FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Trin9-0]

I guess I'll take one more shot at this but I really don't understand why the NESCAC keeps flipping back and forth on tie-breaking procedures.

In 2002 (when I was a student), Williams and Trinity each finished 7-1 and were named co-champions. My Williams friends (I have only a very select few) were upset because they beat Trinity that year (but lost to Amherst in a glorious upset for Coach Farley's last game!) and felt that they should win the tiebreaker. But there was no tiebreaker.

In 2018 Amherst and Trinity both finish 8-1 yet Trinity claims the sole crown based on its win over Amherst which all of a sudden counts as a tiebreaker. Now Midd and Trin both finish 8-1 but Midd's win over Trin is not considered a tiebreaker. What gives?? Why keep flipping back and forth on this? Is the rule that Trin wins regardless of the rules???!

I think Amherst should now claim a share of the 2018 title. Seems like we were robbed!

This may surprise some of you, but I actually agree that Middlebury alone should claim the NESCAC championship this year. However, the rules are what the rules are and Trinity can add another title on top of the heap. It's clear that the Bantams were the most dominant team in the league and if they hadn't come up one yard short against the Panthers then they would be in the discussion for the most dominant team in league history (at least since 2000). Their average point differential of 31.3 is second only to the 2004 Trinity squad which won all 8 games by an average of 32.3 points per game. Their average yardage differential of +224.6 would rank 5th among all NESCAC teams since 2000. Their average yards per game of 481.4 and points per game of 44.1 are both first by a comfortable margin over that span as well. Alas, without an undefeated season it's hard to consider them with the all-time greats and Middlebury deserves all the credit in the world for pulling off that win, in The Coop no less!

I will note that 2002 co-championship season was slightly different because it was an 8 game schedule and you did not play every team in the league. I also fully agree that if Trinity can claim this year's co-championship then Amherst should be allowed a claim to share the 2018 title... or better yet, reinstitute the head-to-head tie breaker going forward.

[MammothDad]

LordMammoth Dad, you do realize they played 9 games this year, right???

I realize I ONLY watched one of their games; versus Amherst.

Unlike many on this forum, I try to only speak as to what I know and learn from others as to what I don't know.

You are very knowledgeable and I appreciate your insights.

But it seemed to me that the Trinity Coach had some respect for Coach Mills during our game, calling off the dogs.

Amherst looked awful but I learned a key stat for Amherst this season!!!  That ONLY 2 of the 19 Seniors and Super Seniors started!  Hoping the Bitty Bottleneck days are behind us and Amherst will join that top tier of FB schools again.

Our loss to Colby hurt this year.  We gave it away on the last drive.  Credit to Colby for taking advantage of it but IF our D would have held, we would have SOLIDLY been #5 with Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts and Wesleyan being above us.

Hopefully in 2 years, we can contend with Trinity and the Team du jour challenging them that year.

I can assure you, the kids are working hard at FB and in the weight room.  Let's hope they can get back the "culture of winning" they once had!

As for other possible factors that "don't matter", we'll see.  I'd love to see Amherst build a dedicated weight room for the athletes so that they could train more intense, under the supervision of a certified strength and conditioning professional.


Signed,

Fan of the 2018 NESCAC FB Co Champs!

[nescac1]

Sorry to break up the never-ending Trinity academics / blow-out etiquette discourse, but closing thoughts on the Williams season and program going forward. 

Very disappointing for Williams to finish 3-6 for the second straight year, especially as this team easily could have been 5-4 and should have been at least 4-5.  But at least they played their best game of the season vs. a (yes, terrible) Bates team to close out with a slight bit of optimism after the disheartening loss to Amherst that really turned on two fluke plays early in the game.
Wesleyan, Amherst, Middlebury were all games that were closely competitive and games that Williams just could not make the plays they needed to down the stretch to give themselves a chance. 

I really do believe that Williams should be an above .500 team next year given that it overall (despite its record) played at around a .500 level this season, and the team loses very few key players and returns a ton of young players who played big roles.  The Ephs return two of their three first-team-all-league caliber players in Fischetti (who probably didn't play enough to earn an all-conference nod but certainly is the best RB in the league) and Ethan Scott (John Freeman of course departs) plus a strong rising soph class with a number of players who should eventually reach that level (folks have already highlighted Gering among them).  Indeed, Williams was basically dead even, despite the bad record, in total yardage this season - 2992 yards gained vs. 3032 yards allowed.  The breaks did not go the Ephs' way this year as best exhibited by the fumble stats: opponents lost only 6 of 17 fumbles, while Williams lost 7 of 9.  That stat is mostly bad bounces and tends to even out over time.  But certain things absolutely have to improve dramatically for Williams to return to (as they should) the top half of the conference:

(1) First and foremost, the pass coverage.  For the second straight year receivers were too open down the field, had too many 50-50 wins when the coverage actually was tight, and most of all, wayyyy to many defensive holding and pass interference penalties.  The cornerbacks consistently got turned around when they had tight coverage and ran into receivers when they just needed to turn back and look at the ball and try to make a play.  There were some schematic issues too with guys just totally uncovered at times (well either schematic or players not knowing the schemes).  Williams had a nasty pass rush most of the year so it's especially discouraging that the pass coverage was such an issue.

