Incredibly proud of this Wesleyan team. What a season! They faced adversity with injuries and dropping the Bates game early on, but have ended the season as outright league champs. Unbelievable. And to close it out in that fashion against Trinity at the Coop in Hartford. An instant classic.

Amazing job by the players and coaches on a well deserved finish to the season. A great achievement. Former players, alumni, and fans are buzzing. Drinks will taste especially sweet tonight!

I know there's still a game to play this evening, but congrats to all players, coaches, fans, and schools on another great season of NESCAC football.

Quote from: mhoncho123 on October 17, 2024, 09:43:00 PMMaybe other board members know this, but why does it say "Junior Varsity" next to my name? I've never played a snap of JV ball in my life. I was a 4 year varsity letterman, so maybe board admin can adjust this error for me.

- Honcho, NESCAC Legend

This dude is great, haha. A surprising (but welcome) midseason addition. Legend indeed. 

[I'm like 50/50 on whether this is a new alt account for Nescacman]

Quote from: Trin9-0 on October 10, 2024, 03:07:37 PM

Quote from: Nescacman on October 10, 2024, 02:35:49 PM

Quote from: Trin9-0 on October 10, 2024, 01:51:51 PM

Quote from: Nescacman on October 10, 2024, 10:56:06 AMcongrats to us on hitting 1,500 posts. 

1,500 posts in just over 11 years... not bad, Nescacman. I'm still shy of 1,000 dating back to the very beginning of this board in August of 2005. Hard to believe I've been arguing about NESCAC football here for almost 20 years! 


Prior to last season's OT loss in Waterville, Wes had won 12 straight over the Mules. In their last three games played in Middletown against Colby the Cards won by an average of almost 24 points per game. I'm not confident Wesleyan will cover the computer's implied three touchdown spread, but I do think they'll win and to improve to 4-1.

That result combined with a Williams win at Middlebury would leave the two CT schools at first and second atop the NESCAC standings.

Thanks Hs9-o...appreciate the note and hopefully we can celebrate over an adult beverage on Saturday.

As far as the NESCAC standings, aren't the Cards ahead of Middlebury as a result of the head-to-head win by Wes?!?   

I trust you'll abide by the University's campus wide no smoking policy and refrain from indulging in any cigars while you enjoy the game.

But the real question we all want to know: Is chalking still banned on campus? 

Quote from: Nescacman on October 06, 2024, 02:09:34 PMA few notes on the Hamilton/Wes game played yesterday in Clinton.

Nescacman/The Mole: I was not able to see the Wes-Hamilton game this weekend. But I was sweating bullets following the Box Score. Down 7-0 going into the 4th had me . Glad the team had a better end to the game and pulled out the win.

You are closer to the teams than I, so hopefully you can answer this. Is your impression that Middlebury/Tufts are "down" this year (or at least had down games against Wes), or are Bates/Hamilton well improved? Or is it inconsistency from the Cardinals? Or a combination of the above? Because the Wesleyan games/scores through the first four weeks have me scratching my head.

I haven't seen all of the teams play this year, so I can't know for certain. I must say the Wes team I saw against Bates didn't look at all like the team from the Middlebury game. So my impression is it's mostly inconsistency from the Cards. After the first two games, it seemed like they were primed to steamroll their way to week 9. That feeling died the following Saturday, of course.

Regardless, should be an entertaining second half to the season.

I think I still have a bit of shell shock from watching Wes lose to Bates by two scores last weekend. I expect they bounce back and win big this week against Hamilton, but that loss definitely took the wind out of my sails after the way the team started the season. 

The best case scenario for Wes now is to win out and hope for a win against Trinity last week of the year for a shared title (I don't see Trinity losing before then). But if Trinity is going to drop a game this year, it seems like this would be the week.

But you never know. That's why the games are played and not just simulated.

Unbelievably frustrating game to watch and incredibly disappointing on the heels of the Midd and Tufts wins. Felt like my head was going to explode this afternoon. Oof.

I know it's hard to be consistently good every week for an entire season. But this is a nine week season, and Wes almost always finds a way to drop a game like this against a team they should beat 95 times out of 100. I don't even know what to say at this point.

Hats off to Bates. Those kids were incredibly pumped. And they should be. A huge win for that team. That will be a fun bus ride home.

Well now the hype for the Little Three can start on this board. There's still that, I guess.

Quote from: Laravit on September 26, 2024, 08:52:29 AMBig key to victory for Williams vs. Trinity will be replacing their lackluster left guard. He has seemed gassed and overwhelmed in both matchups so far. Talented recruits Ethan Shames and Will Robke could look to fill that position. I just cannot see a scenario where he takes the field on Saturday. Many instances of undiscipline, head-scratching plays from him vs. Colby that forced scrambles. I'm sure the kid shows up and works hard, but the Ephs really need a solution there to see sustained success for the remainder of the season.

[tips hat]
How do you do, Mr. and Mrs. Robke/Shames. Welcome to the boards!

Everyone is welcome to behave as they see fit, and others are welcome to call them out for it. That's personal freedom of expression, and I support that 100%.

