FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Nescacman]

2021 NESCACMAN PRE-SEASON AWARDS

Offensive Player of the Year: Bobby Maimaron, QB, TTUN; David Estevez, Slash, WES

Defensive Player of the Year: Nick Helbig, DT, WES; Brian Casagrande, LB, HS

Special Teams Player of the Year: Martin Von Jess, K, WES

Can we address the elephant in the room that noted Wesleyan superfan and alleged recruiting consigliere to the HCOF NESCACMAN picked "Martin Von Jess" (not to be confused with Mason) to win STPOY, only for Martin to appear to be beaten out at both the kicker and the punter positions? Tough look!

Spring, not sure that's the "elephant in the room" (we think the LM's and Jumbo's have that covered!), but yes, we made a mistake...it is, of course, "Mason" not "Martin"...sometimes happens when we are blogging at 3 AM...we apologize if that caused you take the wrong Von Jess in your NESCAC Fantasy Football League! Fortunately, we are right more than we are wrong (like going 5-0 with our picks this week)....btw, we have previously noted that the loss of key lineman and receivers would have an adverse affect on MID/Jernigan...that is exasperated as a result of the loss of RB Madijian...

Speaking of Von Jess, not sure who was watching the Colby/Wes game in Saturday, but it looked to us like Von Jess was injured as a result of a cheap shot on punt coverage in the first half (chop block to the right knee totally away from the play)...surprised us a bit since we believe that Colby HCOF Cos is a class act and teaches his teams to play the game hard but clean and with honor...disappointing if one of his players intentionally tried to injure the talented Wes kicker...fortunately, deep Wes has a fine young back-up kicker to Von Jess (who was 3 for 3 on XPs and recorded 3 TBs on 5 kick-offs)...hopefully MASON will be back soon...

Curious to hear what the tailgating experience was of those attended games on Saturday...we have heard that enforcement and interpretation of policies/rules ranged from very lax to way over the top...in Waterville, for example, fans were allowed to "hangout" in the parking area in small groups but any overt signs of tailgating (like grilling), was not allowed...hopefully, things loosen up as the season progresses...

Lastly, it was an honor and privilege to meet and spend some time with Colby AD Mike Wisecup...appreciate the discussion...AD Wisecup is a graduate of the Naval Academy and was a Navy Seal Officer (thank you for your service Mike!)...he is truly an officer and a gentleman...for those of that have not seen the new athletic center (and we think best) at Colby, we highly encourage you to take a tour the next time you are on Mayflower Hill...very impressive...made us into a believer in Colby athletics...

Here's what's in store this week from NESCACMAN...Monday: Week 1 Rankings (including a special section on the LMs)...Friday: Week 2 Picks/Spreads...great to have football back...   

[AmherstStudent05]

Don't worry Nescacman — I got the right Von Jess in my fantasy league! (Sadly it did not really result in any fantasy points).

I thought last week you made a big deal of pointing out that your picks are more impressive than those of others because you pick against a (self-made) spread. Now you claim to have gone 5-0 with your picks last week. Seems much more like 3-1-1 to me but maybe I am missing something.

[BigKat]

First time at Trinity on Sat, and after watching the student body behavior during the game, the Hartford State moniker suddenly crystallized. Gerard is the real deal. Odd he wouldn't be at a bigger program. Has all the tools to play d1 football.

[nescac1]

So what is the over-under for the date on which Amherst will resolve the broken link to its 2021 roster?  Getting a BIT ridiculous ... just seems like amateur hour, and it's the very heart of recruiting season, and while maybe not the type of thing recruits care about, it would certainly catch my attention if I was on the fence between Amherst and other NESCAC schools. 

[maineman]

I was able to watch the entire Amherst-Bates game yesterday on the webcast. First of all, it was obviously just great to get to watch Amherst football in action after a two year absence.

The game itself was not exactly pretty, however. We started in as dominant a fashion as I maybe have ever seen. Bates received the opening kickoff and promptly went three and out. We then promptly marched down the field again on a 10-play 69-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead. Bates goes three and out again, we block the punt, recover in the end zone and before you know if we are up 14-0. Bates goes three and out yet again and the punter muffs the snap and takes a while to pick the ball back up — at this point Bates looked just downright sad — before ultimately getting an 11 yard punt away. Amherst goes three and out on its ensuing possession before Bates musters its fourth consecutive three-and-out to start the game. A 13-yard punt gives us possession at the Bates 30.  At this point we sub out our starting QB, Chad Peterson, and replace him with Brad Breckenridge (I assume Breckenridge pushed Peterson in camp and the coaching staff wanted to reward him with some run). Brad starts moving us down the field before throwing an inexplicable pick in the end zone with seemingly no Amherst players in sight.

