for the Ephs, which is an enormous need for the team).  Of course this is an area where a much stronger off-season program could really help the Ephs, so maybe a few returning rising sophomores/juniors on the OL will surprise ... this unit needs to get significantly better from the underwhelming performance of the past few years. 

On defense, Williams has a lot of young returning talent in the defensive backfield (including two frosh who looked very promising last year) and I think that unit will be solid.  LB as I noted really needs some fresh blood; hopefully a few frosh can play early there.  The DL has its entire two-deep back.  There is some talent there, but the key is how much has that unit improved in the off-season?  The stronger offensive teams were able to run at will on the Ephs last year, so they need more bulk and power on the line.  Perhaps some recruits will provide competition, as Williams has to dramatically improve at the point of attack on both offense and defense to be more competitive. 

My guess is the worst-case scenario for Williams is 0-9, and the absolute best case is 4-5.  I'd peg their over-under at 1.5 wins.  If the Ephs can post 2-3 wins, and be more competitive in most of the losses, I'd be very happy with that.  The team has once again a very small senior class -- my guess is maybe 5-7 seniors end up as starters, none of whom have been all-NESCAC players in the past -- so the key is continuing to gradually build towards years 3-4 of the new coaching regime. 

[PolarCat]

Great review, nescac1.  +K

On a quasi-related note:  Anyone know if Nothing But NESCAC will rise from the dead this year?  Adam and Joe did such a great job, it's a shame to see their legacy die.  The website is still up (so someone is paying the bill for hosting) but nothing's been posted on their webpage or FB page since June.

[dadof4bz]

Polarcat, Thanks for the info  No Four Season??  I guessing you guys don't have valet parking either??  For the record, the QB from CA missed the bus.