The Alfred University Saxons and Utica College Pioneers were the envy of the vast majority of East Region D3FB as they played their first games in over 400+ days during the last two weeks of March.
The Pioneers used a stout defense to collect 3 INTs, including a SO DL Jordan Weaver 75-yard "pick six" for the opening score of the first game. The Pioneers would go on to win, 30-17.
Alfred would score the same amount of points less than a week later, needing an exciting goal-line stand to outlast Utica, 17-10, in the final seconds.
If you've been following Frank Rossi and my "In the D3FB Huddle" show, you know the last 9 weeks have featured games across the country, including:
ASC - Texas and Louisiana
SAA - Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Arkansas (and Texas again)
NWC - Washington and Oregon
USAC - North Carolina (as well as TN and AR again)
ODAC - Virginia (and NC again)
NJAC - New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland (as well as VA again)
HCAC / OAC / NCAC - Ohio and Indiana (mostly)
PAC - Pennsylvania (albeit western)
MIAA - Michigan (and a couple of neighboring states)
CCIW - Illinois, Wisconsin, South Dakota
NACC - WI, IN, IL again
Empire 8 - Upstate NY (about 100 miles east of HWS)
MWC - mostly IL & WI
UMAC - mostly Minnesota
ARC - mostly Iowa, but also NE and IL
Coming up -
SCIAC - supposedly there is game scheduled between Cal Lutheran and Redlands (CA) for Sunday, April 11. I've actually went to a couple of Cal Lu games back when I lived near that part of Los Angeles. although now they have a revamped stadium (so nice it's been used as a preseason camp site by the LA Rams).
MAC / CC - Stevenson had plans to play Wesley this weekend but this game was postponed. Next weekend the Mustangs are scheduled to play CC-member Susquehanna but that is also TBD.
CCC - Nichols is slated to travel to Springfield, MA on April 16 to face WNE.
I think you get the point.
While each week we have seen anywhere from 3-5 cancellations or postponements, for the vast majority of these colleges/communities, the spring season hasn't had or created any issues.
Needless to say, the schools in leagues like the LL, NEWMAC, MAC, ECFC, CCC, NESCAC and others are doing a grave disserve to their student athletes. Certainly it was a positive development to see spring sports renewed, but that was setting a low bar, in my opinion.
I know under the right circumstances the Hobart coaching staff would welcome the possibility, and they likely would have the institutional support to make something happen, if either Utica or Alfred came calling. Utica HC Blaise Faggiano was quoted as saying they were "still looking for games" in April leading up to the initial Alfred game on a Syracuse-area sports radio show.
With spring games scheduled out until about May 8 there's still a little time left, although an NCAA rule would likely force the weekend of April 24 to be the cut-off, given the associated end of classes at HWS.
Hopefully a number of factors will fall into place to allow the Statesmen the chance to compete, in some fashion at least - even a scrimmage or two would be helpful to evaluate players at certain positions.
Either way, we should know one way or another fairly soon.
Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
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