I'm believe it was mostly injuries, maybe also trying out different guys, but Williams started something like ten different guys in the secondary this year, only two of whom were seniors.  So, the good news is, there are going to be LOTS of now-experienced guys competing for secondary spots and hopefully they make fewer collective mental mistakes.  If Holden Gering stays primarily on defense he looks like he will be a stellar corner.  Sophomore Justice McGrail and FYs Wyatt Cotton and Nathan Dlugos (one of THREE Dlugos brothers who will play in next year's Williams-Amherst game) also played a ton at CB this season -- so that's a lot of young guys with some speed and hopefully a lot of room to grow.  At safety, George Papadopoulos is a big time playmaker who I did have some injuries this year.  Jack Wallace and Campbell Pang also played a lot at safety, Wallace, a converted QB, is a huge hitter (sometimes too huge).  All three guys are sophomores so again, hopefully room for growth there.  Williams also returns a bunch of LB/DB types with versality who played some in the secondary as well.  Williams needs to figure out who its top 5-6 DBs are and get guys locked down into roles.

(2) The passing game has been absolutely terrible for two years but did show SOME signs of life late in the season and the good news is all the key skill guys are back with hopefully some added talent in the recruiting class (TBD, although there is one huge receiver coming in from Duxbury who looks promising).  Owen McHugh has shown he can throw the ball downfield but has to improve his decision-making (especially in the red zone) and accuracy on short routes and screen plays to give his guys more of a chance to get yards after the catch.  As for the receivers, way too many dropped balls, too often failed to track balls that it seemed like the could have made a play on or just had miscommunications on, and also too many times they just fell down after catching a ball rather than makes YAC.  But again, McHugh looks like with more experience he can at least be a quality starting QB (with a higher ceiling than that) given that he's an elite runner, stellar overall athlete, and did have some beautiful deep connections at time.  Cam Lee has straight-ahead speed and is a credible deep threat, Gering has both quickness and high-level speed, and Stahelski had some big catches down the field, he was a bit raw this year, but is huge with good top-end speed for his size and I expect a top candidate to be a breakout player sooner or later, he has the profile of other big NESCAC receivers who bloomed over time.  Sam Jaffe is a big target over the middle and keep an eye on big FY tight end Will Baker, another stellar athlete who is a converted QB and I think will be a much bigger factor going forward.  That group HAS to make massive strides in the off-season after taking their collective lumps this year and hopefully the coaches will feel better about opening the offense up a bit with more experienced QBs and receivers.  Williams also had an acclaimed FY QB who missed the year with injury who should help the depth at the position and maybe even push McHugh next year, as well as at least one talented QB coming in. 

(3) The little things which collectively ended up being huge -- too many totally needless personal fouls and offensive procedural penalties at bad moments.  For the second straight year, they moved a top offensive lineman who was a natural guard to center and unsurprisingly struggled a bit with snapping the football, which really threw timing off in both the running game and the kicking game.  Some strange play calls in big moments.  The third down defense was also a HUGE problem for Williams -- opponents had a 39 percent conversion rate, and many of those conversations came on third and long. Way too many disheartening plays where they gave up either a deep pass, a barely-defended QB run, or a penalty on a third and long after two great defensive plays to start a series of downs.  Just a lot of small things that collectively made a huge impact and hopefully will be cleaned up as this group matures together.  But man they did show they can terrorize QBs and TBs in the offensive backfield with waves of pass-rushers up front. 

(4) Offensive line was better than solid this year overall but that is where the biggest personnel losses are.  John Freeman, the star of the unit, and stalwart Harry Walsh are gone.  Maybe starting G Tim Forth too, though he could return for a fifth year.  Hopefully Ngnombouowo keeps making strides at LT as he has the physical profile to make a leap as a player.  Tartaglia, Sheskey and Takvor should also be veteran starters up front.  I expect Ingram and Shames to challenge for starting spots  on the interior of the line as both were good recruits who saw some time as FYs.  The line will not be deep after losing a lot to graduation and some young guys need to really step up, so it goes from a strength to a question mark, although I think that group of guys are once again huge and should at least be strong in the running game. 

Biggest reasons for optimism:

(1) If Mario Fischetti can FINALLY start and even better finish a season healthy, Williams has a loaded RB core.  Jon Oris made huge strides throughout the season and looks like an elite back-up and decent enough starter at this point.  Fischetti is the most talented TB in the league and will benefit from a lower usage rate, the guy just can't be stopped when he is at 100 percent.  Hopefully Jon Marvan, who missed the year with injury, give a different look as a power runner TB/FB hybrid type guy and can help in short-yardage situations and in the red zone (where Williams was not great this year).  Will Sheskey made strides as a straight-ahead power runner and Luke Thorbahn also showed some promise as well as experienced depth guys behind that group.  That's a very accomplished group of RBs returning. 

