FB: Liberty League

[unionpalooza]

Thanks for the report, dlip! Sounds promising - I agree the big key for Unuon this year is whether/how quickly a very young O-line can gel. 

Dlip was quite impressed with his beloved Dutchmen yesterday.

At half Union was up 3-0 after what dlip believes was a half of first team match-ups. He really didn't expect them to look as polished as they did. Dlip was impressed with the play of some of the freshman. To dlip the biggest ? will be the O-line. Yesterday dlip saw two freshman, a sophomore, a junior, and a senior (with not much experience) getting time on the first team. The D looked very athletic and disciplined (which aside from vast improvements last season) we also haven't seen at Union in a very long time.

Another bright spot was the play of QB's junior Nick Cascione and freshman Louisiana native Will Bellemy. Cascione looked as polished as dlip has ever seen and Bellemy just seems like he can be flat out good. It's a healthy competition that will hopefully result in some consistency at the QB position that Union has not had in some time. Again, the O-line will play a huge role in that.

Overall there will certainly be some growing pains and learning curves for the Dutch but if they play like they did yesterday there will be many signs of growth and positives to come this season.

[Eagle322]

The U o-line is in great hands. Ben Martin is one of the best coaches in the LL and for sure has these young guns fired up and ready to pave the way for another killer year out of Kinzelmann.

[Bartman]

OK, Finally less than a week to the opening weekend for the LL teams(except for Rochester, as they remain in the beehive for one more week). Predictions for the opening weekend( 35-12 pick record in 2016):

Hobart 28....Brockport 17
Alfred  21....Ithaca      10
Husson 17..  Union      10
RPI      21....William Patterson 10
SLU     24    Utica        17

No big upsets here , but will be rooting for Union and Ithaca to prove me wrong.....Go Liberty League!

[dlippiel]

The U o-line is in great hands. Ben Martin is one of the best coaches in the LL and for sure has these young guns fired up and ready to pave the way for another killer year out of Kinzelmann.

No question eagle! Dlip is so impressed with the coaching staff at U! Behrman, Saunders, and Martin are top notch for sure.

[Bombers798891]

I'll be out of town (at the beach!) with my wife's family starting tomorrow, so I'll post this today.

A new era of Bombers football is upon us, and I'm incredibly excited. There's a hype and a buzz around the program that's great to see. This could be a tough year for the Bombers—total rebuilds are never easy—but I think Swanstrom's going to do well. I like the staff he's hired, a lot. I think the system he's going to run is going to bring excitement to the offense, and the stands.

They posted the updated roster this weekend. It's tricky, in some ways, because I don't know who committed under Mike and who committed under Dan. And it's always dangerous to get too amped up about a roster because, as Dlip noted, attrition occurs in every program, and you just don't know who is going to be there, let alone who will be an impact player. But of note:

-There are 44 players listed as First-year
-22 defense, 21 offense, 1 kicker
-15 from NY, 11 from NJ, 6 from Pa, 2 from Fla, 10 from the various NE states.

[ITH radio]

My take on the Wk 1 game btw Hobart and Brockport is below. I think it'll be another high scoring affair. I also think it'll be a close one, but the young Hobart defense will finally hold and the Statesmen will pull away late:

http://gohobart.blogspot.com

[Bombers798891]

I wanted to provide some context to those state-by-state numbers. Last year it was 24 in state, 21 out of state. In 2010 for example, IC's FY class listed 23 NYers and 22 out of staters. In 2009, it was 35 for NY and 24 from elsewhere.

This doesn't mean the 2017 numbers are good or bad—there are hits and misses everywhere in the country. It might not even be permanent—who knows what pipelines Swanstrom will develop. But it is interesting to me.

[Frank Rossi]

Breaking: Union College President Stephen Ainlay to leave Union College at end of 2017-18 school year, following his 12th year in that position.

