FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[FourMoreYears]

... I think it's safe to say that most kids want to be a part of a winning program ...

Not trying to make waves, but I don't think it's safe to say that at all ... at least in terms of a factor when choosing a school.  While almost every kid wants to win, there are a lot more factors involved in choosing a school than the winning percentage of the football team they play on.  Especially in the NESCAC.  I've had three children play inter-collegiate sports, (two in the NESCAC and one of those at Trinity so this is not an anti-Trinity thing) and my advice to each was the same: "Choose your school as if you were going to blow your knee out the first week of practice Freshman Year.  Your sport is a part of your college experience, but there are many other things to consider.  You have to like the school first!"  Coincidence or not, all three felt they chose the right place for them.  Having said all that, if I were the HFC coach at a school like Trinity or Amherst, you're damn right I would push the winning tradition to my recruits! :-)

[Trin9-0]

... I think it's safe to say that most kids want to be a part of a winning program ...

Not trying to make waves, but I don't think it's safe to say that at all ... at least in terms of a factor when choosing a school.  While almost every kid wants to win, there are a lot more factors involved in choosing a school than the winning percentage of the football team they play on.  Especially in the NESCAC.  I've had three children play inter-collegiate sports, (two in the NESCAC and one of those at Trinity so this is not an anti-Trinity thing) and my advice to each was the same: "Choose your school as if you were going to blow your knee out the first week of practice Freshman Year.  Your sport is a part of your college experience, but there are many other things to consider.  You have to like the school first!"  Coincidence or not, all three felt they chose the right place for them.  Having said all that, if I were the HFC coach at a school like Trinity or Amherst, you're damn right I would push the winning tradition to my recruits! :-)

I agree the winning percentage shouldn't be the deciding factor. However, it nevertheless does have an impact on the decision. In the article I just posted about a Trinity commit he references Trinity's tradition of success and wanting to be a part of it. My only point was that it's a significant recruiting advantage to offer a history of success on the field, and that more times than not a recruit would prefer to join an established program rather than one that annually struggles to compete.

For what it's worth I committed to Trin after they finished 5-3 and I endured two 4-4 seasons before winning consecutive NESCAC titles. I think my experience in turning around the program was far more valuable than had I simply joined an undefeated team and continued that level of success.

[Nescacman]

It's official...Dan DiCenzo is the new HC at Wesleyan succeeding Mike Whalen who continues as Cardinal AD...too bad for the Eph's.

http://www.nescac.com/sports/fball/2014-15/releases/WES_FB_Staff_020215

[Trin9-0]

Some more commitments being announced by CT high school football players. Looks like Trinity went heavy after Cheshire Academy. I wonder if they really wanted all these kids or if there was one or two they really liked and recruited them all as a package deal.  Also interesting to see four Darien kids committing to NESCAC programs thus far. For those who don't know, the Blue Wave produces a ton of talent and is a very affluent community.

Sam Bowtel, OL, Darien – Trinity
Rob Parra, WR, Hall — Trinity
Ryan Brown, WR, Fairfield Warde – Trinity
Chandler Colberg, RB, Cheshire Academy – Trinity
Eric Saches, K, Cheshire Academy — Trinity
Sean Smerczynski, LB, Cheshire Academy — Trinity
Bradley Whitman, QB, Cheshire Academy — Trinity

Other NESCAC commits from CT:
Mark Piccirillo, QB, Shelton – Wesleyan
Tim Jambor, LB, Notre Dame-West Haven – Wesleyan
Jack Whiting, CB/WR, Fairfield Warde — Bowdoin
Griffin Ross, WR, Darien – Bowdoin
Jack Tyrell, OL, Darien — Amherst
Jack Griffiths, OL, Darien – Amherst
Chris Taylor, OL, St. Joseph – Middlebury

Here's a few more NESCAC commits out of Cheshire High School (alma mater of Trinity DC, Associate HC and Recruiting Coordinator Lew Acquarulo:

Jack Cunningham, RB, Cheshire - Trinity
Matt Covel, TE, Cheshire - Trinity
Andrew Yamin, RB, Cheshire - Amherst

A few more NESCAC commits both from Fairfield Prep out of CT:
AJ Mansolillo, OL – Bowdoin
Connor Roche, OL – Middlebury

More CT NESCAC commits:
Patrick Leone, Avon Old Farms, DB, 6-2, 190: Wesleyan
Ryan Phelps, Salisbury, WR,, 6-1, 190: Hamilton
Tom Reardon, Glastonbury, LB/RB, 6-0, 190: Tufts
Colin Rissilo, Avon Old Farms, WR, 6-0, 180: Amherst

Ran across this article on Trinity WR commit Rob Parra:
http://www.courant.com/sports/football/hc-trinity-football-rob-parra-0203-20150202-story.html

Also, Trinity commit: Danny Hernandez, QB/DB from Belen Jesuit High School in Miami, FL.

