FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

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JEFFFAN

Quote from: westcoastDad on October 23, 2016, 02:08:19 PM
Just had breakfast at Johnny's Tavern with several players. 
There is nothing wrong with Kelly or Hickey. 

This has more to do with a coach playing who he wants versus the better talent and scheme.

Lots of insight from those lads but won't compromise their takes. 
I will say these kids are going to have lots of fun studying abroad next spring!  Oh my, to be 21 again.  These kids are definitely student athletes. 

Tufts is huge.  It's their best chance to finish with a winning record.  They know Trinity is loaded and healthy.  The numerous knee injuries (another starter may have a meniscus tear) are unprecedented for this program.   Better lay off those squats in the off-season smh. 

I also heard about the telecast being excellent.  My father mentioned it even though he stopped watching after halftime.  Said he couldn't watch stone age football anymore.

Anyone just see that attempted tackle by Blair Walsh (K) for the Vikings?

Hard to say the least to question EJ after the past two seasons, but it is highly uncharacteristic of him to bench a guy like Kelly in exchange for a younger player.   It is clear that he is enamored with Hickey, which I get, but he has tended (as he should) to reward more experienced players over the years.   

PolarCat

Quote from: gridiron on October 23, 2016, 02:29:31 PM
In fairness to Coach Michaeles, he hasn't had much experience running the victory formation.

Does this board have a "Post of the Year" award?  If so, I would like to nominate gridiron's post.

amh63

PolarCat....in what catagory...humor, serious, etc.  I 'm in favor everyone gets an award...maybe, I would be a favorite for clueless.  Nah, want to keep my desk bare.  True to my core belief of one award only.   

westcoastDad

JEFFSFAN,  Nick Kelly is returning kickoffs.  No easy task.  I asked if he was injurED.  They said know.  Hickey has been in the doghouse evidently.  Those in the stands say for fumbling.  Those on the team say for another reason (which sounds subjective at best). 

What's funny is that I just said the same this morning that when a program is winning.....ya can't say boo about the coach.  But 2 losses outta 3 and look out here it comes.
Even in the stands, I heard voices....loud voices questioning play calling during the game.

Heck, 3rd and maybe 6....1st qtr going into the wind...the ref placed the ball down with 20 seconds on the game clock but over 30 on the clock (snap clock?).  They called a play and were trying to get the play off.  I had already yelled to let the quarter end so that we could get a free time out,  settle down and have the wind to our back.  Afterwards, those in the stands shouted.....what the heck is going on.  Can't they see the clock.....blah blah blah.  It was getting very personal.  I heard very strong words......which is usually dicey because one's parents or supporters are easily within earshot.   
That Little Big 3 championship means something!

Anyways, Tufts is season or bust!

amh63

Want to point out another key game that happened after the football game that can illustrate a surprise finish in pouring down rain conditions.  It was "futbol" on the pitch.  The conference leader Amherst was battling Wesleyan fighting for a spot in the Nescac tournament and maybe a path to the post season.  It was 0-0 at the half with Amherst taking the game to the Cardinals...according to the announcer.  In the second half...45 minute halfs with possible time additions.  Wes takes a 1-0 lead and begins to believe and picks up their previous passive play.  When Wes takes a 2-0 lead with about less than  8 minutes to go and the rain falling down...and Amherst goes one man down with a red card...and playing with only 10 players...I went to do other things around the house.
Later, after taking a nap and awaiting dinner I went to check on the scores of the four contests at Middletown.  I was planning a post with a lead sentence of....4 battles occurred between Amherst and Wesleyan and they all ended in shutouts.    Amherst shut out Wesleyan in Field hockey 4-0  and women soccer, 2-0.  Amherst was the favorite in both.  Expect to follow with Wes 20-0 in football and Wes 2-0 in men soccer. 
A smile went up on my face when I read that Amherst came back, one man down.  The Amherst team got two goals in less than 5 minutes to put the game into OT and got a goal in 2OT to win.  Two young players...one a freshman..were put in late in the game and played key roles with their fresh legs and their talent.  Ruined my lead in sentence...but it wasn't that good.  There maybe  another story out there.  Head Coach Of the Amherst team, got to pitch at a Boston Red Sock baseball game last Spring? And won Coach of the Year, etc,...won his 150th game in this his tenth year.   Still smiling today.
Yes, I digressed again but it is to millions around the world a " football" game...a game I got to learn to play in college, a little bit.