[Bartman]

My take on the Wk 1 game btw Hobart and Brockport is below. I think it'll be another high scoring affair. I also think it'll be a close one, but the young Hobart defense will finally hold and the Statesmen will pull away late:

http://gohobart.blogspot.com

ITH...nice analysis...I think you pinpointed a very important aspect, the Hobart DLine vs. the Brockport Oline... if Brockport can win in the trenches here , we will have a high scoring nail biter again. I also think early season turnover tendency  could be an issue....especially on returns.....so if either Hobart or Brockport have a big advantage on TO's that will  make a big difference. I totally respect Brockport and feel even without Andrews this will be a tough game as Germinerio is kind of scary...

[UfanBill]

I'm really looking forward to the 2017 season. I've posted criticism of Union's OOC schedule but their opener against Husson provides for a serious test. Not only do the Dutchman face a NCAA playoff team but they must travel to Maine for the privilege. The Dutchmen "D" looked good in the Utica scrimmage and the offense showed life. I look for a close, hard fought game with the outcome decided by a late score. Special teams will be the key. Look for 23-20. Good luck to ALL Liberty League teams this weekend.

[UfanBill]

Here are the Game Notes with the two-deep for Union vs Husson. The Dutchmen start two freshmen on the totally rebuilt OL....https://www.unionathletics.com/documents/2017/8/30//Game_1_Notes_2017.pdf?id=7679

[unionpalooza]

Here are the Game Notes with the two-deep for Union vs Husson. The Dutchmen start two freshmen on the totally rebuilt OL....https://www.unionathletics.com/documents/2017/8/30//Game_1_Notes_2017.pdf?id=7679

Thanks, UfanBill.  Plenty of talent returning on defensive side of the ball, and I expect we'll continue to see a return to an aggressive, ball-hawking style that we haven't seen at Union since the late 90s. 

On offense, I think the big question is how quickly those boys on the OL grow into men this season.  (And note on the OL 2-deep, it's almost all freshmen on the second line.)  There's enough talent at the skill positions to win games; it's just a question of whether the OL core gives them enough time and space to work with.

More generally, a bunch of interesting games this weekend. 

Union at Husson. Husson is a heck of a first test for Behrman year 2 - very balanced on offense, very aggressive on defense, and they return (as best I can tell) all of the key playmakers from a year that went 9-2 last year and took both Alfred and WNEC to the edge in close losses.  If this was week 7, I might concluded differently, but I see the Dutchmen keeping it close through halftime but Husson pulling away late. Husson 27-17.

Brockport at Hobart.   Toss up to me.  On paper this seem like all Statesmen, but they've been so oddly inconsistent the past few years, Sweeney to Shed notwithstanding.  And I think Brockport is legit.  Seems to me it's likely whoever can avoid the costly turnover comes out ahead.  Hobart 35-31.

William Patterson at RPI.  RPI rolls in a monkey stop, but leaves no closer to any real sense of how good they are.  RPI 38-7.

Alfred at Ithaca.  No disrespect to Alfred - 10-0 is a great accomplishment under any circumstances - but I get the sense that was a magical run, and such luck can't last forever.  Combine that with same big empty shoes and a new-energy Bombers squad, and I think the home team wins it.  Ithaca 21-20.

SLU at Utica.  My gut tells me these are two programs heading in opposite directions that don't know it yet.  I think Utica handles the Saints and pulls out a solid win.  Utica 24-10.

[Pat Coleman]

Not only do the Dutchman face a NCAA playoff team but they must travel to Maine for the privilege.

The champion of the second-worst conference in Division III. Not all NCAA playoff teams are the same.

[Jonny Utah]

Not only do the Dutchman face a NCAA playoff team but they must travel to Maine for the privilege.

The champion of the second-worst conference in Division III. Not all NCAA playoff teams are the same.

Pat you seem to weigh in a lot on Union's scheduling issues.  Pet Peeve or something?

[unionpalooza]

Not that UfanBill in any way assorted they are - but thanks for the Captain Obvious clarification, I guess?

Not only do the Dutchman face a NCAA playoff team but they must travel to Maine for the privilege.

The champion of the second-worst conference in Division III. Not all NCAA playoff teams are the same.