I don't think anyone could have predicted it at the time,  but this is the moment the wheels came off for Amherst. Bates would go on to score 17 straight points in the second quarter to improbably (and improbably is putting it lightly) take a 17-14 lead at half.

We scored on our opening possession of the second half and never trailed again but some missed field goals and Costa magic kept the game close.

The play of the game for Amherst game early in the fourth quarter when Joe Masterson took an innocuous seeming bubble route and miraculously dodged a few Bates tacklers as well as the sideline to produce a 32-yard touchdown that put us ahead 28-20.

After a truly dominant first quarter there wasn't a whole lot of obvious positives for Amherst. The most surprising thing was our defense and in particular our secondary. Despite playing coverage most of the game, Costa really seemed to carve up our defense. I hate to say it but it sometimes seemed that we were playing a match up zone where we were purposefully matching up with empty space (obviously impossible to see what was really going on without coaches film). I recall one third and long Bates converted to the sideline receiver who was wide open running a modest out route.

Our offense didn't seem particularly dynamic itself save for the brilliant Masterson play I referenced above. The offensive line seemed to play well, and Kellen Field ran well save for one brutal fumble.

Anyway, the best part was Amherst was finally back in action and we did manage to get the win. Some sloppiness is to be expected I suppose. I look forward to next week's home opener against Colby.

I try not to comment on sports information matters, but I really can't see any justification for not having a roster posted an hour before kickoff (or even a day after our season opener). A substantive, enlightening season preview would be nice, but perhaps that was too much to ask. A basic roster is not. Frankly, at this point why even employ a SID? I'm sure there are extenuating circumstances and I am just letting my frustrations get the best of me, but it doesn't make it easy to follow my beloved Jeffs.

Finally, at halftime of the Amherst game I flipped on the Williams Midd game and happened to catch one of the brutal calls nescac1 described. Jernigan is scrambling on third and long, makes contact with one Williams defender, seems to escape that and start to dive forward where a second Williams defender lays a hard hit on him. Ball comes loose and Williams recovers. But the refs throw a flag for helmet to helmet contact. So not only is the fumble negated, what should have been fourth and short becomes first down with 15 yards tacked on to boot. Mid would go on to score a TD on that drive. I understand nescac1's frustration. My biggest concern with the call is that it may well have been technically correct. I'm all for player safety of course but what is a defender supposed to do there? The QB is getting redirected by someone else and is coming at you head on lunging for a first down. That seemed like an unbelievable play by the Williams kid and instead turns into a big negative. Tom Brady recently had a nice rant on a related point complaining that NFL QBs now have every incentive to lead their receivers into harms way because of the personal foul yardage.

Just wondering?  If they called helmet to helmet contact, then wouldn't that have been targeting?  If so, was anybody disqualified for the rest of the game or the next game if it happened in the second half?

[nescac1]

Yes, it was a targeting call on Michalik, the Ephs' top safety, who was tossed.  Raymond was clearly not happy ...

[amh63]

Nescac1....see you checked for me this morning....I got up late, etc.  A number of other sports have their roster up and it may be a "local area" shortage of talent...like the Nescac site news which is located down the street in Hadley, Ma.  Earlier this year, the Amherst College viewing cameras of the campus were messed up/out.  After several calls to the "proper" people, it was fixed.  Management was not aware of the problem it seems.  In any case, am sure Amherst football is not hiding something .  Maybe  picture taking, etc. is taking time.

[Trin9-0]

Sounds like a classic NESCACMAN plant headline but thought provoking just the same.

True of not, I know this-- Lord Jeffrey would be out of his mind to leave Trinity.  There is no other program outside of the Power 5 conferences where a coach has more overwhelming advantages in terms of recruiting leniency, college support and alumni support that so far exceeds every other program in his conference. He's got loaded dice at Trinity- can't think of another coaching job where he would have such a huge edge within another conference.

My question for lumbercat, Nescacman, and anyone else who discredits Trinity's success in football, is why don't the Bantams dominate in every sport? According to you, there are no admissions criteria at Trinity (wrong), they have unparalleled facilities (laughable) and unlimited "alumni support" (7th highest endowment). Shouldn't all Trinity teams be producing a winning percentage that mirror's Devanney's .836? They should be winning the Directors Cup every year!

