FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[The Mole]

Agree on all points! Again, Dice is changing that culture to a winning one. Have beaten Williams 7 years in a row and won 3 of the last 7 Little 3. All time record vs Trinity is 54-64-2 (3 wins in the 2000s!!), not horrible. All-time Little Three: Williams 48 Amherst 33 Wesleyan 15, 9 3 way ties and one shared by Amherst/Williams. That will take a long time to fix but the recent trend is quite positive

I would argue that Andrus Field at Wesleyan is a recruiting advantage, if anything. It's the oldest football field in the country and you're surrounded by the original campus buildings. Wes has a turf field behind the athletic center where football practices, but it's like every other turf field in existence. Wes has a gorgeous athletic center, so the school isn't going to lose recruits because of facilities, certainly not vs the rest of NESCAC. And Wes is doing just fine with recruiting flexibility, certainly since Roth has been president. The one knock on the school, in my opinion, is lack of a winning tradition. There's the history with the Little 3 and all that, but Amherst, Williams, and Trinity have the winning tradition that Wes would need decades to make up.

[Hawk196]

BTW, great opening day for HS football in the Garden State yesterday! Going to be an epic year as we move to overall state champs by group in 2022 (like PA, TEX, etc.).

If that is the case with one (?) state champion, then it will be one of 4 teams...Don Bosco Prep, Bergen Catholic, St Joes (montvale) or St. Peters Prep. After these 4 teams there is a considerable drop off

To be clear, one state per champ per group (rather than by section as it was previously done)....group's are based on size of school...

The school's are also separated based on whether they are public or non-public...

So for example, Wayne Hills could be the overall Group 4 "public" champ, while the parochial's would be playing in their respective "non-public" group based on size....btw, you forgot Seton Hall Prep who has arguably been the best team in NJ recently ...

I looked up Seton Hall Prep and it seems like the stepped up in competition (playing the big 4), but was always second tier in NJ. We can go on about recruiting, My 2 sons played at DBP from '12 - '19 ('11 was national champs), there was no recruiting my boys and playing local public teams was not fun or competitive. My Ivy league son was a 3 year starter at tackle and did alot of travel across the country (Ca, Nv, Utah, Fl, S.C. Wash DC). He played against Nick Bosa (St. Thomas aquinas), Rashawn Gary (Paramus catholic) and others. It was run like a college program and I would always get there early to watch "team"....end of practice type scrimmage with live hitting (the good ole days). At 6'3" he was a bit "short", but his experience at DBP made a huge difference. They actually had to dial him back at practice his freshman year because he practiced with the intensity of H.S.....

my other son is really short at 6'2" (ugh) and that meant D3 (some crappy D2 teams, not all). I asked his coach why they were interested in him and he said he learned things in H.S. (hand placement, etc..) that they were teaching current freshman.

the moral of the story...recruit from the Big North. Smart, well coached kids that will make a difference in the NESCAC, especially if they don't have D1 measurables

Hawk, we have definitely met at some point as we have watched many a game in Ramsey, Oradell, and Montvale and recruited (some successfully) from those schools...we know (as I am sure you do) HCOF's Toal, Nunzio, Karcich, Teel, et al.....once in a while, we even catch a game in Wayne, Franklin Lakes, and the other school in Oradell (the home of Bill Parcells and current Wes standout David Estevez)...looking forward to an amazing season in both the NESCAC and NJ HS football....We think BC is the parochial team to beat and Ramapo is the public team to beat North of the NJ Mason/Dixon line (I-195)....

Here we go...

No. 3 Don Bosco (1-1) at No. 8 Seton Hall Prep (2-0)
When: Saturday at 1

Evans: Don Bosco
Kinney: Seton Hall Prep
Koob: Seton Hall Prep
Lanni: Don Bosco
Minnick: Don Bosco
Zedalis: Seton Hall Prep
Kinney says: This is going to be a struggle for Seton Hall after two straight blowout wins, but QB Jaden Craig can engineer the upset.