(2) The front seven was largely very good on defense and there may be tons of talent back there depending on who returns for a fifth year. Ethan Scott was the team's MVP on defense and should be a candidate for DPOTY next year in the league.  Cameron Smith is back after having a big year and is another all-league level guy entering next season.  Tim Landolfi, Calvin Jackson, C.J. Vilfort, and James Hemmer are all quality starters with another year of eligiblity and I suspect at least some of from group return, which would provide a huge boost.  A few of those guys were really banged up this year but a few of them could challenge for all-conference if they return next season.  A lot of quality depth is returning too with Levrault, Pedetalla, Carney, Rodi, and Holland.  Plus Osayimwem, a DL starter who missed almost the entire year with injury, should be back and help especially vs. the run. 

I do not think next year's Ephs (nor anyone for that matter) will be in Trinity's class. But it does feel like, after that, the league is wide open next year.  Middlebury loses a TON on both sides of the ball, especially defense, although they always seem to fill in holes well.  Wesleyan as has been well-chronicled was up and down but should be good next year with many key guys back.  Tufts loses some big time players especially on offense, but still has one more year of Berlutti (please graduate already!).  Meanwhile everyone else feels like they could/should be improved next year, especially Amherst (so long as they figure out the QB position, Piazza was actually really good down the stretch and is a big loss for them), Williams, Hamilton and in particular Bates (though with Bates, they have a LONG way to go to become competitive).  I think there will be even more surprises than there were next season and I can see Williams being anything from a 3-6 to a 7-2 sort of team next year, but I sure hope closer to the 7-2 range! 

[MammothDad]

This may surprise some of you, but I actually agree that Middlebury alone should claim the NESCAC championship this year. However, the rules are what the rules are and Trinity can add another title on top of the heap. It's clear that the Bantams were the most dominant team in the league and if they hadn't come up one yard short against the Panthers then they would be in the discussion for the most dominant team in league history (at least since 2000). Their average point differential of 31.3 is second only to the 2004 Trinity squad which won all 8 games by an average of 32.3 points per game. Their average yardage differential of +224.6 would rank 5th among all NESCAC teams since 2000. Their average yards per game of 481.4 and points per game of 44.1 are both first by a comfortable margin over that span as well. Alas, without an undefeated season it's hard to consider them with the all-time greats and Middlebury deserves all the credit in the world for pulling off that win, in The Coop no less!

I will note that 2002 co-championship season was slightly different because it was an 8 game schedule and you did not play every team in the league. I also fully agree that if Trinity can claim this year's co-championship then Amherst should be allowed a claim to share the 2018 title... or better yet, reinstitute the head-to-head tie breaker going forward.

Trin9-0,

You seem reasonable and fair.

I hope I can post about Trinity with you to better understand why Trinity is the FB perennial power it it in the NESCAC.


What does Trinity have that the others do not:

* Coach Devanney
* A dedicated strength and conditioning coach
* use of a varsity athletes only weight room, separate form the other weight room for the students
* more kids on the roster
* a larger coaching staff that the other NESCAC Teams
* a tutor program for the FB players to help them with their coursework (?)

What other schools have that Trinity does not ...

* Colby athletic facility
* any reason to want a turfed hockey rink like Bates?
* does Middlebury have any facilities that y'all are envious of?

And with the utmost respect, is the FB tutor program needed because Trinity "gives opportunity" to some kids that other NESCAC schools don't, increasing the pool of players they can bring on to campus?

Thanks in advance for not reading any of the above as "passive aggressive" and just the musings of a nerd dad trying to learn more as to the competition his son's team faces.

[Nescacman]

Sorry to break up the never-ending Trinity academics / blow-out etiquette discourse, but closing thoughts on the Williams season and program going forward. 

Very disappointing for Williams to finish 3-6 for the second straight year, especially as this team easily could have been 5-4 and should have been at least 4-5.  But at least they played their best game of the season vs. a (yes, terrible) Bates team to close out with a slight bit of optimism after the disheartening loss to Amherst that really turned on two fluke plays early in the game.
Wesleyan, Amherst, Middlebury were all games that were closely competitive and games that Williams just could not make the plays they needed to down the stretch to give themselves a chance. 

I really do believe that Williams should be an above .500 team next year given that it overall (despite its record) played at around a .500 level this season, and the team loses very few key players and returns a ton of young players who played big roles.  The Ephs return two of their three first-team-all-league caliber players in Fischetti (who probably didn't play enough to earn an all-conference nod but certainly is the best RB in the league) and Ethan Scott (John Freeman of course departs) plus a strong rising soph class with a number of players who should eventually reach that level (folks have already highlighted Gering among them).  Indeed, Williams was basically dead even, despite the bad record, in total yardage this season - 2992 yards gained vs. 3032 yards allowed.  The breaks did not go the Ephs' way this year as best exhibited by the fumble stats: opponents lost only 6 of 17 fumbles, while Williams lost 7 of 9.  That stat is mostly bad bounces and tends to even out over time.  But certain things absolutely have to improve dramatically for Williams to return to (as they should) the top half of the conference:

(1) First and foremost, the pass coverage.  For the second straight year receivers were too open down the field, had too many 50-50 wins when the coverage actually was tight, and most of all, wayyyy to many defensive holding and pass interference penalties.  The cornerbacks consistently got turned around when they had tight coverage and ran into receivers when they just needed to turn back and look at the ball and try to make a play.  There were some schematic issues too with guys just totally uncovered at times (well either schematic or players not knowing the schemes).  Williams had a nasty pass rush most of the year so it's especially discouraging that the pass coverage was such an issue.