A look at the winning percentage of Trinity's other NESCAC sponsored team sports since 2000/2001 (when the league officially began crowning champions) tells a much different tale:

Baseball: .695
Field Hockey: .548
Men's Basketball: .639
Men's Ice Hockey: .671
Men's Lacrosse: .429
Men's Soccer: .434
Softball: .485
Volleyball: .511
Women's Basketball: .514
Women's Ice Hockey: .526
Women's Lacrosse: .705
Women's Soccer: .568

Average: .560

Clearly the three Trinity Athletic Director's, five Admissions Deans, and eight College Presidents since 2000 only care about the success of the football program! Or maybe... maybe it's just possible that Devanney is an excellent coach with an excellent staff, who recruit kids who fit the NESCAC academic profile, want to play for a tradition-rich program in a capital city, with a beautiful campus, and great social culture?

Nah, it must just be those "loaded dice".

[JEFFFAN]

I am not a Trinity guy, of course, but your point is a valid one in terms of the other sports.   The admissions standards at Williams, for instance, are high, yet they win the Directors Cup almost every year which occurs through success in multiple programs.   The Trinity football coach just does a very good job.

[lumbercat]

Sounds like a classic NESCACMAN plant headline but thought provoking just the same.

True of not, I know this-- Lord Jeffrey would be out of his mind to leave Trinity.  There is no other program outside of the Power 5 conferences where a coach has more overwhelming advantages in terms of recruiting leniency, college support and alumni support that so far exceeds every other program in his conference. He's got loaded dice at Trinity- can't think of another coaching job where he would have such a huge edge within another conference.

My question for lumbercat, Nescacman, and anyone else who discredits Trinity's success in football, is why don't the Bantams dominate in every sport? According to you, there are no admissions criteria at Trinity (wrong), they have unparalleled facilities (laughable) and unlimited "alumni support" (7th highest endowment). Shouldn't all Trinity teams be producing a winning percentage that mirror's Devanney's .836? They should be winning the Directors Cup every year!

A look at the winning percentage of Trinity's other NESCAC sponsored team sports since 2000/2001 (when the league officially began crowning champions) tells a much different tale:

Baseball: .695
Field Hockey: .548
Men's Basketball: .639
Men's Ice Hockey: .671
Men's Lacrosse: .429
Men's Soccer: .434
Softball: .485
Volleyball: .511
Women's Basketball: .514
Women's Ice Hockey: .526
Women's Lacrosse: .705
Women's Soccer: .568

Average: .560

Clearly the three Trinity Athletic Director's, five Admissions Deans, and eight College Presidents since 2000 only care about the success of the football program! Or maybe... maybe it's just possible that Devanney is an excellent coach with an excellent staff, who recruit kids who fit the NESCAC academic profile, want to play for a tradition-rich program in a capital city, with a beautiful campus, and great social culture?

Nah, it must just be those "loaded dice".

Any of my comments pertain solely to Football. I have no feel for any of the other sports at Trinity. They lay it in big time on Football- perennially much stronger financial and administrative support than any other NESCAC program. This is to their credit as I have stated time again over the years. We all wish our respective programs received this level of support. I have utmost respect for Trinity Football and all those rings.

[nescac1]

Here are the highlights from the Williams-Midd game, including a couple of seemingly random plays included.  But some very good ones, as well.  They have the tail end of the targeting play, but unfortunately, you can't see the actual hit that yielded the penalty, just the resulting loose ball. 

Watching these highlights one Eph (other than Maimaron) really stands out to me: Michael Bedard, number 44, who is playing in the H-back position vacated by Kyle Horihan.  In nearly every positive running play included in the highlights, he is in the middle of the action, absolutely blowing up guys at or just past the line of scrimmage.  If he engages one-on-one in space with a LB or a DB, at least judging by these highlights, it's over.  Bedard has the look of an extremely effective motion lead blocker, something that has been key component for the Ephs' running game to succeed throughout the Raymond years:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl7rEQR9BdA

[SpringSt7]

Not to dump on the kid but those highlights also illustrated to me how different the game could have gone if Jernigan did a better job of holding onto the ball. The Ephs were up 14-7 with 4 minutes left in the half and went score, interception, score, in 2 minutes to go into the tunnel up 28-7. Brutal way to close a half if you're Middlebury. All 3 interceptions were avoidable.

[polbear73]

I am not a Trinity guy, of course, but your point is a valid one in terms of the other sports.   The admissions standards at Williams, for instance, are high, yet they win the Directors Cup almost every year which occurs through success in multiple programs.   The Trinity football coach just does a very good job.