lumbercat

ColbyFootball
Many still scratching their heads.....what did you mean when you said Jabari-Price was "ruined".

Nescacman

#11196
Lot's to say about the weekend games...however, we couldn't wait for our rankings on 3 points:

1. The board does not seem to realize that Coach Whales stopped coaching the Cards in 2014. In case you don't realize, he is now the full time AD doing a great job in all sports other than football (Wes' Womens Crew Team won the Head of the Charles today, for example). The new coach, former Eph star, Dan DiCenzo is now the darling of Card Nation, off to a terrific 9-4 start to his career (how did other "new"coaches like Wells, Raymond, Civetti and Murray do in their first two years?) and poised to win a Little 3 title in only his second year as HCOF at Wes.

2. Does the board remember that Coach Mills didn't lose a game since 2013 before this year with 2 straight 8-0, NESCAC/Little 3 title winning seasons. He doesn't get cut any slack for that? Wow, you FKA LJ fans are tough. Good thing HCOF Kelton was at Williams and not Amherst.

3. We think the Board is missing the big problem with the FKA LJs. Yes, they are playing with a back up QB, but they have enough skill, particularly on defense to win. However, the O-line is the major problem. The Wes front seven completely dominated the FKA LJ O-line sacking Morales 5 times and pressuring him constantly. On top of that, the FKA LJ's had a grand total of 11 yards rushing on 21 attempts and a long run of 11 yards. Until they fix the problem up front, they are not going to be able to beat the better teams in the league (Wes, Hartford State, Middlebury).     

PolarCat

I think DiCenzo is terrific, so don't take this the wrong way.  But none of the other head coaches you mention inherited a program even remotely similar to what the Whale handed him (2 consecutive 7-1 records).  Wells, Raymond, Civetti and Murray all were brought in to right failing programs, with varying levels of support from their respective AD's.  It's hard to imagine having a more supportive AD than the former HC who recruited most of your players.

Again, no disrespect to DiCenzo, as taking over while the former HC is still on campus must bring its own special sort of pressure.

JEFFFAN

Quote from: Nescacman on October 23, 2016, 09:03:10 PM
Lot's to say about the weekend games...however, we couldn't wait for our rankings on 3 points:

1. The board does not seem to realize that Coach Whales stopped coaching the Cards in 2014. In case you don't realize, he is now the full time AD doing a great job in all sports other than football (Wes' Womens Crew Team won the Head of the Charles today, for example). The new coach, former Eph star, Dan DiCenzo is now the darling of Card Nation, off to a terrific 9-4 start to his career (how did other "new"coaches like Wells, Raymond, Civetti and Murray do in their first two years?) and poised to win a Little 3 title in only his third year as HCOF at Wes.

2. Does the board remember that Coach Mills didn't lose a game since 2013 before this year with 2 straight 8-0, NESCAC/Little 3 title winning seasons. He doesn't get cut any slack for that? Wow, you FKA LJ fans are tough. Good thing HCOF Kelton was at Williams and not Amherst.

3. We think the Board is missing the big problem with the FKA LJs. Yes, they are playing with a back up QB, but they have enough skill, particularly on defense to win. However, the O-line is the major problem. The Wes front seven completely dominated the FKA LJ O-line sacking Morales 5 times and pressuring him constantly. On top of that, the FKA LJ's had a grand total of 11 yards rushing on 21 attempts and a long run of 11 yards. Until they fix the problem up front, they are not going to be able to beat the better teams in the league (Wes, Hartford State, Middlebury).   