I'm believe it was mostly injuries, maybe also trying out different guys, but Williams started something like ten different guys in the secondary this year, only two of whom were seniors.  So, the good news is, there are going to be LOTS of now-experienced guys competing for secondary spots and hopefully they make fewer collective mental mistakes.  If Holden Gering stays primarily on defense he looks like he will be a stellar corner.  Sophomore Justice McGrail and FYs Wyatt Cotton and Nathan Dlugos (one of THREE Dlugos brothers who will play in next year's Williams-Amherst game) also played a ton at CB this season -- so that's a lot of young guys with some speed and hopefully a lot of room to grow.  At safety, George Papadopoulos is a big time playmaker who I did have some injuries this year.  Jack Wallace and Campbell Pang also played a lot at safety, Wallace, a converted QB, is a huge hitter (sometimes too huge).  All three guys are sophomores so again, hopefully room for growth there.  Williams also returns a bunch of LB/DB types with versality who played some in the secondary as well.  Williams needs to figure out who its top 5-6 DBs are and get guys locked down into roles.

(2) The passing game has been absolutely terrible for two years but did show SOME signs of life late in the season and the good news is all the key skill guys are back with hopefully some added talent in the recruiting class (TBD, although there is one huge receiver coming in from Duxbury who looks promising).  Owen McHugh has shown he can throw the ball downfield but has to improve his decision-making (especially in the red zone) and accuracy on short routes and screen plays to give his guys more of a chance to get yards after the catch.  As for the receivers, way too many dropped balls, too often failed to track balls that it seemed like the could have made a play on or just had miscommunications on, and also too many times they just fell down after catching a ball rather than makes YAC.  But again, McHugh looks like with more experience he can at least be a quality starting QB (with a higher ceiling than that) given that he's an elite runner, stellar overall athlete, and did have some beautiful deep connections at time.  Cam Lee has straight-ahead speed and is a credible deep threat, Gering has both quickness and high-level speed, and Stahelski had some big catches down the field, he was a bit raw this year, but is huge with good top-end speed for his size and I expect a top candidate to be a breakout player sooner or later, he has the profile of other big NESCAC receivers who bloomed over time.  Sam Jaffe is a big target over the middle and keep an eye on big FY tight end Will Baker, another stellar athlete who is a converted QB and I think will be a much bigger factor going forward.  That group HAS to make massive strides in the off-season after taking their collective lumps this year and hopefully the coaches will feel better about opening the offense up a bit with more experienced QBs and receivers.  Williams also had an acclaimed FY QB who missed the year with injury who should help the depth at the position and maybe even push McHugh next year, as well as at least one talented QB coming in. 

(3) The little things which collectively ended up being huge -- too many totally needless personal fouls and offensive procedural penalties at bad moments.  For the second straight year, they moved a top offensive lineman who was a natural guard to center and unsurprisingly struggled a bit with snapping the football, which really threw timing off in both the running game and the kicking game.  Some strange play calls in big moments.  The third down defense was also a HUGE problem for Williams -- opponents had a 39 percent conversion rate, and many of those conversations came on third and long. Way too many disheartening plays where they gave up either a deep pass, a barely-defended QB run, or a penalty on a third and long after two great defensive plays to start a series of downs.  Just a lot of small things that collectively made a huge impact and hopefully will be cleaned up as this group matures together.  But man they did show they can terrorize QBs and TBs in the offensive backfield with waves of pass-rushers up front. 

(4) Offensive line was better than solid this year overall but that is where the biggest personnel losses are.  John Freeman, the star of the unit, and stalwart Harry Walsh are gone.  Maybe starting G Tim Forth too, though he could return for a fifth year.  Hopefully Ngnombouowo keeps making strides at LT as he has the physical profile to make a leap as a player.  Tartaglia, Sheskey and Takvor should also be veteran starters up front.  I expect Ingram and Shames to challenge for starting spots  on the interior of the line as both were good recruits who saw some time as FYs.  The line will not be deep after losing a lot to graduation and some young guys need to really step up, so it goes from a strength to a question mark, although I think that group of guys are once again huge and should at least be strong in the running game. 

Biggest reasons for optimism:

(1) If Mario Fischetti can FINALLY start and even better finish a season healthy, Williams has a loaded RB core.  Jon Oris made huge strides throughout the season and looks like an elite back-up and decent enough starter at this point.  Fischetti is the most talented TB in the league and will benefit from a lower usage rate, the guy just can't be stopped when he is at 100 percent.  Hopefully Jon Marvan, who missed the year with injury, give a different look as a power runner TB/FB hybrid type guy and can help in short-yardage situations and in the red zone (where Williams was not great this year).  Will Sheskey made strides as a straight-ahead power runner and Luke Thorbahn also showed some promise as well as experienced depth guys behind that group.  That's a very accomplished group of RBs returning. 