[Charlie]

I guess I need to elaborate. I do think the facilities at Wesleyan are great and some good Coaches. However walking or having to ride to your own home field is lousy. Having your halftime locker room be in the cafeteria is lame. The game atmosphere I get is good. But from a comparative stand point nothing beats Trinity and the new stadium seating and Williams for the viewing of a ball game and atmosphere. Wesleyan still beats the Maine atmosphere which feels like you are watching a Golf match. I think Wesleyan will be competitive year in and year out but unless some excellent recruitment occurs I think they will always struggle to get over that hurdle. Also heard that Trinity landed a Stud DE and LB in the class of 2022. I view them to the likes of a D1 powerhouse they loose one top recruit but always seem to land another.

I also heard that Bowdoin went crazy this year with there offers some 60 are out there funny part is 3/4 of those are going elsewhere.

[Jonny Utah]

I guess I need to elaborate. I do think the facilities at Wesleyan are great and some good Coaches. However walking or having to ride to your own home field is lousy. Having your halftime locker room be in the cafeteria is lame. The game atmosphere I get is good. But from a comparative stand point nothing beats Trinity and the new stadium seating and Williams for the viewing of a ball game and atmosphere. Wesleyan still beats the Maine atmosphere which feels like you are watching a Golf match. I think Wesleyan will be competitive year in and year out but unless some excellent recruitment occurs I think they will always struggle to get over that hurdle. Also heard that Trinity landed a Stud DE and LB in the class of 2022. I view them to the likes of a D1 powerhouse they loose one top recruit but always seem to land another.

I also heard that Bowdoin went crazy this year with there offers some 60 are out there funny part is 3/4 of those are going elsewhere.

I think for d3 having halftime in an open space like a cafeteria is better than some small visitors locker room that many places have.  I get you need to shower and change before/after the game but at halftime?  spots like that can be ideal imo.

[lumbercat]

It's not a bus ride but it's also a pretty good hike for the Bantams from the locker room to the Coop. Nothing is perfect I guess.

[PolarCat]

HS in direct competition with Ivies?  LOL.

Williams, Amherst and Midd?  Sure.  Add Tufts for kids who want an urban campus and excellent post graduate experiences.  Bowdoin too for undergrad academics and the Maine experience.

HS jokes aside, Trinity is a unique school with an identity and value proposition all its own.  Mad respect for the football and WLAX programs.  But competing with Ivies?  Wow.

If that was the case, you too could have "admissions standards which are inflexible".

[lumbercat]

"nothing beats Trinity and the new stadium seating"

I'm sure it's going to be really nice Charlie but lets see it first. If they put all the stands on one side they blew it.

[nescac1]

Based on the plans for the Trinity stadium, it looks very similar to Williams' (with slightly elongated stands which is a bonus) but significantly worse in two ways: it doesn't have the player / fan  facility at one endzone (which gives the field more of a true stadium feel and creates a cool additional viewing area), and it has a track around the field (like Amherst's new stadium) which keeps spectators further from the action and creates worse site lines from the stands. 

I think the Williams field and game-day experience (from the perfect location relative to campus and town, to the dramatic entrance through the old stone gate, to the true stadium feel especially when the extra stands are added to the other side of the field for big games, to the gorgeous surrounding mountain views, to - now - the new Williams Inn conveniently located next door) is the gold standard for NESCAC -- much like Colby's new indoor athletic complex is clearly the gold standard for indoor sports, and Midd's new field house is the gold standard for those facilities.  I love the aesthetics of Amherst's new football stadium, but there is the aforementioned track issue, plus it's really far away from campus. 

[BigKat]

And don't forget the Taconic Golf Course where the 18th green rolls right into the parking lot above the field for tailgating. As good a set up as I've seen among Ivy, Patriot League or Nescac. It appears a few Ivies are allowing tailgates but also outdoor masking ( including vaxxed) which is comical at this juncture.