In fairness ... one can find on my preseason predictions that I thought the graduation of the offensive line was going to cause the Jeffs to not repeat, that and the loss of the defensive backfield as well.   The graduation of those two units were just too much for the team to overcome and that has proved correct.

In terms of EJ, I don't find the questioning here very intense at all.  More on my part just wondering what happened to Nick Kelly.

I heavily, heavily discount any comments from any current parent because the credibility is, by definition, deficient.   I was the parent of three college playing athletes, none NESCAC and none football, and I know how damned biased I was despite all of my efforts to not be. So the "I was talking to the kids on Sunday ..." talk has zero credibility, with all due respect to those posters.  I know - I used to be one of them on different boards!


westcoastDad

Agree Jefffan.  Parents can and will be very biased.  And if you read my posts u should easily see that I stay away from that and stick to the facts.

Before the game versus Wesleyan, I stated that we haven't played anyone as well balanced yet as Wesleyan.  Also stated that if we hadn't made any adjustments to our running game that we will be exposed. 

Those comments have ZERO to do with having breakfast with players.  In fact, I think that the only fact I tried to let on from that interaction was that they were a good group of kids looking forward to their spring semesters abroad. 

Island Time has given u much more insight from a "parent's perspective" than I have lol.  But, what he says is interesting and has nothing to do with the position his kid plays.

Your points about the OL and DBs are spot on.  There's no doubt that also having a 3rd string QB and little running game hurts.   

I don't think anyone on this board has been hard on EJ Mills.  If so, I havent seen it outside of some wondering where the speed is. 

I told my son tonight.....one finds out themselves in adversity.  That winning every game tho a dream isn't really going to help he and his teammates as much as adversity will.  Now the class of 2017 and 2018 get to show what they are made of.

Injuries have hurt them alot though this year.  It is what it is

But, please don't start the bias parent crap.  It's funny because one poster questioned whether I even had a kid playing.  Now,  u question whether I can be unbiased lol.

For my son's sake.....I cannot say anything about his position on this board.  That would be dumb on my part and unfair to him.

But, I can comment about many of the things that u guys discuss.  If u sense bias....please point it out.

Go Pioneers!

westcoastDad

Wow!  I must say that I walked right by the soccer game at the start.  Our game had ended.  The rain was coming down pretty good.  I thought to myself....these guys don't even have on raincoats....the ones not playing.  They were so into the game.  It had just started.  I watched for 10 minutes.  Glad to hear we came back and won.  But, also glad to see some of it in person. 

Still doesn't make sense to me tho that it was their Homecoming yet students were on break.

And I don't understand why NESCAC has so many activities at the same time of day? 

Hard to get student support. Smh.

I guess it's just the Nescac way



Want to point out another key game that happened after the football game that can illustrate a surprise finish in pouring down rain conditions.  It was "futbol" on the pitch.  The conference leader Amherst was battling Wesleyan fighting for a spot in the Nescac tournament and maybe a path to the post season.  It was 0-0 at the half with Amherst taking the game to the Cardinals...according to the announcer.  In the second half...45 minute halfs with possible time additions.  Wes takes a 1-0 lead and begins to believe and picks up their previous passive play.  When Wes takes a 2-0 lead with about less than  8 minutes to go and the rain falling down...and Amherst goes one man down with a red card...and playing with only 10 players...I went to do other things around the house.
Later, after taking a nap and awaiting dinner I went to check on the scores of the four contests at Middletown.  I was planning a post with a lead sentence of....4 battles occurred between Amherst and Wesleyan and they all ended in shutouts.    Amherst shut out Wesleyan in Field hockey 4-0  and women soccer, 2-0.  Amherst was the favorite in both.  Expect to follow with Wes 20-0 in football and Wes 2-0 in men soccer. 
A smile went up on my face when I read that Amherst came back, one man down.  The Amherst team got two goals in less than 5 minutes to put the game into OT and got a goal in 2OT to win.  Two young players...one a freshman..were put in late in the game and played key roles with their fresh legs and their talent.  Ruined my lead in sentence...but it wasn't that good.  There maybe  another story out there.  Head Coach Of the Amherst team, got to pitch at a Boston Red Sock baseball game last Spring? And won Coach of the Year, etc,...won his 150th game in this his tenth year.   Still smiling today.
Yes, I digressed again but it is to millions around the world a " football" game...a game I got to learn to play in college, a little bit.
[/quote]