(2) The front seven was largely very good on defense and there may be tons of talent back there depending on who returns for a fifth year. Ethan Scott was the team's MVP on defense and should be a candidate for DPOTY next year in the league.  Cameron Smith is back after having a big year and is another all-league level guy entering next season.  Tim Landolfi, Calvin Jackson, C.J. Vilfort, and James Hemmer are all quality starters with another year of eligiblity and I suspect at least some of from group return, which would provide a huge boost.  A few of those guys were really banged up this year but a few of them could challenge for all-conference if they return next season.  A lot of quality depth is returning too with Levrault, Pedetalla, Carney, Rodi, and Holland.  Plus Osayimwem, a DL starter who missed almost the entire year with injury, should be back and help especially vs. the run. 

I do not think next year's Ephs (nor anyone for that matter) will be in Trinity's class. But it does feel like, after that, the league is wide open next year.  Middlebury loses a TON on both sides of the ball, especially defense, although they always seem to fill in holes well.  Wesleyan as has been well-chronicled was up and down but should be good next year with many key guys back.  Tufts loses some big time players especially on offense, but still has one more year of Berlutti (please graduate already!).  Meanwhile everyone else feels like they could/should be improved next year, especially Amherst (so long as they figure out the QB position, Piazza was actually really good down the stretch and is a big loss for them), Williams, Hamilton and in particular Bates (though with Bates, they have a LONG way to go to become competitive).  I think there will be even more surprises than there were next season and I can see Williams being anything from a 3-6 to a 7-2 sort of team next year, but I sure hope closer to the 7-2 range!

Appreciate your download on the 2023 Ephs. We agree that there are reasons to be optimistic in the Purple Mountains. You can't win without a Q in the NESCAC (or any other league/level for that matter) and we think they have a pretty good one in McHugh. Not at Bobby's level (an all-time NESCAC great), fortunately for the rest of league, but at worst, a competent NESCAC starter. As far as Fischetti is concerned, no doubt a very talented guy. When he is at his best (and healthy), one of the top RBs in the NESCAC. However, after numerous injuries, there is no guarantee that he will play at an elite level in 2024 (for example, look at Ladarius Drew and Andre Eden post injuries...not the same guys). Good luck in 2024 as Wesleyan attempts to three-peat for the Little 3 title for the first time since '46-'48.

[bantamweight]

Thanks in advance for not reading any of the above as "passive aggressive" and just the musings of a nerd dad trying to learn more as to the competition his son's team faces.

Unlike many on this forum, I try to only speak as to what I know and learn from others as to what I don't know.

Huh. I'm not sure you understand the definition of "passive aggressive."

[Back2BackBantam]

This may surprise some of you, but I actually agree that Middlebury alone should claim the NESCAC championship this year. However, the rules are what the rules are and Trinity can add another title on top of the heap. It's clear that the Bantams were the most dominant team in the league and if they hadn't come up one yard short against the Panthers then they would be in the discussion for the most dominant team in league history (at least since 2000). Their average point differential of 31.3 is second only to the 2004 Trinity squad which won all 8 games by an average of 32.3 points per game. Their average yardage differential of +224.6 would rank 5th among all NESCAC teams since 2000. Their average yards per game of 481.4 and points per game of 44.1 are both first by a comfortable margin over that span as well. Alas, without an undefeated season it's hard to consider them with the all-time greats and Middlebury deserves all the credit in the world for pulling off that win, in The Coop no less!

I will note that 2002 co-championship season was slightly different because it was an 8 game schedule and you did not play every team in the league. I also fully agree that if Trinity can claim this year's co-championship then Amherst should be allowed a claim to share the 2018 title... or better yet, reinstitute the head-to-head tie breaker going forward.

Trin9-0,

You seem reasonable and fair.

I hope I can post about Trinity with you to better understand why Trinity is the FB perennial power it it in the NESCAC.


What does Trinity have that the others do not:

* Coach Devanney
* A dedicated strength and conditioning coach
* use of a varsity athletes only weight room, separate form the other weight room for the students
* more kids on the roster
* a larger coaching staff that the other NESCAC Teams
* a tutor program for the FB players to help them with their coursework (?)

What other schools have that Trinity does not ...

* Colby athletic facility
* any reason to want a turfed hockey rink like Bates?
* does Middlebury have any facilities that y'all are envious of?

And with the utmost respect, is the FB tutor program needed because Trinity "gives opportunity" to some kids that other NESCAC schools don't, increasing the pool of players they can bring on to campus?

Thanks in advance for not reading any of the above as "passive aggressive" and just the musings of a nerd dad trying to learn more as to the competition his son's team faces.

To answer your questions on the tutoring program at Trinity, the tutors are an optional resource that are available to the first year student-athletes during their mandatory study halls. Due to their packed schedules as student-athletes, it is difficult to gain access to normal tutoring hours on campus during the week, so this program is provided to make sure the student-athletes are offered the same resources as other non-athlete students.

[bantamweight]

To answer your questions on the tutoring program at Trinity, the tutors are an optional resource that are available to the first year student-athletes during their mandatory study halls. Due to their packed schedules as student-athletes, it is difficult to gain access to normal tutoring hours on campus during the week, so this program is provided to make sure the student-athletes are offered the same resources as other non-athlete students.

The study hall is proctored by coaches, right? If so, I don't see anything preventing other Trinity programs from doing the same, much less other schools.