A couple more (though I believe Dunn may have already been mentioned):
J.J. Dunn, QB, Canterbury – Williams
P.J. Ryan, LB, Avon Old Farms – Wesleyan

[hamfan88]

Other Signing day activity: (from ESPN Boston)

A.J. Carrigan, St. John's Prep - Colby
Dan Dewing, St. John's Prep – Tufts
Markus Edmunds, Central Catholic – Tufts
Justin Foley, St. John's Prep – Bates
Sam Friedman, BC High – Colby
Scott Gosnell, BC High – Colby
Nick Jacobs, BB&N – Tufts
Shane Libby, BC High – Trinity
Dan MacDonald, Central Catholic – Tufts
Alex Massa, Malden Catholic - RPI
Chase Moulton, BB&N – Hamilton
Cam Rondeau, Lynnfield - Bowdoin
Jake Rourke, Lynnfield - Bowdoin
Noah Sorrento, Xaverian – Williams
Jack Steverman, BB&N – Trinity

[amh63]

Hamfan88.....thanks for the info......though your use of "signing day" phrase took a little air out of my planned post.
This is National Signing Day for HS prospects.  Was planning to watch ESPN to see if the NESCAC would "win" some talent.  More likely, the student athletes arriving to CAC schools will end up either running, coaching or owning NFL teams vice playing in the NFL.

[NewtoNescac]

I thought D3's do not sign letters of intent.

[PolarCat]

In both my kids cases, their "letter of intent" was applying ED1.  Once accepted, they were bound to their schools (Bates and Bowdoin).

I assume most / all these kids are following a similar process.

[madzillagd]

D3s don't sign LOIs but I believe they will be starting a new tradition voted on this year (Dave/Pat correct me if I'm wrong) where they can sign a symbolic document so they can partake in festivities which they were already doing anyway.  That way D3 folks won't have to comment every year on how D3 doesn't sign LOIs 

[nescac1]

Thanks for the info, Hamfan, especially re: Sorrento, who sounds like just what the doctor ordered for an Eph team badly in need of an impact TB who can play from day one.  This kid sounds awesome on and off the field:

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/high-school/tag/_/name/noah-sorrento

http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2014/12/03/personality-provides-punch-for-xaverian-noah-sorrento/eyijrGjy8X1xfChlfHJxUJ/story.html

Fresh blood splattered onto quarterback Jake Farrell's face. It soaked his helmet red and changed the color of his chinstrap. "Everyone was like, 'I don't know whose blood this is,'" Farrell said. "Sure enough, it's Noah's."
That would be Noah Sorrento. The same Noah Sorrento whose eye black covers nearly his entire face during post-game interviews. The Noah Sorrento who has referred to his teammates as a "bunch of beauties," "absolute savages," and "junkyard dogs" throughout the season. The Noah Sorrento who first got into Pop Warner football as a mechanism to channel his anger.

[Pat Coleman]

D3s don't sign LOIs but I believe they will be starting a new tradition voted on this year (Dave/Pat correct me if I'm wrong) where they can sign a symbolic document so they can partake in festivities which they were already doing anyway.  That way D3 folks won't have to comment every year on how D3 doesn't sign LOIs 

The new thing still won't be a LOI and it won't be binding but at least we can truthfully say a kid "signed" with a D-III school.

[frank uible]

Calm down nescac1. Sorrento's slashing ball carrying style coupled with his apparent lack of size (my SWAG 5'8" 175) begs the open question of durability.

[nescac1]

Frank, I saw a video on him and admittedly, he looked neither especially fast, shifty, nor big, which is why, after all, he'll be playing D3 ball.  But his big-game productivity playing for a top-notch program is undeniable, and he looks like a kid who is a determined and relentless one-cut runner who knows how to follow his blockers and is obviously passionate about the game.  You can never have enough kids like that, and given what Williams has returning at RB, I imagine he will have an opportunity (if as you note he stays healthy, but Scyocurka was built like a tank yet he never stayed healthy, so it's impossible to predict) to show what he can do early on.  Certainly, Connor Harris looks like a faster, more explosive back but he is someone who will really need to be used judiciously next year, as he is not at all a power runner. 

[quicksilver]

D3s don't sign LOIs but I believe they will be starting a new tradition voted on this year (Dave/Pat correct me if I'm wrong) where they can sign a symbolic document so they can partake in festivities which they were already doing anyway.  That way D3 folks won't have to comment every year on how D3 doesn't sign LOIs 

The new thing still won't be a LOI and it won't be binding but at least we can truthfully say a kid "signed" with a D-III school.

The early decision application process is binding . . 

[polbear73]

Frank, I saw a video on him and admittedly, he looked neither especially fast, shifty, nor big, which is why, after all, he'll be playing D3 ball.  But his big-game productivity playing for a top-notch program is undeniable, and he looks like a kid who is a determined and relentless one-cut runner who knows how to follow his blockers and is obviously passionate about the game.  You can never have enough kids like that, and given what Williams has returning at RB, I imagine he will have an opportunity (if as you note he stays healthy, but Scyocurka was built like a tank yet he never stayed healthy, so it's impossible to predict) to show what he can do early on.  Certainly, Connor Harris looks like a faster, more explosive back but he is someone who will really need to be used judiciously next year, as he is not at all a power runner.

Tyler Grant led the league carries by a wide margin, ran often between tackles and wasn't injured. Not sure that he weighed 160 lbs. It's really hard to gauge durability and depends on the player.