Amherst (7-1, 7-1 NESCAC in 2000)
Last year was a breakthrough season on many levels for Amherst. In addition to a 7-1 record and a three-way tie with Middlebury and Colby for the unofficial NESCAC championship, the Jeffs reeled in the big fish that had eluded them for 13 years: a win against archrival Williams and their first outright Little Three Championship since 1986. Along the way, Amherst pitched a trio of shutouts (30-0 against Hamilton, 35-0 at Bowdoin and 8-0 against Tufts), led the NESCAC and finished fifth in the nation in scoring defense (8.8 points per game) and finished fourth in the final ECAC New England Region Poll.

If it weren't for a tough 17-0 loss at powerful Middlebury in the third week of the season, the 2000 Jeffs would have been the first undefeated Amherst team since 1984.

In the end, the 2000 Jeffs will be remembered for their dramatic 20-12 Homecoming win against Williams, watched by thousands of alums regionally on NESN and across the country and abroad at special alumni gatherings. It was a game that had all the makings of another heartbreaking loss until, down 9-7 in the fourth quarter, junior tailback Okey Ugwonali found the end zone from four yards out and Amherst held on for victory.

"The goal has been to win the Little Three since I got here," said fifth-year Head Coach E.J. Mills. "It was a big barrier for our players to get over. We've been 7-1 before but to end the season like that, our confidence level reached new heights. It was a very gratifying year for that group."

This year's Amherst team will have a few obstacles to overcome if it hopes to repeat or improve on last season's success, including the loss of its three-year starting signal caller and the graduation of the bulk of its secondary. Peter Honig was a Second-Team All-NESCAC selection at quarterback as a senior, completing 52.3 percent of his passes for a whopping 1,251 yards and 10 touchdowns. Brian Daoust — a D3football.com All-American and First-Team All-NESCAC cornerback — graduated as one of the best all-around players in school history, while fellow corner Steve Yung was a four-year starter and classmate Dave Frankel was a Second-Team All-NESCAC selection at free safety. The Jeffs will also miss two-year captain Matt Hall at wide receiver and Mike Somerville — last season's offensive lineman of the year and a Second-Team All-NESCAC selection — as well as defensive tackle Ken Barrington and special teamers Liam Fleming and Joe Larkin. Defensive lineman Ted Hollo also earned Second-Team All-NESCAC honors in his final campaign and will be difficult to replace.

The good news is the rest of the team returns virtually intact with four quality quarterbacks pining for a chance to crack the Opening Day lineup. As a senior, Bob Loree could get the first shot, but junior Jeff Browne was the only quarterback besides Honig to throw a pass last season. Sophomores Jim Devine and Tom Sullivan are young and talented, and each could win a share of the starting job in training camp.

While the quarterback position is wide open, the Jeffs' backfield is overflowing with veteran talent. Ugwonali rushed for 856 yards on 156 carries and earning First-Team All-NESCAC honors as a junior. Junior fullback Jeff Ryan is the perfect complement — a two-year starter and a devastating blocker — while classmate Kevin Kennard was Amherst's second leading rusher with 382 yards last season and can play either fullback or tailback. Sophomores Chris Conroy and Fletcher Ladd battled injuries as first-years but should also see time in the backfield.

At wide receiver, the Jeffs boast one of the most athletic and productive playmakers in the nation in senior quad-captain Derrell Wright, named First-Team All-NESCAC at wideout and punt returner as a junior. Wright led the NESCAC with seven receiving touchdowns as a junior and was the conference's third leading receiver with 39 catches for 640 yards. Mills also expects big things from junior receivers J.P. Zito, Brian Hart and Todd Gately.

Amherst will feature a pair of experienced tight ends in senior quad-captain Matt Flavin — a returning NESCAC All-Academic selection — and sophomore Alex Popp, both of whom saw considerable time last season. Sophomore Mike Hanlon was hampered by injuries as a first-year but could pierce the lineup at tight end or offensive tackle.