[Charlie]

Sorry to break up the never-ending Trinity academics / blow-out etiquette discourse, but closing thoughts on the Williams season and program going forward. 

Very disappointing for Williams to finish 3-6 for the second straight year, especially as this team easily could have been 5-4 and should have been at least 4-5.  But at least they played their best game of the season vs. a (yes, terrible) Bates team to close out with a slight bit of optimism after the disheartening loss to Amherst that really turned on two fluke plays early in the game.
Wesleyan, Amherst, Middlebury were all games that were closely competitive and games that Williams just could not make the plays they needed to down the stretch to give themselves a chance. 

I really do believe that Williams should be an above .500 team next year given that it overall (despite its record) played at around a .500 level this season, and the team loses very few key players and returns a ton of young players who played big roles.  The Ephs return two of their three first-team-all-league caliber players in Fischetti (who probably didn't play enough to earn an all-conference nod but certainly is the best RB in the league) and Ethan Scott (John Freeman of course departs) plus a strong rising soph class with a number of players who should eventually reach that level (folks have already highlighted Gering among them).  Indeed, Williams was basically dead even, despite the bad record, in total yardage this season - 2992 yards gained vs. 3032 yards allowed.  The breaks did not go the Ephs' way this year as best exhibited by the fumble stats: opponents lost only 6 of 17 fumbles, while Williams lost 7 of 9.  That stat is mostly bad bounces and tends to even out over time.  But certain things absolutely have to improve dramatically for Williams to return to (as they should) the top half of the conference:

(1) First and foremost, the pass coverage.  For the second straight year receivers were too open down the field, had too many 50-50 wins when the coverage actually was tight, and most of all, wayyyy to many defensive holding and pass interference penalties.  The cornerbacks consistently got turned around when they had tight coverage and ran into receivers when they just needed to turn back and look at the ball and try to make a play.  There were some schematic issues too with guys just totally uncovered at times (well either schematic or players not knowing the schemes).  Williams had a nasty pass rush most of the year so it's especially discouraging that the pass coverage was such an issue.

I'm believe it was mostly injuries, maybe also trying out different guys, but Williams started something like ten different guys in the secondary this year, only two of whom were seniors.  So, the good news is, there are going to be LOTS of now-experienced guys competing for secondary spots and hopefully they make fewer collective mental mistakes.  If Holden Gering stays primarily on defense he looks like he will be a stellar corner.  Sophomore Justice McGrail and FYs Wyatt Cotton and Nathan Dlugos (one of THREE Dlugos brothers who will play in next year's Williams-Amherst game) also played a ton at CB this season -- so that's a lot of young guys with some speed and hopefully a lot of room to grow.  At safety, George Papadopoulos is a big time playmaker who I did have some injuries this year.  Jack Wallace and Campbell Pang also played a lot at safety, Wallace, a converted QB, is a huge hitter (sometimes too huge).  All three guys are sophomores so again, hopefully room for growth there.  Williams also returns a bunch of LB/DB types with versality who played some in the secondary as well.  Williams needs to figure out who its top 5-6 DBs are and get guys locked down into roles.

(2) The passing game has been absolutely terrible for two years but did show SOME signs of life late in the season and the good news is all the key skill guys are back with hopefully some added talent in the recruiting class (TBD, although there is one huge receiver coming in from Duxbury who looks promising).  Owen McHugh has shown he can throw the ball downfield but has to improve his decision-making (especially in the red zone) and accuracy on short routes and screen plays to give his guys more of a chance to get yards after the catch.  As for the receivers, way too many dropped balls, too often failed to track balls that it seemed like the could have made a play on or just had miscommunications on, and also too many times they just fell down after catching a ball rather than makes YAC.  But again, McHugh looks like with more experience he can at least be a quality starting QB (with a higher ceiling than that) given that he's an elite runner, stellar overall athlete, and did have some beautiful deep connections at time.  Cam Lee has straight-ahead speed and is a credible deep threat, Gering has both quickness and high-level speed, and Stahelski had some big catches down the field, he was a bit raw this year, but is huge with good top-end speed for his size and I expect a top candidate to be a breakout player sooner or later, he has the profile of other big NESCAC receivers who bloomed over time.  Sam Jaffe is a big target over the middle and keep an eye on big FY tight end Will Baker, another stellar athlete who is a converted QB and I think will be a much bigger factor going forward.  That group HAS to make massive strides in the off-season after taking their collective lumps this year and hopefully the coaches will feel better about opening the offense up a bit with more experienced QBs and receivers.  Williams also had an acclaimed FY QB who missed the year with injury who should help the depth at the position and maybe even push McHugh next year, as well as at least one talented QB coming in. 

(3) The little things which collectively ended up being huge -- too many totally needless personal fouls and offensive procedural penalties at bad moments.  For the second straight year, they moved a top offensive lineman who was a natural guard to center and unsurprisingly struggled a bit with snapping the football, which really threw timing off in both the running game and the kicking game.  Some strange play calls in big moments.  The third down defense was also a HUGE problem for Williams -- opponents had a 39 percent conversion rate, and many of those conversations came on third and long. Way too many disheartening plays where they gave up either a deep pass, a barely-defended QB run, or a penalty on a third and long after two great defensive plays to start a series of downs.  Just a lot of small things that collectively made a huge impact and hopefully will be cleaned up as this group matures together.  But man they did show they can terrorize QBs and TBs in the offensive backfield with waves of pass-rushers up front. 

