FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[mariner75]

Couldn't agree more......well said.  The time goes by way too quickly.  Still miss the road trips, tailgates, and of course, the games, 10 years later.  All the best to the kids.....enjoy!

[JEFFFAN]

http://nothingbutnescac.com/?p=5288

[amh63]

JEFFFAN....thanks for citing NBN writeup.  Went there earlier but not today.  Two comments on the writeup that should be fodder for the Amherst team.
First comment...good writeup BUT short memory of writer.  Trinity beat Amherst last year in Hartford. However, prior to that lost, Amherst had back to back 8-0 seasons.  So Trinity has been rolling along the past few years??
Second comment...road trips doesn't matter this season for this year's Trinity team.  No home field advantage?...for Amherst.  How is it that a Trinity poster has pointed out that it has been many years ago since Trinity has won at Pratt Field.  Trinity and Amherst have battled to many, many close games, both home and away.  Check last year in Amherst's 4-4 season.  One TD difference.  Also note that last year, Wes won big at home and lost this year's away game.  Yes a home field does matter a little when two tough teams that have balanced offenses and solid defenses meet...deep teams that have lost fine players during the season due to injuries. 
I, like WCD, expect a tight game going for 60 minutes!

[PBPOP20]

I'm shocked at the sentiment that Trinity will roll Amherst. The Bants are deservedly the favorite but Trinity hasn't won in Amherst since 2007! The physical nature of both programs has continually produced close, hard-fought games that seem to always go down the wire with one or two big plays late in the game determining the victor. I don't anticipate Saturday being any different.

I don't have a dog in this fight, and really have no emotional investment... but, from what I've seen.. Trinity by 2 TDs minimum.

[JEFFFAN]

I'm shocked at the sentiment that Trinity will roll Amherst. The Bants are deservedly the favorite but Trinity hasn't won in Amherst since 2007! The physical nature of both programs has continually produced close, hard-fought games that seem to always go down the wire with one or two big plays late in the game determining the victor. I don't anticipate Saturday being any different.

I don't have a dog in this fight, and really have no emotional investment... but, from what I've seen.. Trinity by 2 TDs minimum.

The Middlebury fans on this site will NOT be happy with what I am about to say but my sense is that EJ, with a do-over, would not have played Foy and taken their chances.  The stats were pretty comparable that day, turnovers notwithstanding.  Along those lines, has any NESCAC team had four interceptions returned for touchdowns like Amherst has this year?   Anyway, this is their chance to rectify that tough loss to the Panthers.  I agree that Trinity is favored but if the Jeffs can take care of the ball - never a given this year - I think it goes down to the end.

[middhoops]

Middlebury fan here.
I agree that given a Mulligan, Mills wouldn't have started Foy.
The win the Panthers got that day was only slightly more surprising than the Williams loss.

Clearly I don't have a favorite in this game. 
From what I saw of both teams, Trinity has more quality athletes and depth than Amherst.
Both teams are beatable but have few weaknesses.  If both play their best, I can see the Bantams winning by as many two TDs.
If, however, the Wooly Boolies win, I will not be surprised.

Looking forward to a Midd bounce back vs Hamilton tomorrow.

[lumbercat]

Looks like a good one in Lewiston tomorrow despite the struggles of the CBB this year.
Garcelon will be packed tomorrow as the Black and White come to town.
Top to bottom the Polar Bears are bigger, faster and better, though younger, than Colby so the smallish Bobcats will have their hands full.

It's not Trinity-Amherst but it will be another classic in the venerable Maine State Series. Bears have lost 6 or 7 in a row to Bates so they will be chomping at the bit.

To his credit this year Coach Wells dropped all the boiled owl stuff—he evidently realized it was bulletin board stuff for the Garnet and Black.

Good game tomorrow.

[polbear73]

Actually, Lumbercat, the Boiled Owl was created by legendary assistant coach Phil Soule in 1970 as a tribute to the Bates game each year. No matter what their record, the Bates game was always the toughest,  hardest hitting game of the year and the Boiled Owl, the toughest thing in the world, was symbolic of Bates week every year. The Boiled Owl award also goes annually to Bowdoin's toughest player annually.