What was a young offensive line is now a year stronger and wiser under assistant coach Rob Schur '98. Second-Team All-NESCAC junior Rob Vernicek is the biggest of the bunch and a two-year starter. He'll lead a pack of returning big men up front, including senior two-year starter Brendan Carolin, junior center Josh Ahearn and converted linebacker Colin Renz '02. Sophomore Shane Morrow and juniors Jesse Webber and John MacKinnon should also see action in the trenches, as should sophomore W. Gee Roe.

The defense begins with its emotional leader, senior quad-captain Pat McGee, anchoring the line at defensive tackle. Despite missing the last three
games of his junior season due to injury, McGee was a First-Team All-NESCAC and Second-Team All-ECAC selection with eight sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Pat Hayes filled in admirably in McGee's absence and should see more time this season, while fellow juniors Jeff Bogino and Ryan Moriarty will add considerable depth up front. Seniors Brad Hensley and Kevin Bush will occupy the nose guard position with a little help from sophomores Mike Harrison and Mike Nerone.

Senior quad-captain Dan Lalli and classmate Brian Landolfi — both three-year starters — will once again anchor an experienced, hard-hitting linebacker
crew from the inside slot. Lalli was voted First-Team All-NESCAC, Second-Team All-ECAC and the team's co-defensive lineman of the year as a junior with a team second-best 70 tackles. Landolfi was right behind him with 55 tackles, including 25 unassisted and a pair of sacks.

Senior Gregg Stankewicz returns at outside linebacker after racking up 38
tackles and Second-Team All-NESCAC honors in 2000. Junior Ian Ward has battled injuries but should be ready for training camp, while Gene Nogi — also an outstanding lacrosse player — is poised for a solid senior season.

Graduation left a slew of positions up for grabs in the Amherst secondary. Sophomore Paul Whiting is a three-sport athlete with a lot of potential at cornerback, while senior Geoff Dewire could man the other corner after considerable time at safety last season. Juniors Joe Rubbone and Fletcher Ladd will also be thrown into the mix. Mills has a lot of confidence in junior free safety Paul Miceli — a standout special teamer as a first-year who played increasingly in the secondary as a sophomore. At strong safety, veteran Jay Hutchins was the Jeffs' leading tackler with 76 takedowns last season and will provide much-needed senior leadership.

On special teams, junior punter Geoff Bough made a game-saving play with a 61-yard punt on a potentially disastrous errant snap in last season's dramatic win against Williams. He returns with a wealth of confidence after punting 48 times for a 33.2-yard average as a sophomore. Junior Mike Proman looks to replace the graduated Fleming as the team's placekicker. Fleming was successful on 19 of 20 extra point attempts in 2000.

On punt returns, Wright is one of the most exciting players in the nation, fielding 34 boots for 262 yards as a junior, including a game-breaking 68-yard touchdown run in a 9-7 win at Wesleyan. He might also return kickoffs as the Jeffs look to get the ball in his hands as often as possible.

Bates (1-7, 1-7 NESCAC in 2000)
Hopes are high for Bates football in 2001 after a series of near-misses in 2000. The Bobcats put together a stretch early in the season in which they dropped three games by a total of eight points. They scored the most points ever by a Bates team against archrival Bowdoin in a 44-13 win and produced one of the most heralded postseason teams in school history, placing three players on the All-NESCAC team and another conference Rookie of the Year. Under fourth-year head coach Mark Harriman, the Bates defense will look to return to the 1999 form that ranked it among the top units in the NCAA statistics in three categories, while the offense returns almost all of its significant contributors from 2000.

The offense features All-NESCAC running back Sean Atkins (New York, N.Y.). Atkins finished second in the conference and among the top 40 in Division III in rushing yardage, while finishing in the top 25 nationally in all-purpose yards.

After stepping into thestarting role midway through the 2000 season, junior quarterback Kane Jankoski (Spencer, Mass.) will call the signals behind a veteran offensive line led by senior John Dubzinski (Leominster, Mass.). The wide receiver corps features Owen Miehe '04 (Glen Rock, N.J.) and John Katsarikas '03 (Quincy, Mass.), in one of the Bobcats' deepest pools at that position in a number of years. The special teams will look to replace one of the best kickers in school history, two-time All-NESCAC selection Rejean Guerriero (Spofford, N.H.).