[Charlie]

Its a shame Bowdoin is so Bad the walk to the field and the stadium seating are nice. I do not understand what these schools do not go for a complete stadium enclosure I recognize money as deciding factor but Trinity is having some type of Field Hockey Championship for NCAA this is what prompted the construction. why not enclose the stadiums get rid of tracks and make these more up to date with the times. I just think in the long run it would be better viewing and get more people at the games wanting to go. I know it is D3 and not priority for these schools but they should reinvest in the sports if they are going to keep charging the high tuitions. I truly think even though not done Tufts should've done this after all they have more money in endowment than any I beleive. The fact they built a stadium with private funding is crazy. These schools need to open up their wallets a little.

[Nescacman]

BTW, great opening day for HS football in the Garden State yesterday! Going to be an epic year as we move to overall state champs by group in 2022 (like PA, TEX, etc.).

If that is the case with one (?) state champion, then it will be one of 4 teams...Don Bosco Prep, Bergen Catholic, St Joes (montvale) or St. Peters Prep. After these 4 teams there is a considerable drop off

To be clear, one state per champ per group (rather than by section as it was previously done)....group's are based on size of school...

The school's are also separated based on whether they are public or non-public...

So for example, Wayne Hills could be the overall Group 4 "public" champ, while the parochial's would be playing in their respective "non-public" group based on size....btw, you forgot Seton Hall Prep who has arguably been the best team in NJ recently ...

I looked up Seton Hall Prep and it seems like the stepped up in competition (playing the big 4), but was always second tier in NJ. We can go on about recruiting, My 2 sons played at DBP from '12 - '19 ('11 was national champs), there was no recruiting my boys and playing local public teams was not fun or competitive. My Ivy league son was a 3 year starter at tackle and did alot of travel across the country (Ca, Nv, Utah, Fl, S.C. Wash DC). He played against Nick Bosa (St. Thomas aquinas), Rashawn Gary (Paramus catholic) and others. It was run like a college program and I would always get there early to watch "team"....end of practice type scrimmage with live hitting (the good ole days). At 6'3" he was a bit "short", but his experience at DBP made a huge difference. They actually had to dial him back at practice his freshman year because he practiced with the intensity of H.S.....

my other son is really short at 6'2" (ugh) and that meant D3 (some crappy D2 teams, not all). I asked his coach why they were interested in him and he said he learned things in H.S. (hand placement, etc..) that they were teaching current freshman.

the moral of the story...recruit from the Big North. Smart, well coached kids that will make a difference in the NESCAC, especially if they don't have D1 measurables

Hawk, we have definitely met at some point as we have watched many a game in Ramsey, Oradell, and Montvale and recruited (some successfully) from those schools...we know (as I am sure you do) HCOF's Toal, Nunzio, Karcich, Teel, et al.....once in a while, we even catch a game in Wayne, Franklin Lakes, and the other school in Oradell (the home of Bill Parcells and current Wes standout David Estevez)...looking forward to an amazing season in both the NESCAC and NJ HS football....We think BC is the parochial team to beat and Ramapo is the public team to beat North of the NJ Mason/Dixon line (I-195)....

Here we go...

No. 3 Don Bosco (1-1) at No. 8 Seton Hall Prep (2-0)
When: Saturday at 1

Evans: Don Bosco
Kinney: Seton Hall Prep
Koob: Seton Hall Prep
Lanni: Don Bosco
Minnick: Don Bosco
Zedalis: Seton Hall Prep
Kinney says: This is going to be a struggle for Seton Hall after two straight blowout wins, but QB Jaden Craig can engineer the upset.

SHP hasn't beaten Don Bosco since 1976...with that being said, we're going with SHP at home in a close one...