I'm not advocating for people to be silenced. Say what you want, but don't be surprised when someone calls you out for being a man-child. You are responsible for your words and actions.

I've said my piece. Onward to football!

Quote from: westcoastnescac on September 17, 2024, 07:22:57 PMWhen did we all get so soft on here

You're right. We should probably do more trolling of 20-year-olds who play DIII football in a hermetically sealed 10-team conference. That's constructive and big-brained.

Quote from: lumbercat on September 17, 2024, 01:57:55 PMNobody more loyal and supportive of Wesleyan Football and Wesleyan University than NM from my point of view. Maybe the passion and flare is a negative for you but I can tell you any NESCAC school would love to have alums like that. I know from multiple sources he supports the Wes program on and off the field. Well known mentor and facilitator to many Wes student athletes. To me that's a huge plus for the college and the Football program.
I've had disagreements with NM over the years and have no reason to kiss his a** but lets tell it like it is.
 

I've said similar myself in past comments on this very forum. That's not in question. I'm well aware how much Nescacman supports Wes and its athletes. He's a big supporter and benefactor. I will always applaud that.

But that does not absolve all comments and actions. Between the trolling of high school seniors on Twitter that was occurring a couple years ago, the comments at Trinity's quarterback last year, and now these comments about the Middlebury player. I'm sorry. I have to say something. Because I don't believe it's acceptable behavior, and I feel it paints my alma mater and its fans an ugly hue.

Quote from: Nescacman on September 17, 2024, 07:37:20 AM

Quote from: The Ghost of John Wesley on September 17, 2024, 06:46:45 AM

Quote from: MapleBBQChicken on September 17, 2024, 01:48:18 AM

Quote from: Nescacman on September 16, 2024, 11:55:04 PM

Quote from: MapleBBQChicken on September 13, 2024, 03:42:02 PM

Quote from: nescac1 on September 13, 2024, 02:14:35 PMCoach Raymond confirmed that Holden Gering is going to be a two-way starter at WR and CB.  When was the last time that happened in NESCAC?  It's certainly been a LONG time.  He's not a big guy at all, so hopefully he can hold up physically.

I'm kind of surprised we don't see a few other guys around the league pulling at least partial double-duty.  Like Perry, imagine adding him to the middle of the already-nasty Middlebury d-line on a handful of key defensive plays?  Richardson playing as a roaming free safety last year in must-pass situations would have been terrifying, as well.

Agreed that Perry would be a beast in the middle of the Middlebury DL between Kenary and Filias. That would be an immensely hard group to block. Middlebury has partially explored this idea, having Perry in at DT to block field goals and extra points last year.

Maybe Perry should just focus on blocking NESCACers rather than playing defense or playing on Sunday's...which from what we saw on Saturday, is not going to happen. 

Don't love this one. Thomas is the hardest worker I've ever met, and he is the last person asking for the attention and hype he got this offseason. It is simply a byproduct of his dedication. And football aside, the guy is a fantastic person – I've never met someone who doesn't like him. All I said was that he'd be hard to block (physical fact) and that he's been on the FG block team (which he was again on Saturday). And for all of Midd's struggles this weekend, I don't think he ever got beat in protection.

Take the victory lap on me all you want. You can leave the individual players out of it.

Tend to agree. I'm a Wes supporter and fan and was thrilled at their victory this weekend, but those are the types of comments I loathe no matter the circumstances. Win with grace. These are young men playing a game.

Be a winner, celebrate, get excited. This was a great victory for the team. But comments like that are completely unnecessary, and frankly, embarrassing.

John, nothing to do with our comment, which was fact based. We appreciate that you are a Wes "fan" but you know that you have been extremely critical of the team in the past. In our opinion, overly critical at times. Wes just had one of their best wins in a long time. How about some love for the Team for a change? Are you a self-hating Wesleyan fan who is only happy when they fail? Just curious... 

I am not critical of the team itself. The team works their butts off and plays the games. Win or lose, they put in the work. I have been extremely critical of you (and other fans) for comments/bragging I perceive as uncouth or not grounded in reality. That's a major point of distinction.

It was a huge and rewarding win for the team. I am super happy for those kids and coaches and I'm rooting for them hard this year. They have the makeup (skill/talent, work ethic, attitude) to make it happen this year. I am really excited to see what they can achieve this season.

Regarding fans/supporters/alums:  I will always be critical of braggadocio and bluster, especially when it comes at the expense of student-athletes. That is the root cause of my ire. It's a terrible look, and it paints an ugly color on the school, team, and fanbase. I'd prefer my alma mater's fans and benefactors be respected as sportsmen with scruples. Cutting down student-athletes at other schools is antithetical to that.

Quote from: MapleBBQChicken on September 17, 2024, 01:48:18 AM

Quote from: Nescacman on September 16, 2024, 11:55:04 PM

Quote from: MapleBBQChicken on September 13, 2024, 03:42:02 PM

Quote from: nescac1 on September 13, 2024, 02:14:35 PMCoach Raymond confirmed that Holden Gering is going to be a two-way starter at WR and CB.  When was the last time that happened in NESCAC?  It's certainly been a LONG time.  He's not a big guy at all, so hopefully he can hold up physically.

