FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[lumbercat]

PolBear
I agree. His record was not good at Bowdoin but I believe he did a better job than most think in setting the table for the next guy. I believe his successor will have some immediate successes that perhaps could or should have been JB's but the lack of wins was the determining factor.

He could also end up in assistant role at Brown.

[polbear73]

PolBear
I agree. His record was not good at Bowdoin but I believe he did a better job than most think in setting the table for the next guy. I believe his successor will have some immediate successes that perhaps could or should have been JB's but the lack of wins was the determining factor.

He could also end up in assistant role at Brown.

Totally agree, Lumbercat and I think the Colby game was the last straw.  A win or a  significantly better performance would probably have saved the last year on his contract. 

[PBPOP20]

He has done a good job recruiting, for sure.  The talent on the field simply did not translate.  Many reasons for that.  And absolutely agree Colby game was the last straw.  But, the next guy up will take over a team with the most talent for a Bowdoin squad in a while.  If they are able to pull out a few wins next season, we'll have JB to thank.

[lumbercat]

Bowdoin has more talent and skill than Colby, Bates and Hamilton.

[nescac1]

Especially considering that Colby and Bates were in transition years and particularly low on talent, that is fair, Lumbercat, but Hamilton?  Hamilton has some legit talent on its roster ... (10 all league selections over the past two seasons). 

Looking ahead for Williams, next year should be a really interesting season, as Raymond will finally have three years worth of recruits to work with and, after graduating only ten seniors, I would guess a roster that is at or very close to 75 guys.  Hopefully, the Ephs will have better luck with injuries, and in all events there should finally be more depth almost everywhere, although it's probably one more year until ALL the holes in the roster are plugged.  For year, the realistic goal should be to keep the trajectory of the program moving forward, and to get a bit more consistent throughout the course of the season.   

A few questions for the offseason for the Ephs:

1. Will Maimaron return 100 percent?  Given that mobility is key to his (and the team's) effectiveness, that is a huge question for Williams. 

2. If Maimaron is not 100 percent, or even if he is, will Bischoping get more opportunities to bring his different style of offense to the field? 

3. Who will emerge as the second and third WR threats after Frank Stola?  Last year, due to injuries and I presume production issues, seven different guys got opportunities at the other two receiving slots, but none broke the 200 yard mark in total production.  The Williams offense will be a lot more dynamic if a second (or better yet a second and third) consistent option emerges.  Will it be Justin Nelson, who looked good as a frosh but for some reason (injuries perhaps, I'm not sure) did little as a sophomore?  Big target Will Lofredo, who suffered an unfortunate week-one injury, but looks like a talent?  Or my pick, Dan Vaughn, a great athlete / converted QB who was thrown into the fire this year and will have an entire off-season to learn?  This is an area where a first-year could also make an impact.  Williams could also use a second tight end, as there was little depth at that position.   

Considering who other teams lose to graduation, the Ephs may have the most dynamic 1-2 tailback combo in the league in Carter Begel and TJ Dozier - but they need both to stay a bit healthier, and need to find a third guy at always-nicked-up TB position.  Williams also returns five guys who began the season as starters on the offensive line, and all but one are now multi-year starters.  The line also has experienced depth for the first time in Raymond's tenure, with a few rising sophomore who may challenge for time.  Overall, the offense SHOULD be a lot more explosive so long as Maimaron returns 100 percent.

On defense, Williams loses more to graduation, but several of the graduating seniors missed much of the year to injury. 

1. Will TJ Rothmann be 100 percent to start the season?  He (and the defense as a whole) were dynamic when healthy, but Williams was a very different team when he was not manning the middle.  If so, the linebacker unit has three all-league caliber guys (Wesner and I'm including Apuzzi in that), plus two rising sophomores who both look like they will be very good players as they mature and who should make a bigger impact after they were thrust into big roles as frosh.   

2. Who will play cornerback for the Ephs?  Ben Anthony moved there by necessity after some injuries, and two senior stalwarts graduated.  Ideally, Anthony can return to safety where his size and athletic ability makes a huge impact, and that also gives the Ephs the luxury of three veteran safeties who can play together in passing situations.  But Williams will need to find a couple of lock-down corners in the off-season for Anthony return to his (in my view) most natural position.  Rocco Giandomenico, who was thrust into action a bit prematurely, looks like a good bet to start at one corner. 