[JEFFFAN]

I think that the Amherst field might be one of the most sterile, boring settings in the league.   I understood the decision to build a new stadium with a track on the inside of the stadium because the old stadium was great in the 1940s, but what they built created a distance from the action that makes it B-O-R-I-N-G.   We all know that not many folks come to the games to begin with, but to then force those few fans to sit so far from the action is pitiful.   Very poor job by my one-beloved-not-so-much-anymore alma mater.

[Nescacman]

BTW, great opening day for HS football in the Garden State yesterday! Going to be an epic year as we move to overall state champs by group in 2022 (like PA, TEX, etc.).

If that is the case with one (?) state champion, then it will be one of 4 teams...Don Bosco Prep, Bergen Catholic, St Joes (montvale) or St. Peters Prep. After these 4 teams there is a considerable drop off

To be clear, one state per champ per group (rather than by section as it was previously done)....group's are based on size of school...

The school's are also separated based on whether they are public or non-public...

So for example, Wayne Hills could be the overall Group 4 "public" champ, while the parochial's would be playing in their respective "non-public" group based on size....btw, you forgot Seton Hall Prep who has arguably been the best team in NJ recently ...

I looked up Seton Hall Prep and it seems like the stepped up in competition (playing the big 4), but was always second tier in NJ. We can go on about recruiting, My 2 sons played at DBP from '12 - '19 ('11 was national champs), there was no recruiting my boys and playing local public teams was not fun or competitive. My Ivy league son was a 3 year starter at tackle and did alot of travel across the country (Ca, Nv, Utah, Fl, S.C. Wash DC). He played against Nick Bosa (St. Thomas aquinas), Rashawn Gary (Paramus catholic) and others. It was run like a college program and I would always get there early to watch "team"....end of practice type scrimmage with live hitting (the good ole days). At 6'3" he was a bit "short", but his experience at DBP made a huge difference. They actually had to dial him back at practice his freshman year because he practiced with the intensity of H.S.....

my other son is really short at 6'2" (ugh) and that meant D3 (some crappy D2 teams, not all). I asked his coach why they were interested in him and he said he learned things in H.S. (hand placement, etc..) that they were teaching current freshman.

the moral of the story...recruit from the Big North. Smart, well coached kids that will make a difference in the NESCAC, especially if they don't have D1 measurables

Hawk, we have definitely met at some point as we have watched many a game in Ramsey, Oradell, and Montvale and recruited (some successfully) from those schools...we know (as I am sure you do) HCOF's Toal, Nunzio, Karcich, Teel, et al.....once in a while, we even catch a game in Wayne, Franklin Lakes, and the other school in Oradell (the home of Bill Parcells and current Wes standout David Estevez)...looking forward to an amazing season in both the NESCAC and NJ HS football....We think BC is the parochial team to beat and Ramapo is the public team to beat North of the NJ Mason/Dixon line (I-195)....

Here we go...

No. 3 Don Bosco (1-1) at No. 8 Seton Hall Prep (2-0)
When: Saturday at 1

Evans: Don Bosco
Kinney: Seton Hall Prep
Koob: Seton Hall Prep
Lanni: Don Bosco
Minnick: Don Bosco
Zedalis: Seton Hall Prep
Kinney says: This is going to be a struggle for Seton Hall after two straight blowout wins, but QB Jaden Craig can engineer the upset.

SHP hasn't beaten Don Bosco since 1976...with that being said, we're going with SHP at home in a close one...

Congrats to Seton Hall Prep on the win...

[Nescacman]

Just a comment for NESCAC SIDs....we think it is ridiculous that most of the schools in the NESCAC are yet to post their 2021 football roster....let's get with the program people!

Are you ready for some football? Here's what's on deck from NESCACMAN as we prepare to kick-off the 2021 season this Saturday....

-Wednesday: 2021 Week 0 rankings

-Friday: Week 1 Previews and Picks

[quicksilver]

Here's the roster for Bowdoin. The roster looks to include something like 85 players. A few members of the class of 2021 are returning for their final season of eligibility, including TE Bo Millett and QB Griff Stalcup . .