FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

NewtoNescac · February 09, 2015, 10:27:42 PM

Thanks for the info

quicksilver · February 10, 2015, 01:18:14 AM

Quote from: NewtoNescac on February 09, 2015, 07:11:17 PM
Michael Grassey was the Winchester QB, and he also played basketball. If he's in fact going to Hamilton they look to have a great QB recruit. I just watched his highlights, and he looks like he can make all the throws, has pocket presence and excellent vision. I think they have a find in that kid, if in fact he's going to Hamilton.

Grassey is definitely going to Hamilton but, based on this article, it looks as though he has decided to forego college football in favor of basketball.

NewtoNescac · February 10, 2015, 07:46:23 AM

Wow! Hamilton can't catch a break.

polbear73 · February 10, 2015, 08:19:53 AM

Sorry for the confusion over the NERR; I was just trying to confirm Grassey's commitment to Hamilton. I have since found outthat he was very clear with recruiters that his interest was basketball only. Did not know that at first posting.

quicksilver · February 10, 2015, 10:20:54 AM

Grassey's football stats and size imply that he likely would be a NESCAC caliber QB but the personal preference for basketball seems to be absolute.

amh63 · February 10, 2015, 10:26:43 AM

Amherst has two seniors on the football team that played on the basketball team. One was the 6'6" QB and the other was a WR. Both were HS stars in two sports and became starters for multi-years on the Amherst football team. Of course, there was little room on the bench...so to speak on the MBB team after freshman year. In the case of Hamilton, the recruit maybe convinced to go out for both football and BB. That is quite common among CAC schools.

NewtoNescac · February 10, 2015, 05:28:52 PM

amh63, anything is possible, but you just can't count on it.

More importantly, football requires a passion to be highly successful. If he doesn't have that fire to play football, he's unlikely to be the best player he can be. I'd rather have a less skilled player that wants to be on the field more than anything, than a highly talented kid that just isn't that into it any longer. But, these are my own preferences.

Still, I feel sorry for the Continentals.

PolarCat · February 10, 2015, 06:30:38 PM

It's not THAT unusual to have D3 mulit-sport athletes: a field hockey player who participates in WLAX in the Spring, a Squash player who also plays tennis, a cross country runner who also does track and field, etc. But football is so punishing - and requires such a year-round commitment in the weight room and otherwise - that I think you'd have to be really exceptional (like Russell Wilson) to make it work.

Besides, if the MBB coach used a tip on Grassey, I can't imagine he'd be okay with the kid blowing out a knee or getting concussed before the MBB season even started. "You want to play golf, run cross country, sail or play baseball? Have at it. But if you want my support with Admissions, football is a non-starter.'

quicksilver · February 10, 2015, 07:01:31 PM

Correct, Polarcat, on the likely tip aspect of this recruitment. In the case of 2-sport athletes, there are rare occasions when tips are split between the 2 teams. If the tip is not split, it would be assigned entirely to the b-ball team where we know/guess tips to be a precious and scarce commodity compared to other sports based on the small number of incoming recruits at most NESCAC schools in any given year . .

PolarCat · February 10, 2015, 10:33:40 PM

Lumbercat, got any insights on the Bates Class of 2019 recruits? I know Martin Guinee (Larry's younger brother) is coming, but have seen very little info on the rest of the recruiting class. Would love to hear what your sources tell you.

Thanks!

amh63 · February 11, 2015, 09:10:10 AM

Just a thought. My comment is based primarily on my info with respect to Amherst. There are a number of two sport students that have done well. One was a selected captain on both the football and BB teams...the MBB team won the National championship his senior year. Another such individual had his 3-point shots made in a game just broken several games ago. An
All-American soccer player played for several years on the BB team but dropped basketball due to injuries from soccer. Presently, I believe there are two football players playing on the Williams basketball team. I know that there are two sport players playing on Amherst and Trinity. Both committed to football. Injuries hindered participation for tryouts for basketball.....not coaches' restrictions. In the CAC, trying out for teams and making the team is limited by school loads, time, injuries and competition....very rarely rules/conditions due to admission or coaches...IF the desire is there.

lumbercat · February 11, 2015, 10:24:38 AM

Polarcat-
In addition to Guinee, Bates got a real good one in Tyler Harrington of Governors. He was the #19 rated overall recruit in Ma with one of the recruiting sources.
Here are some of Bates known commits:

Martin Guinee OL Malden Catholic, Ma 6'3" 265
Tyler Harrington DE Governors, Ma 6'3" 250
Tom Casey S/LB Tewksbury, Ma 5'9" 188
Tommy Pace TE/WR St. Sebastians Ma 6'4" 215
Joe Frake WR Windham, NH 6'2" 190
Calvin Johnstone LB Proctor, NH 6'3" 215
Connor DeSantis OL Governors, Ma 6'2" 330
Justin Foley K/P St. John's Prep, Ma 5'10" 180

Bates and most of the NESCAC are pretty tight lipped about recruiting- more of everyone's recruits
will become known as the overall admissions process winds down.
For some reason the Trinity information is always most available and accessible among the NESCAC schools.

PolarCat · February 11, 2015, 05:05:00 PM

Thanks, Lumbercat. Looks like a VERY strong recruiting class. I think I had heard there was also a QB coming from somewhere on the Maine coast, but I forget his name or HS.

Glad to see they have a punter coming. The Bobcats have 3 returning kickers, but Dave Kurey is going to be really hard to replace. Hope the new kid has a cannon for a leg.

warriorcat · February 11, 2015, 05:20:31 PM

Lumbercat and Polarcat,

Dave Curey will be very hard to replace indeed. With a team that relied on defense and field position for the past four years, Dave's under appreciated contributions could be more evident next fall unless there is a strong punter in the first year class.

lumbercat · February 11, 2015, 08:21:39 PM

Yes Kurey could really pound it and was great at dropping kicks inside the 10. He was the best punter in the league in my opinion. Most importantly he got rid of it very quickly.
The incoming kicker looks to have a real good leg and comes from St Johns Prep -one of the best D1 programs in Ma.

I believe there are multiple QBs coming in- this is the most significant need for the Bobcats for this recruiting class.