So, bulletin board material or not, it was a tribute to a very tough Bates team and a way to motivate the Bowdoin players to get ready for a physically tough game.

[PolarCat]

polbear73, thanks for sharing that great story!  I wish you'd trotted it out in 2015; you would have saved us 3 seasons of wondering!

PolarKitten is bringing a half-dozen of her Bowdoin WLAX teammates to the game tomorrow, so I think there will be some Onward the White in the home stands.  The tailgate should be epic.

Seems like only yesterday we were on the Whittier Mudbowl, facing Dave and Mac Caputi in their final home game.  I admit I've been thinking about Mac, with the controversy swirling around recognizing Alexi Whitney pre-game.  Hoping for a clean, hard-fought game for Senior Day tomorrow, with no injuries on either side.  Also hoping that Andrew Sisti (who is a quality kid) gets a chance to kick a couple long FG's tomorrow.  Though one less than the Bakes K bangs home.    It's been a frustrating season for them both, and I hope Sisti gets a chance to shine.

[FanOfNescac]

More talk of ``bulletin board material'' and ``fodder.''

Would love to hear some of the more recent players on here, but isn't it a cliche that any football team wins a 60-minute game on the emotion of something somebody said a day or a week or a month ago? Doesn't that kind of emotion wear off about 15 seconds after the opening kickoff?

I have seen Trinity and Amherst once each in person. If Amherst protects the ball, I think it's a last-possession kind of game.

[lumbercat]

That's right Polbear but if I'm not mistaken the Boiled Owl thing was more of an internal thing traditionally at Bowdoin. Wells went public with it presumably to motivate the Bears but it kind of backfired.
Speaking for the Bates contingent in the past 30 years  we never realized that we were the tough Boiled Owl until the last couple of years.
Beleive it was a Soule thing and the Soule name to this date illicits nothing but respect from anyone associated with Bates Football.
Regardless, there is an immense amount of intensity between these rivals and we will see a dogfight tomorrow despite the struggles of the CBB this year.

[lumbercat]

Fan of Nesacac

You may be missing  the point on bulletin board material. If it disappears after the game begins is not the point. Bulletin board stuff can influence preparation throughout the week as you prepare for a football game.

Games aren't decided in the first 15 seconds  but are more often decided on Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday as you prepare for Saturday and develop a mindset and motivation to bring to the game on Saturday.

Often "bulletin board" stuff is a great motivating tool during the week. Sometimes there is a theme to the whole week or even a whole season based on different bulletin board stuff and motivating factors.

Good coaches are all over that stuff. Whatever the fodder may be it  can often bring intensity to the practice week and preparation process which brings a team into those first 15 seconds prepared and ready to play and that kind of preparation lasts well beyon the first 15 seconds.

[polbear73]

That's right Polbear but if I'm not mistaken the Boiled Owl thing was more of an internal thing traditionally at Bowdoin. Wells went public with it presumably to motivate the Bears but it kind of backfired.
Speaking for the Bates contingent in the past 30 years  we never realized that we were the tough Boiled Owl until the last couple of years.
Beleive it was a Soule thing and the Soule name to this date illicits nothing but respect from anyone associated with Bates Football.
Regardless, there is an immense amount of intensity between these rivals and we will see a dogfight tomorrow despite the struggles of the CBB this year.

100% correct,  it was internal and never mentioned in public.  It represented the respect that Coach Soule and the Bowdoin program has for Bates.

In 1970, we headed into the Bates game having only lost to Wesleyan by 1 point and Bates was in the middle of a long losing streak. We were big favorites and did win by two or three touchdowns, but it sure didn't feel like it. Bates hit harder than any team we played that year and never gave up-we didn't feel that we had won until we got on the bus to go home. Coach Soule used the Boiled Owl as an example of how tough we had to be that week.

It is unfortunate that it was used in public. The Boiled Owl is a symbol for the fact that we had to be ready to play hard against Bates and the annual award is coveted by Bowdoin players.

[lumbercat]

Great history Polbear- enjoy the game tomorrow. Are going to Lewiston?

[polbear73]

Great history Polbear- enjoy the game tomorrow. Are going to Lewiston?

Unfortunately not, but will be streaming. Good memories thanks to your post, LC. I'm sure the boys will make some of their own tomorrow.