The strength of the Bates defense has always been its linebacking corps, and 2001 will be no different. For the third time in five years, a Bobcat was named NESCAC Defensive Rookie of the Year, with sophomore Pat Foley (Newburyport, Mass.) earning the honor in 2000 for his performance stepping in for injured senior captain Bob Rosenthal '01 (Walpole, Mass.), the 1997 winner of that award.

Meanwhile, junior Ben Johnson (Lyndonville, Vt.) led the team with 79 tackles. The defensive line loses a two-time All-NESCAC selection in Ryan Gray '01 (Mansfield, Mass.), but captain Jaime Sawler (Stratham, N.H.) earned All-Conference honors in 1999, led in sacks in 2000 and was an All-American in the hammer throw in 2001. Three four-year starters are lost from the defensive backfield, but junior Pat Boyaggi (Cleveland, Ohio), the fourth starter, and converted receiver Rob Maguire '04 (Wayland, Mass.), will lead that group in 2001.

Colby (7-1, 7-1 NESCAC in 2000)
Colby surged to the top of the NESCAC in 2000 thanks to poised leadership, strong execution of its game plan and the sense of Blue Team Pride that permeates the program. A similar combination is the cornerstone of the Mules' expectations for 2001.

The Mules are coming off one of the most successful campaigns in school history. Colby finished 7-1, its best record since 1994, was unbeaten at Seaverns Field, and claimed the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) championship for the 10th time in the last 13 years. The Mules also established some conference history, sharing in the first-ever official NESCAC championship. Colby ranked fifth in the final New England standings.

Colby's success was built on complementary play featuring the offense, defense and special teams. Among NESCSAC teams, Colby was first in total offense — establishing a conference record for total passing yardage — and third in total defense. Nationally, the Mules were 19th in scoring defense and fourth in kickoff returns.

Head Coach Tom Austin believes the qualities that led to last season's success — the competitive nature of the players, the athleticism and work ethic those players share, the commitment to team play and the knowledge of what leads to team success — will enable Colby to retain its status among the NESCAC elite.

Those qualities also feed into a feeling unique to Colby football, Blue Team Pride. Blue Team Pride is an intangible based on the concrete — a dedication to striving individually and relying on each other with a unity of purpose for the benefit of all associated with Colby football.

On the field Colby is known throughout the NESCAC for aggressive play on both sides of the line of scrimmage. Defensively, the Mules feature an attacking 4-3 defense that is committed to stopping the rushing game. Colby's defense emphasizes a "Put the Ball Down" attitude — the Mules are ready to challenge opposing offenses with aggression on every play, no matter where the ball is situated on the field. A year ago, Colby allowed just 12.5 points per game, including just 3.8 points in the first half of games.

In 2001, The Mules feature a veteran defense led by several key returning playmakers. Junior Mike Moran was the NESCAC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1999 and has led Colby in tackles each of his first two years on the Mayflower Hill campus. Through two seasons, Moran has been credited with 162.5 tackles, including 80 solos. Teaming with Moran at linebacker is classmate Jeff Owen, who recorded 68 tackles and two sacks in 2000.

Junior defensive tackle Kevin Smalley earned second-team All-NESCAC honors a year ago with strong interior line play. He also shared the team lead with 4.5 quarterback sacks. The Mules' secondary has averaged more than two interceptions per game in each of the last two seasons and returns a veteran contingent led by co-captain and senior safetys Patrick Fahey and Jason Brooks.

Colby puts forth an uptempo offense that includes a prolific passing attack and a balanced ground game. The Mules led NESCAC with an average of 258.8 passing yards per game in 2000, and also averaged 152 rushing yards per contest.

The offense is led by junior quarterback Pat Conley, who stepped into the starting lineup last season to complete 139 of 250 passes for 1,996 yards and 14 touchdowns, good for a NESCAC-best quarterback rating of 133.9. With that performance, Conley was ranked 24th in Division III in total offense and was a first-team All-NESCAC selection.

Conley's favorite target was wide receiver Danny Noyes, who led the Mules in pass receiving and all-purpose yardage for the second straight year. Noyes led all NESCAC receivers with 54 receptions for 872 yards, and he ranked 13th nationally in receiving yards per game (109.0) and 25th in receptions per game (6.7). Noyes was named to the All-ECAC Div. III Northeast Region first team, the All-New England Division III team and the All-NESCAC first team.

