FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[amh63]

Labor Day morning!  Interesting pics of Amherst players working out/ in practice?  On football website Twitter there is a picture of the players at Pratt Field going thru a yoga session...Sunday afternoon practice?  Also a pic of the Ice Cream treat awaiting.  Bribe?  On the Instagram link there is a video of the yoga session.  Can see the boys trying to follow the instructor.  Brave new world for many, it appears.

[amh63]

Just a little note to an earlier post.  Five days ago, there was an Instagram pic on the Amherst men's soccer website.  It showed the returning players on top of Mt Surgarloaf...a nearby mountain...after a hike and a yoga session there?  Appears one of the new assistant coaches joined the players.  Stood out since the assistant coach is a woman and a 2016 grad of a Nescac school.  It should be noted that Amherst is the 2015 National Champs but Not the Nescac Champ..Bowdoin won the title.  Could Yoga sessions been a factor in the title run?  Bottom line here...interesting coaching approaches at Amherst.

[frank uible]

Silly me - I've always been of the school which preaches that if one wants to improve in doing something, then one practices doing it or something very near like it.

[PolarCat]

Frank may be on to something.  Yoga certainly didn't seem to help the Irish much last night: http://www.wdef.com/2016/07/20/notre-dame-football-team-sees-benefits-yoga/

[ColbyFootballDad]

I am sorry  but i thought this message board would be a useful way of finding out more about the teams and players that my son would be facing as a freshman football player at Colby College. My bad. did I come to the wrong place? or is it too early.

[PolarCat]

Welcome to the neighborhood.  You're a bit early to the party.  We're only a week into preseason, and there is not much news from several programs, most notably Colby.  But if you're so inclined, why not bring us up to speed with what's happening on Mayflower Hill?

The caterer will be showing up momentarily, and the bar will be opening in about an hour.  Till then, you might kill the time by scrolling through some of the 680-plus pages of posts, to get a "feel" for the league, the traditions, the teams, and the regulars here.

[daoustian]

Bottom line here...interesting coaching approaches at Amherst.

Throw in that nearly all of the student newspaper team previews for Amherst have stats about all Academic NESCAC returnees in a slightly awkward way that suggests something short of total editorial independence, and it's clear some sort of treachery is afoot.  Before you know it, they won't even be called the Purple and White anymore. 

[lumbercat]

Colby Dad-

Welcome aboard. Not much happening yet but much curiosity lingers over the festering QB controversy with the Mules.
Harrington was appointed/elected to a captain role as a junior and was declared as the starter last year.
After a tough year for the Mules offense he may be fighting for a job with junior Sparacio among others.
What do you hear from Mayflower Hill.....who is running the first offense at QB?

Quarterback controversies  are never good and seemed to disrupt the Colby O last year. Hopefully they will get the situation squared away early in the pre season.

It's still early for the flow and exchange of information on the board as teams have been in camp less than a week. Hoping you will keep the board up to date on developments with the Blue and Gray.

At Bowdoin there has also been a brewing QB controversy with SR Drakely, the incumbent, and upstart Nelson. Reports have coach Wells diffusing the tension in making the declaration that the 2 will split time at QB. Maybe Wells is on the cutting edge of a trend I observed this weekend at D1 level. Auburn rotated 3 QBs and Notre Dame used 2 QBs. Not sure if this can be chalked up to early season indecision on the part of coaches or a trend that will we will see in other venues as coaches throw different schemes at opposing defenses with multiple QB looks???

At Bates they are really green at QB but at this point it looks like Soph Sandy Plashkes via San Diego Ca. is running with the the first O and looks like the starter.
 

[PolarCat]

At Bowdoin there has also been a brewing QB controversy with SR Drakely, the incumbent, and upstart Nelson. Reports have coach Wells diffusing the tension in making the declaration that the 2 will split time at QB. Maybe Wells is on the cutting edge of a trend I observed this weekend at D1 level. Auburn rotated 3 QBs and Notre Dame used 2 QBs. Not sure if this can be chalked up to early season indecision on the part of coaches or a trend that will we will see in other venues as coaches throw different schemes at opposing defenses with multiple QB looks???

Whoa.  Don't forget Texas!  The 'Horns pretty much put on a clinic on mixing looks and QB's last night.  Buechele and Swoopes were both flat out amazing.  Every DC in the conference is going to have nightmares for the next two months figuring out how to defend against them.

[ColbyFootball]

I've been looking for Colby updates as well. I guess it's early for info to be available, but the season is does start in less than 3 weeks. The one piece of publicized info is the new QB coach being named OC. Curious what everyone thinks of this. Looks like a smart move to me.

[westcoastDad]

just know that Fall camp has ended at Amherst.  Clearly, there are a lot of talented players who want to be more than just spectators as the practices have been very spirited to say the least. 

The QB situation is a dogfight.  If they go with the "hot"  QB the field will be vertically challenged.  He has a great arm.  However, the game manager is steady eddy and the running game with Florida kid and Hickey is going to punish most teams.

looking forward to the Williams scrimmage.  Feel sorry for Williams

[Trin9-0]

Labor Day morning!  Interesting pics of Amherst players working out/ in practice?  On football website Twitter there is a picture of the players at Pratt Field going thru a yoga session...Sunday afternoon practice?  Also a pic of the Ice Cream treat awaiting.  Bribe?  On the Instagram link there is a video of the yoga session.  Can see the boys trying to follow the instructor.  Brave new world for many, it appears.

In addition to yoga and ice cream you can add egg on a spoon relay races to the list of "creative" ways NESCAC football programs are preparing for the 2016 season:


I suppose with the NESCAC season starting 3 weeks behind the rest of the country the coaching staffs need to come up with ways to keep things light during our extended preseason. 

[JEFFFAN]

just know that Fall camp has ended at Amherst.  Clearly, there are a lot of talented players who want to be more than just spectators as the practices have been very spirited to say the least. 

The QB situation is a dogfight.  If they go with the "hot"  QB the field will be vertically challenged.  He has a great arm.  However, the game manager is steady eddy and the running game with Florida kid and Hickey is going to punish most teams.

looking forward to the Williams scrimmage.  Feel sorry for Williams

Any chance you can add some names to the quarterbacks?  Thanks.

[amh63]

Hearing much the same viewpoint of Amherst's practices as West Coast Dad.  Blank on QB battles, feisty challenges for playing time...more intense than previous years. 
As previously posted, do not expect much from Williams scrimmage, other than hitting someone other than a teammate.  No hitting of QBs and very conservative play calling, etc.  Heck, the last game of the season Is always the Amherst- Williams game...Homecoming Game for Amherst...need to surprise Williams a bit .
Trin8-0. ....do like the white helmets!  Gather that Yoga at Notre Dame is to lower the injuries of players.  Now what is egg- carrying with spoons do...focusing on the NOW? . Too complicated for me to ponder!

[PolarCat]

Speculating about Colby.  We've heard rumors that there was more than a little divisiveness on Mayflower Hill last year, regarding which QB's got how much playing time, including parents of players getting embroiled in the mess.  Having a newcomer serve as both QB Coach and the OC seems like one way to take Michaeles out of the middle on this contentious issue.  Since Bourgoin was at UMaine last year, no one can accuse him of being influenced by last year's dust-up as he decides who will be QB1.

Seems like a pretty smart move on Michaeles' part.