(4) Offensive line was better than solid this year overall but that is where the biggest personnel losses are.  John Freeman, the star of the unit, and stalwart Harry Walsh are gone.  Maybe starting G Tim Forth too, though he could return for a fifth year.  Hopefully Ngnombouowo keeps making strides at LT as he has the physical profile to make a leap as a player.  Tartaglia, Sheskey and Takvor should also be veteran starters up front.  I expect Ingram and Shames to challenge for starting spots  on the interior of the line as both were good recruits who saw some time as FYs.  The line will not be deep after losing a lot to graduation and some young guys need to really step up, so it goes from a strength to a question mark, although I think that group of guys are once again huge and should at least be strong in the running game. 

Biggest reasons for optimism:

(1) If Mario Fischetti can FINALLY start and even better finish a season healthy, Williams has a loaded RB core.  Jon Oris made huge strides throughout the season and looks like an elite back-up and decent enough starter at this point.  Fischetti is the most talented TB in the league and will benefit from a lower usage rate, the guy just can't be stopped when he is at 100 percent.  Hopefully Jon Marvan, who missed the year with injury, give a different look as a power runner TB/FB hybrid type guy and can help in short-yardage situations and in the red zone (where Williams was not great this year).  Will Sheskey made strides as a straight-ahead power runner and Luke Thorbahn also showed some promise as well as experienced depth guys behind that group.  That's a very accomplished group of RBs returning. 

(2) The front seven was largely very good on defense and there may be tons of talent back there depending on who returns for a fifth year. Ethan Scott was the team's MVP on defense and should be a candidate for DPOTY next year in the league.  Cameron Smith is back after having a big year and is another all-league level guy entering next season.  Tim Landolfi, Calvin Jackson, C.J. Vilfort, and James Hemmer are all quality starters with another year of eligiblity and I suspect at least some of from group return, which would provide a huge boost.  A few of those guys were really banged up this year but a few of them could challenge for all-conference if they return next season.  A lot of quality depth is returning too with Levrault, Pedetalla, Carney, Rodi, and Holland.  Plus Osayimwem, a DL starter who missed almost the entire year with injury, should be back and help especially vs. the run. 

I do not think next year's Ephs (nor anyone for that matter) will be in Trinity's class. But it does feel like, after that, the league is wide open next year.  Middlebury loses a TON on both sides of the ball, especially defense, although they always seem to fill in holes well.  Wesleyan as has been well-chronicled was up and down but should be good next year with many key guys back.  Tufts loses some big time players especially on offense, but still has one more year of Berlutti (please graduate already!).  Meanwhile everyone else feels like they could/should be improved next year, especially Amherst (so long as they figure out the QB position, Piazza was actually really good down the stretch and is a big loss for them), Williams, Hamilton and in particular Bates (though with Bates, they have a LONG way to go to become competitive).  I think there will be even more surprises than there were next season and I can see Williams being anything from a 3-6 to a 7-2 sort of team next year, but I sure hope closer to the 7-2 range!

Appreciate your download on the 2023 Ephs. We agree that there are reasons to be optimistic in the Purple Mountains. You can't win without a Q in the NESCAC (or any other league/level for that matter) and we think they have a pretty good one in McHugh. Not at Bobby's level (an all-time NESCAC great), fortunately for the rest of league, but at worst, a competent NESCAC starter. As far as Fischetti is concerned, no doubt a very talented guy. When he is at his best (and healthy), one of the top RBs in the NESCAC. However, after numerous injuries, there is no guarantee that he will play at an elite level in 2024 (for example, look at Ladarius Drew and Andre Eden post injuries...not the same guys). Good luck in 2024 as Wesleyan attempts to three-peat for the Little 3 title for the first time since '46-'48.

While I love the optimism and i think you ghave a solid QB in MChugh. There are a great many needs on Williams but more importantly many questions on Coaching. The in game decision making and calls by Coaches have been very suspect.

I have spoken to one of the elite players on Williams and he admits that the Offense has never been the same once Coach Blu left Williams. Coach Blu was responsible for offensive recruitment , play calling etc. In addition to his departure many head scratching game decisions and recruiting have decimated Williams. But the one thing which I found eye opeing was his characterization that many players are not as devoted to improving and getting better as in the past. Many seem to be going through the motions.

So while I think there is positivity I beleive you are going to need a few more recruiting classes to get up to the top tier again. Hopefully by the time McHugh graduates. Recruiting wise there have been more misses than singles I think Marvan with his historic injuries will be a bit player at best and the amount ofproductivity from their recruits indicates they are not having success in this department. I hope I am wroing with this years class but so far the last three classes have been less then stellar. There have been a few good ones but more misses.

[lumbercat]

To answer your questions on the tutoring program at Trinity, the tutors are an optional resource that are available to the first year student-athletes during their mandatory study halls. Due to their packed schedules as student-athletes, it is difficult to gain access to normal tutoring hours on campus during the week, so this program is provided to make sure the student-athletes are offered the same resources as other non-athlete students.