Nescacman

Quote from: PolarCat on October 23, 2016, 09:14:30 PM
I think DiCenzo is terrific, so don't take this the wrong way.  But none of the other head coaches you mention inherited a program even remotely similar to what the Whale handed him (2 consecutive 7-1 records).  Wells, Raymond, Civetti and Murray all were brought in to right failing programs, with varying levels of support from their respective AD's.  It's hard to imagine having a more supportive AD than the former HC who recruited most of your players.

Again, no disrespect to DiCenzo, as taking over while the former HC is still on campus must bring its own special sort of pressure.

Just remember, Coach Dice came with Coach W as D-corrdinator and was a big part of the rebuild. Also remember, that what the two of them inherited was just as bad, if not worse than every single one of those other "have not" programs. They were 7-9 in year's 1 and 2 (we believe with an Eph transfer at QB, Matt Coyne) and didn't look back. It took Civetti 5 years to turn things around at Tufts (and Tufts is not winning any league titles yet) and the other "have nots", well we know where they are. Should be interesting to see how quickly Raymond can turn around the Ephs after Kelton trashed a once proud program. Like Whales did at Williams, Raymond left St. Lawrence stacked (they are undefeated and 15th in the country in D3). However, recruiting in the NESCAC is far different than recruiting in the Liberty League so we'll see. We don't have a horse in the fight, but let's give both Wes coaches their due.   

RetiredMule

Quote from: gridiron on October 23, 2016, 02:29:31 PM
In fairness to Coach Michaeles, he hasn't had much experience running the victory formation.

Based upon the box score, Colby must have had someone else calling the plays (as reported by the ColbyFootball). Spread the ball around to many different receivers and many different ball carriers. Great to see since 2015 was completely one dimensional with Jabari right, Jabari left, Jabari screen pass...lots of other wasted talent last season. 

Surprised some are still looking for HC Michaeles' head, given he apparently handed off play calling to the OC, and the Mules had a big win. Isn't that what was being hoped for???

1) You're not wrong.

2) What I had hoped for is to be competitive in a wide range of games, not just (I am sorry) the lower end. I don't hope for a HC where I say, 4 wins would be great. I hope for an HC where I say, we should compete for the title. Michaeles will at best lead a mediocre team. I want better for my mules.

P'bearfan

Was at the Bowdoin v Trinity game this weekend though I spent most of my time at the Basketball team cookout.

Tough game for the Polar Bears as Trinity is an impressive team.  I caught some of the second half and it was nice to see Tim Drakeley get some PT.  He was able to move the team nicely on a few drives.  Still many growing pains as we saw some head scratching situations:

-Early in the 3rd period Bowdoin was driving down the field and Drakeley threw a long fade down the left sideline to one his receivers on first down.  It was a nice match up but the pass was incomplete.  Apparently the coaching staff really liked that match up b/c they ran the same exact play on 2nd and 3rd downs - unfortunately with the same result.

-A little later Bowdoin's defense forced Trinity to punt but the Bowdoin player called for a fair catch - on his own 1 yard line.  Yikes!

The Polar Bears have a number of young players who may help them in the coming years but there is lots of work to be done.

GoUBears!!

PolarCat

#11204
Just saw this on NBCNews.com.  Maybe Clayton Rose has another use in mind for Whittier Field?  http://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/texas-college-turns-its-losing-football-team-into-a-winning-farm-788662851914 Gives a whole new meaning to the "Water The Bamboo" theme.