Among Conley's other top receiving threats is running back junior Don Williams, who made 21 catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns last year.

Colby also features returning strength along the offensive line of scrimmage. Tackle Bodo Heiliger is a third-year starter who was a second-team All-ECAC Div. III Northeast Region selection and a first-team All-NESCAC choice. Senior co-captain Brian Wezowicz is another returning third-year starter who has been pivotal to the Mules' success in the trenches.

Colby's kick-return teams stepped to the forefront in 2000, led by one of the program's most versatile players in junior Lee Carlson. Carlson returned 16 punts and kickoffs for 252 yards on special teams. As a member of the Colby defense, the cornerback had 33 tackles and two interceptions. On offense, Carlson had 14 pass receptions for 281 yards and two touchdowns.

Trinity, Conn. (4-4, 4-4 NESCAC in 2000)
The 2001 Trinity team welcomes back 10 starters from last year's squad as the Bantams begin their second season under the direction of head coach Chuck Priore.

Six of the returning starters will be on the offense, led by senior captain tight end David Mogan (Foxboro, Mass.), senior offensive tackle Jason Lewis (Plympton, Mass.), sophomore quarterback Greg Ward (Avon, Conn.) and 1999 NESCAC Offensive Rookie of the Year tailback Brian Fabrizio (Norwell, Mass.).

The offensive line loses three starters to graduation, including four-year starters and All-Americans Jay Civetti and Mike Carucci on the left side. Lewis and junior center Justin Moore (Berlin, Conn.) started all eight games last season, while two-year starting fullback Mogan moves in at tight end.

The backfield will once again be anchored by Fabrizio, who missed almost four games with an ankle injury last fall, and still gained 570 all-purpose yards. Sophomore Tom Pierandri (Ridgefield, Conn.), a power runner who gained a team-high 532 rushing yards last fall, will offer an excellent change of pace from Fabrizio.

Junior wide receiver Kevin Waters (Garden City, N.Y.) is a two-year starter at receiver and leads a young group of pass catchers which also includes converted sophomore quarterback Joe Wahl (Riverside, R.I.). Waters caught 26 passes in each of his first two seasons. Senior captain Ray Cattaneo (Canton, Mass.) returns from an injury-plagued season as a tight end option.

Ward returns after a fine freshman season in which he passed for 1,323 yards and eight touchdowns. Ward should improve steadily this fall with a season under his belt, after taking four years off from football to play professional baseball for the Atlanta Braves.

Senior captain and 1999 All-American Steven Cella (Peabody, Mass.) returns to the defensive backfield for his fourth season and his third year at free safety. Cella, who set a NESCAC record with nine interceptions as a sophomore and picked off four more in 2000 with a career-high 49 tackles, should play alongside junior strong safety Gavin O'Reilly (Cheshire, Conn.) and junior cornerback Jayme Dorr (Osterville, Mass.). Sophomores Matt Glasz (North Haven, Conn.), who split time between cornerback and tailback last fall, and Tim Mullaney (Wellesley, Mass.) are leading candidates to start at the other corner opposite Dorr.

Two captains return to anchor the linebacking corps, with senior Matt Dorn (Braintree, Mass.) on the outside and junior David Midura (Easton, Mass.) in
the middle. Dorn had 52 tackles to finish second to Midura's total of 61 for the team lead. Freshmen Greg Tanner (Welllesley, Mass.), Derek Collins
(Saugas, Mass.), and Andrew Wertz (Newtown, Pa.) also had solid freshman
seasons at linebacker in 2000.

Junior David Rooney (Charlotte, N.C.) and sophomore Jamie Creed (Valley Forge, Pa.) are two of several young athletes who will compete for spots on the defensive line. Rooney missed most of last season with an injury, while Creed had 36 tackles and three sacks at end.

Special teams should be a strength for the Bantams as the team will welcome back junior placekicker Skip Sullivan (Milton, Mass.), for a third year as the starter. Wahl enjoyed a solid year as the punter as a freshman, while Cella is the best return man in the NESCAC on both punts and kickoffs.

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