The study hall is proctored by coaches, right? If so, I don't see anything preventing other Trinity programs from doing the same, much less other schools.

In the past the actual tutoring was done by faculty and administrative or faculty staff personnel- much more structured than just putting guys in a study hall setting and making sure they show up.

[GroundandPound]

Trinity 9-0 and Nescac1,
Those are informative postings. Trinity 9-0, your summary of Fetter's second half/fourth quarter stats is clear and convincing, to me at least -well done.
I could care less whether the rules allow for co-champions if one team beats another team head to head.  I do think, however, that if that is how the NESCAC proceeds, it should retroactively award the co-championship to Amherst from 2018. (when both teams were 8-1)
Nescac1, I believe on offense Middlebury returns two very good RBs (Caleb Smith and Cody Weitzman - both freshmen this year who played very well); Jamin and Ahonen return as receivers.  (both are very good and could be the best WR duo in 2024); four of the five starting OL are returning next fall and all four of them have two or more full seasons of starting experience, and three other OL return with significant game experience.  Brian Moran is the likely QB1 next year and he will do a fine job.  The DL returns Kenary, Filias, Montgomery, Pierce, and Burke and both starting corners return: Stola and Daniels.  This  could be the best DL and best pair of cornerbacks in 2024.  I believe all starting LBs and Safeties graduate, as does Midd's outstanding punter.  Yes, those are huge losses, but overall there are plenty of good and hardworking players returning for Midd next year to make another run at a title. 
MammothDad, you are on a quest to find out what makes Trinity the powerhouse that it is.  I think there are many factors, most of which you have identified.  Good luck finding the secret formula and feel free to post it when you do.  We would all like to know. :-)
Back2BackBanam: welcome to the board, and congratulations on an outstanding season and college football career

[MammothDad]

To answer your questions on the tutoring program at Trinity, the tutors are an optional resource that are available to the first year student-athletes during their mandatory study halls. Due to their packed schedules as student-athletes, it is difficult to gain access to normal tutoring hours on campus during the week, so this program is provided to make sure the student-athletes are offered the same resources as other non-athlete students.

Back2BackBantam,

Thanks!

You are added to the list with 9-0

[MammothDad]

 
MammothDad, you are on a quest to find out what makes Trinity the powerhouse that it is.  I think there are many factors, most of which you have identified.  Good luck finding the secret formula and feel free to post it when you do.  We would all like to know. :-)

GnP,

Your prediction of Middlebury over Trinity AT TRINITY earned top status of those who post on this site.

As for the "secret sauce", I just hope the ingredients are something that Amherst can implement fast and easy so that the Mammoths have a chance.

The kids work so hard.  You just want them to put hours in to something with a chance at the Title.  Credit to Middlebury for taking Trinity down.

Credit to Coach Devanney and the Trinity Admin for having the perennial power the other 9 chase each year.

Take care!

[nescac1]

Groundandpound, that is more than I thought Midd was returning.  Kenary is a senior and I figured might try to go D1 with his extra year of eligibility?  He certainly has D1 abilityI would think.  If he's back for Midd, that alone elevates them to a higher tier.  Midd always finds a QB but there is never a guarantee losing a productive two-year starter as well as an elite target in Wood.  Part of my reason for being a bit skeptical on Midd repeating its level of success is that they won a lot of close games this year.  Midd had the statistical profile of more like a 6-3 or at best 7-2 team and to their credit they were super clutch this season.  But I think there is more room for downside than upside for a team like that, especially with some significant personnel losses from a very deep and impactful senior class featuring a lot of prominent 5th-year guys.  But again, if Kenary is coming back I think Midd will indeed be in the contention mix again, due to such a dominating DL group led by the clear best player in the conference. 

Charlie, we will see what happens but I do think this current first year class is extremely promising, especially if the injured guys Marvan and Johanson come in and make an impact next year (and sure, who knows if they will).  In terms of the rest, Gering, Dlugos, McHugh, Baker, Maiuolo, Rodi, Ingram, Shames, Robke, Bongo, Stahelski, Holland, Cotton, Thorbahn -- I think a majority of that group at least will end up being impactful multi-year starters.  But they really need another class at this level to build the talent pool back up.  It would also help if NESCAC reinstates the roster size limit because Williams is always going to be at a disadvantage with rosters in the 70-man range when some other schools are at 90 plus.  Admissions just isn't going to ever allow these 30-man recruiting classes that are routine elsewhere. 

I agree with your take on McHugh, NESCACman.  I think his floor is competent starter going forward and his ceiling is certainly higher than that, though not Maimaron-level high just because Maimaron was such an intuitive football genius (not many have that ceiling to be fair).  How close he comes to reaching his ceiling and how fast will determine just how much Williams can improve in the coming years.  Honestly I'd be fine next year with an above .500 record and at least one Little 3 game victory, that would be a nice step forward.  If all goes perfectly it could be better than that.  Some work to do to reach even those modest goals. 

[Back2BackBantam]

Back2BackBanam: welcome to the board, and congratulations on an outstanding season and college football career

Thank you for the warm welcome and congratulations. I look forward to participating in a whole lot of conversations and light hearted arguments over this little football league that we all somehow fell in love with for one reason or another.