FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[quicksilver]

good article from the Bowdoin student paper on JB Wells' approach to coaching and on the Bowdoin selection process. Among other things, the tri-captains for the 2015 season were responsible for interviewing the candidates.

[polbear73]

good article from the Bowdoin student paper on JB Wells' approach to coaching and on the Bowdoin selection process. Among other things, the tri-captains for the 2015 season were responsible for interviewing the candidates.

I had heard that the final candidates were very close that Coach Wells was the choice of the players. 

[PolarCat]

Interesting comments about the passing game.  Where's he going to find his QB?  Despite Mac Caputi's problems, Drakely really struggled in the 2 games he played, and the 3rd QB on this year's roster (Chad Carrera '18) got no playing time at all.  They do have a QB recruit in the incoming class, but will he be able to step up right from Maine HS ball to DIII?

It would be interesting to know if they have any incoming transfers.  We've talked a lot on this board about how some of the 'CAD have an abundance of QB talent, so maybe one of them will move to Brunswick for a chance to start?

[polbear73]

Interesting comments about the passing game.  Where's he going to find his QB?  Despite Mac Caputi's problems, Drakely really struggled in the 2 games he played, and the 3rd QB on this year's roster (Chad Carrera '18) got no playing time at all.  They do have a QB recruit in the incoming class, but will he be able to step up right from Maine HS ball to DIII?

It would be interesting to know if they have any incoming transfers.  We've talked a lot on this board about how some of the 'CAD have an abundance of QB talent, so maybe one of them will move to Brunswick for a chance to start?

I am hard pressed to recall any transfer playing football at Bowdoin in recent history, let alone contributing significantly.  It certainly would be a great way to jumpstart the program, not only at the QB position but where other holes persist. 

I agree about the current QBs on the roster, although Drakely did show a flash or two in the Amherst game, the rest of his opportunities did not produce much.  He had a stellar prep career at Taft so perhaps there is potential.

Needless to say, Coach Wells has his work cut out for him, certainly on both sides of the ball, but especially on offense.  Tyler Grant and a couple of the other young running backs are very good places to start. 

[amh63]

Is it possible that HFC Wells can bring a QB with him?  When Whalen left Williams he brought the starting QB at Williams with him.  I am aware of the academic qualifications question.  Then again, QB transfers do not often bring success right away.  The QB presently at Williams is a transfer, I believe.  The only recent transfer of notable success was the one at Middlebury...now since graduated thankfully.
Now that the Coach is selected, hope the administration will follow through to support his rebuilding process.  Always good to have a competative conference.

[Nescacman]

Saturday, September 26, 2015....The Williams College Ephmen at the Bowdoin College Polar Bears...the "Battle for the Basement".

[polbear73]

Sad but probably true.

[PolarCat]

Aw come on, guys.  Your glass should be half full.  One of them will start off the season with a victory.   

[NewtoNescac]

The prevailing sentiment is that Bowdoin can use a QB that can throw the football. What's the chance of a kid transferring from another nescac school? Wells would have to treat that diplomatically, I would think. Any thoughts?

[polbear73]

It has happened dating back to the 80's. I don't think coaches would stand in the way of a student athlete pursuing other academic or athletic pursuits at another conference school.

[PolarCat]

Let's broaden the scope a little.  What happens if a DI athlete transfers to a NESCAC school?  Not a kid who would be walking away from a scholarship, but maybe a back-up QB at an Ivy.  A Bowdoin undergraduate degree has arguably as much cachet as one from Columbia, Cornell or Penn.  And I can even envision a back-up at Dartmouth or Brown transferring if it meant a chance to start instead of riding the pine.

Can a DI transfer play right away?  Or do they need to sit out for a year?

(Of course an in person visit to Whittier Field and Bowdoin's weight room would no doubt dissuade that DI kid, but hypothetically speaking, could it happen?)

[polbear73]

Yes, an athlete can play right away moving down divisions. Hopefully we will be hearing about upgraded facillities soon at Bowdoin.

[lumbercat]

All they need to do to update Whittier is install field turf and upgrade the old wood bleachers on the home side. Would be nice to move the track like they did at Bates but that may be too ambitious at this point.

When they stopped using chemical fertilizers at Bowdoin several years ago they took Whittier from the perennial status of one the very best, and fastest, natural surfaces in New England to the thin, worn, muddy mess that it has sadly become. The answer is field turf......the 1.5 mil is a grain of sand in that Bowdoin endowment.

I never set foot on a better natural grass Football field, it was always cut very short and tight like a golf fairway. In the old Black and White CBB game films it was so perfect it looked like Astro Turf.

From a distant perspective I don't think there is an urgency to upgrades at Whittier beyond the playing surface. I think most will agree that this is a great facility an it's classic look should be preserved.

As for the QB situation with the Black and White I guess I'm a "half full" guy. I saw Drakely play pre Bowdoin and know that he has some ability and was highly rated as a recruit. I think he may be better than advertised--we will see. No doubt he found himself in a difficult situation playing behind the coaches son. No implication of nepotism as I have a lot respect for Mac Caputi despite the tough year he had but it was not a good situation for Drakely. Carrera also said to have some genuine talent in recruiting circles but only time will tell.

[MENESCACFAN]

D1 transfers can definitely play right away.  The Middlebury kid who transferred from Brown a few years back was as good a QB as I've seen play in the league.  Williams QB last year I believe was a Boston College transfer, though he did not make the impact you'd expect from that background.

As for whether the Bowdoin coach can pick up the phone in Jan and get a kid to transfer, that is tough to do.  I would imagine he plays the season out with what he has.

[NewtoNescac]

The next couple of months should be very interesting. A clearer picture should develope regarding where teams are at. But it all makes for fun speculation, that's about it. What I will say is that despite records, I have seen very little difference between the top dogs, ie. Amherst, and the lower tier teams. You can turn things around quickly and join the big boys, if you really want it, ie. Wesleysn.