3. Who will emerge as a big-time run stuffer and also generate some pass rush on the defensive line?  This to me is the biggest question on the entire team, for the second year in a row.  Rising senior Unobsky seems like the only sure thing on the line heading into the offseason.  The DL was small and young last year, and relied on a lot of different guys (including four frosh) rotating in and out of a position where ideally you will have veterans taking the lead.  Williams only got 8 sacks on the year, and the only two sacks by a defensive linemen were generated by a talented graduating senior, who will be missed.  In the 3-4 defense, especially THIS 3-4 defense, the DL isn't counted on to make a ton of plays in the offensive backfield, but they need to make SOME while also continuing to evolve as run-stoppers and gap-pluggers.  The young Eph D-linemen will need to have a big offseason in the weightroom to add some bulk and explosiveness up front, if the Ephs want to take a leap to a contender status.   

Lots of questions, but also lots of reason for optimism (especially if Rothmann and Maimaron can get, and stay, healthy) heading into next fall! 

[Hawk196]

Great write up Nescac1.....can you do one for Tufts? Just getting into the NESCAC.

BTW, Tufts just picked up another O-lineman yesterday from another North Jersey powerhouse!

[nescac1]

Thanks Hawk.  I don't know nearly enough about Tufts to do anything comprehensive.  I do think Tufts has more question marks heading into next season than any other team that had a winning record. 

Clearly the biggest question mark by far for the Jumbos is at QB, considering that Ryan McDonald, who was big-time, was the centerpiece of that offense for several years, and they don't return a player who has ever completed a forward pass!  In addition, the Jumbos graduate their top three wide receivers, both of their all-NESCAC offensive linemen, and 1/2 of their RB platoon.  So basically, it's just about an entirely new offensive unit for Tufts, and the team may have to rely on defense early unless they have a stud QB waiting in the wings.  But on the plus side, if your son plays on that side of the ball, lots of opportunities to contribute!  I do think Tufts will have at least two strong players on offense to rely on: Mike Pedrini, who will need to be a workhorse back, and OJ Armstrong, who should be an all-league receiver as an upperclassman.  On defense Tufts returns a lot more, led by Greg Holt, who is one of the elite defensive stars in NESCAC, but also suffer some losses, especially in the defensive backfield. 

[Hawk196]

Oh there on their way to building a good line. One from Don Bosco Prep (my son) and one from Bergen Catholic

[NED3Guy]

JB Wells said to be a candidate for HFC job at St Scholastica- Duluth, Mn.

Looks like St. Scholastica went in another direction with their search / hire: from www.footballscoop.com-
St. Scholastica (D-III – MN): Offensive coordinator Mike Heffernan is being promoted to head coach. Heffernan joined the staff in March after previously serving as an assistant with the program from 2009-12.

Wells will land on his feet somewhere for sure. Not much movement in New England yet, but there will be some; and I assume he'd be at the top of the list for most schools.

Also could see him ending up in the prep school ranks. Pretty nice lifestyle at those schools. Those places love sending kids to the NESCAC, so hiring a former NESCAC player and Head Coach would be a great move.

[frank uible]

Football coaching is a tough racket - not for the faint of heart.

[Hooper]

I agree.  Any program would be lucky to have Coach Wells. 

[JEFFFAN]

On the NESCAC basketball site, it listed ED decisions for the NESCAC for hoops.  Is there a way to find this out for football?

[lumbercat]

Jeffan-

I believe NESCAC Football commitments and recruiting information cannot be announced formally by the schools until May 1.
Not sure about basketball but would assume the same rules apply.

The stuff you are seeing on the Basketball or Football boards is information that has been gathered from recruits or HS coaches who have announced their decisions. In early May you will see the NESCAC schools start to formally announce their incoming Football recruits.

Needless to say, if keep your ears open there are always a lot of rumors and recruiting stories circulating about.

The first Tuesday in Feb which is national signing day for D1 football often brings out announcements of many D3 commitments as well.

[nescac1]

Right, lumbercat.  I'll note that it is much easier to find info on hoops recruits - in part because there are so many fewer recruits per team, but also because there is just more publicity of D3 basketball recruiting, in particular, the New England Recruiting Report site which regularly reports on D3 commitments.  I know of no football equivalent.  Typically, there are very few surprises on NESCAC hoops rosters (certainly not players of consequence on the better teams) by the start of the season.  Football, though, is a very different story. 

[nescac1]

Speaking of NESCAC recruits, Lincoln-Sudbury's all-state big defensive tackle Cal Kenney committed to Amherst.  Sounds like a very good pick-up for the Mammoths.  His teammate, the team's quarterback, Braden O'Connell, previously committed to Williams (where I imagine he will convert to a WR or DB), so they should have fun facing off against one another for the next four years.