As a Bowdoin graduate,  whose football performance is on the opposite spectrum from Trinity's, I can only express admiration and respect for the consistent excellence that the Bantams exhibit every year.  Every other NESCAC school should be trying their best to beat them on the field, not snipe at them off it.

[Trin9-0]

For something a little different... here's the Week 1 NESCAC Football Uniform Report:

Amherst at Bates
Grade: F
Woof! The Bobcats, once again, go with their monochromatic maroon on maroon on maroon combo and they are still sporting the tiger striped helmets (bobcats have spots!). The Mammoths need to ditch the grey pants all together but they're especially terrible when paired with the white jerseys. It makes it look like their game pants never arrived so they needed to put on some dingy old practice pants.


Wesleyan at Colby
Grade: C+
Both programs debuted new helmets on Saturday. The Cardinals updated their lids with their new angry bird logo which was a necessary, though not exactly positive change. The white jersey looks sharp with the black lids and pants despite the unnecessary piping. Meanwhile the Mules massively upgraded their helmets by replacing the oval Mule logo with the new Colby "C". We still long for the days of the old wishbone "C" and they lose points in my book for using players numerals on one side but it's still significant improvement. Next they need to ditch their high school-esque uniforms.


Middlebury at Williams
Grade: B-
Talk about the haves and the have nots. Middlebury, as always, looked resplendent in their road whites with the classic winged helmet. One of the best looks, home or away, for any team in the NESCAC. It was a sharp contrast to the disaster of a uniform that Williams continues to trod out each Saturday. Mismatched shades of purple, illegible logos, inconsistent striping; yuck. Get it together, Cows.


Tufts at Trinity
Grade: B
I love the traditional navy jersey, white pants combo for the Bantams. There's been far too much of the all navy combo in the recent past. The grey jersey for Tufts just doesn't work. And while I'm a fan of the scrip "Jumbos" on the helmet, the player numerals on the other side look especially bad when they don't match the uniform number font.


Bowdoin at Hamilton
Grade: B+
My pick for the most aesthetically appealing game of the week! The new home blue uniforms for the Continentals look sharp and add just enough color and consistency to match their pants/helmet. A very solid look. As for Bowdoin, I still think their uniform lacks something (need Bears or Polar Bears or Bowdoin on the chest) but I'm a sucker for an all white combo and their helmets are still among the best in the league.

[Nescacman]

Sounds like a classic NESCACMAN plant headline but thought provoking just the same.

True of not, I know this-- Lord Jeffrey would be out of his mind to leave Trinity.  There is no other program outside of the Power 5 conferences where a coach has more overwhelming advantages in terms of recruiting leniency, college support and alumni support that so far exceeds every other program in his conference. He's got loaded dice at Trinity- can't think of another coaching job where he would have such a huge edge within another conference.

My question for lumbercat, Nescacman, and anyone else who discredits Trinity's success in football, is why don't the Bantams dominate in every sport? According to you, there are no admissions criteria at Trinity (wrong), they have unparalleled facilities (laughable) and unlimited "alumni support" (7th highest endowment). Shouldn't all Trinity teams be producing a winning percentage that mirror's Devanney's .836? They should be winning the Directors Cup every year!

A look at the winning percentage of Trinity's other NESCAC sponsored team sports since 2000/2001 (when the league officially began crowning champions) tells a much different tale:

Baseball: .695
Field Hockey: .548
Men's Basketball: .639
Men's Ice Hockey: .671
Men's Lacrosse: .429
Men's Soccer: .434
Softball: .485
Volleyball: .511
Women's Basketball: .514
Women's Ice Hockey: .526
Women's Lacrosse: .705
Women's Soccer: .568

Average: .560

Clearly the three Trinity Athletic Director's, five Admissions Deans, and eight College Presidents since 2000 only care about the success of the football program! Or maybe... maybe it's just possible that Devanney is an excellent coach with an excellent staff, who recruit kids who fit the NESCAC academic profile, want to play for a tradition-rich program in a capital city, with a beautiful campus, and great social culture?

Nah, it must just be those "loaded dice".

No doubt that HCOF Jeff does a fine job coaching/recruiting as did HCOF Chuck before him, however, we think there is more to the story here...our understanding, corroborated by several NESCAC ADs, is that Hartford State uses more of their allocated TIPs on football than any other NESCAC school...we are just communicating that information second hand and have no way to confirm that...we're sure the stats exist deep in the bowels of NESCAC HQ (maybe where the webmaster used to work?) but that info is definitely not public...we do know that many of our recruits had no problem getting into HS and we could not get them into their first NESCAC school of choice...