I'm kind of surprised we don't see a few other guys around the league pulling at least partial double-duty.  Like Perry, imagine adding him to the middle of the already-nasty Middlebury d-line on a handful of key defensive plays?  Richardson playing as a roaming free safety last year in must-pass situations would have been terrifying, as well.

Agreed that Perry would be a beast in the middle of the Middlebury DL between Kenary and Filias. That would be an immensely hard group to block. Middlebury has partially explored this idea, having Perry in at DT to block field goals and extra points last year.

Maybe Perry should just focus on blocking NESCACers rather than playing defense or playing on Sunday's...which from what we saw on Saturday, is not going to happen. 

Don't love this one. Thomas is the hardest worker I've ever met, and he is the last person asking for the attention and hype he got this offseason. It is simply a byproduct of his dedication. And football aside, the guy is a fantastic person – I've never met someone who doesn't like him. All I said was that he'd be hard to block (physical fact) and that he's been on the FG block team (which he was again on Saturday). And for all of Midd's struggles this weekend, I don't think he ever got beat in protection.

Take the victory lap on me all you want. You can leave the individual players out of it.

Tend to agree. I'm a Wes supporter and fan and was thrilled at their victory this weekend, but those are the types of comments I loathe no matter the circumstances. Win with grace. These are young men playing a game.

Be a winner, celebrate, get excited. This was a great victory for the team. But comments like that are completely unnecessary, and frankly, embarrassing.

Quote from: Charlie on September 12, 2024, 11:53:01 AM

Quote from: MapleBBQChicken on September 11, 2024, 12:50:08 PM

Quote from: Nescacman on September 11, 2024, 01:06:22 AM4). Middlebury (2023 Record: 8-1 NESCACMAN Predicted 2024 Record: 6-3)

Bulletin board material for Midd -- defending champs ranked 4th and behind their week 1 opponent. I'm not sure the team has lost as much talent on offense as the board seems to think, and this might be the best DL group in all of Division III. The beautiful thing is we don't need to argue because we will see on Saturday.

There are no lockdowns but an outbreak. The rule

Quote from: The Ghost of John Wesley on September 11, 2024, 12:18:10 PM

Quote from: Charlie on September 11, 2024, 11:18:41 AMHas anyone also heard rumor that COVID is spreading around Colleges again. I heard the bug has Hit Amherst , Trinity & Wesleyan. Just wanted to see if anyone else has heard about this and how and if at all would affect upcoming games.

Not sure that it ever went away. It's endemic now. Do you mean that there are active outbreaks spurring lockdowns or changes in policy on those specific campuses? Folks with kids at those schools might have insight.

Quote from: The Ghost of John Wesley on September 11, 2024, 12:18:10 PM

Quote from: Charlie on September 11, 2024, 11:18:41 AMHas anyone also heard rumor that COVID is spreading around Colleges again. I heard the bug has Hit Amherst , Trinity & Wesleyan. Just wanted to see if anyone else has heard about this and how and if at all would affect upcoming games.

Not sure that it ever went away. It's endemic now. Do you mean that there are active outbreaks spurring lockdowns or changes in policy on those specific campuses? Folks with kids at those schools might have insight.

Quote from: The Ghost of John Wesley on September 11, 2024, 12:18:10 PM

Quote from: Charlie on September 11, 2024, 11:18:41 AMHas anyone also heard rumor that COVID is spreading around Colleges again. I heard the bug has Hit Amherst , Trinity & Wesleyan. Just wanted to see if anyone else has heard about this and how and if at all would affect upcoming games.

Not sure that it ever went away. It's endemic now. Do you mean that there are active outbreaks spurring lockdowns or changes in policy on those specific campuses? Folks with kids at those schools might have insight.

No lockdowns or policy changes I know Wesleyan and Trinity have had a spike in cases. I guess rules to practice , games classes etc have changed just thought this was interesting news.Did not know if this was occurring at other schools

@Pat Coleman

Can we get a messaging/quoting/forum training sesh for our esteemed Mr. Charlie? That was a massacre.

Quote from: Charlie on September 11, 2024, 11:18:41 AMHas anyone also heard rumor that COVID is spreading around Colleges again. I heard the bug has Hit Amherst , Trinity & Wesleyan. Just wanted to see if anyone else has heard about this and how and if at all would affect upcoming games.

Not sure that it ever went away. It's endemic now. Do you mean that there are active outbreaks spurring lockdowns or changes in policy on those specific campuses? Folks with kids at those schools might have insight.

Quote from: Trin9-0 on August 19, 2024, 04:45:51 PMI'm a sucker for vintage NESCAC football, so was thrilled to stumble across this mid-'50s promotional video produced for Trinity. It includes, at about the 9:12 mark, some gorgeous COLOR game footage from the 1955 Trinity-Wesleyan game.

The Bantams won that day 46-6 to cap a second consecutive undefeated season. Check out the size of the crowd! I'm guessing there had to be around 10K spectators.

Thanks for sharing. Great footage, and what a crowd! Not a cell phone in sight, just people living in the moment.