I'll be making an appearance with my ITH co-host Frank Rossi on CBS Sports Talk Radio's 1450 "The Hall" at 6:15 PM. You can listen in online at:
http://tunein.com/radio/The-Hall-1450-s30892
Friday, August 30, 2013
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Green to Appear on ITH, 9/4 @ 7:30pm
I had the pleasure of speaking with SR OL Michael Green yesterday about the upcoming 2013 season. The Co-Captain from Belleair Beach, FL indicated while the Statesmen were proud of last year's accomplishments; that's all in the past, and their focus is on today.
The theme of competition in preseason camp came up on more than one occasion. JR QB's Patrick Conlan and Kyle Bayly are having a good camp, as is SO QB Parker Thelander. The WR corp looks to be a four way competition between SR WR Yosh Karbowniczak and the JR WR trio of Elvin Souffrant, Troy Robinson and John Fasano.
Michael's interview will be broadcast next Wednesday night during our 2013 Preseason Special which airs live, Wednesday, September 4 at 7:30 PM on www.inthehuddlle.com or www.blogtalkradio.com\ITH.
I am shooting to release my season preview over the Labor Day Weekend and have a game overview for next Saturday's opener at Dickinson up by this time next week. Thanks and go Bart!
The theme of competition in preseason camp came up on more than one occasion. JR QB's Patrick Conlan and Kyle Bayly are having a good camp, as is SO QB Parker Thelander. The WR corp looks to be a four way competition between SR WR Yosh Karbowniczak and the JR WR trio of Elvin Souffrant, Troy Robinson and John Fasano.
Michael's interview will be broadcast next Wednesday night during our 2013 Preseason Special which airs live, Wednesday, September 4 at 7:30 PM on www.inthehuddlle.com or www.blogtalkradio.com\ITH.
I am shooting to release my season preview over the Labor Day Weekend and have a game overview for next Saturday's opener at Dickinson up by this time next week. Thanks and go Bart!
Friday, August 23, 2013
Janoff Out But Not Down (and Other News from Camp)
Statesman SR OL Max Janoff reportedly tore his ACL in practice last Sunday, effectively ending his season. While this is a disappointing blow, the Short Hills, NJ native is taking it in stride and his staying positive. Even if he can't see time on the field due to his knee injury, you can bet he'll do whatever else he can to help the team this season.
Janoff came to Hobart out of Morristown-Beard and has been a key contributor on the OL in the past three seasons. While not a captain or starter, he was a de facto team leader, rallying the team in what has become the Statesmen's pre-game ritual.
Please join me in wishing Max a speedy recovery.
In other news, Statesmen Offensive Coordinator Kevin DeWall reported that he is pleased with how this squad has looked to date, especially given so many "new faces on offense." As previously stated, there is a lot of competition for open QB, OL, RB, TE and WR starting and second string positions going into the 2013 season.
Hobart QB Coach Jonathan Drach indicated the offense "won" the intra squad scrimmage this morning by a score of 28-18 (@HobartFootball had 28-17 but you get the point, pun intended). To clarify, the defense is spotted a certain number of points which the offense has to match and/or surpass. Given the large number of starters back on defense, the offense "winning" the scrimmage is bad news for Statesmen opponents this fall.
More preseason news coming up next week. Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Janoff came to Hobart out of Morristown-Beard and has been a key contributor on the OL in the past three seasons. While not a captain or starter, he was a de facto team leader, rallying the team in what has become the Statesmen's pre-game ritual.
Please join me in wishing Max a speedy recovery.
In other news, Statesmen Offensive Coordinator Kevin DeWall reported that he is pleased with how this squad has looked to date, especially given so many "new faces on offense." As previously stated, there is a lot of competition for open QB, OL, RB, TE and WR starting and second string positions going into the 2013 season.
Hobart QB Coach Jonathan Drach indicated the offense "won" the intra squad scrimmage this morning by a score of 28-18 (@HobartFootball had 28-17 but you get the point, pun intended). To clarify, the defense is spotted a certain number of points which the offense has to match and/or surpass. Given the large number of starters back on defense, the offense "winning" the scrimmage is bad news for Statesmen opponents this fall.
More preseason news coming up next week. Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Follow me @ITHuddLLe and the Statesmen @HobartFootball on Twitter!
There isn't much Union and Hobart fans or grads agree on, but WABY's Frank Rossi (the voice of the Fighting Dutchmen Radio Network) and I love Division III football, especially the teams of the Liberty League.
Our weekly D3 football talk show / podcast In The HuddLLe (ITH) will be back for its sixth season on Sunday nights, live at 7:30 PM (podcast ready for download immediately after we go off the air) on www.inthehuddlle.com and/or www.blogtalkradio.com/ITH.
Each week we will recap all the LL and top D3 games of the weekend, interview players and coaches from around the league, cover the Top 25 and pick the next week's games. Past guests have included celebrities, former NFL players and the Chairs of the NCAA D3FB Selection Committees. Last season we interviewed over 50 LL players and coaches. Look us up and tweet us your favorite plays, players, teams and otherwise tune in on Sunday nights to get your fix of D3FB!
Each week we will recap all the LL and top D3 games of the weekend, interview players and coaches from around the league, cover the Top 25 and pick the next week's games. Past guests have included celebrities, former NFL players and the Chairs of the NCAA D3FB Selection Committees. Last season we interviewed over 50 LL players and coaches. Look us up and tweet us your favorite plays, players, teams and otherwise tune in on Sunday nights to get your fix of D3FB!
Our 2 hour preseason special is live on Wednesday night, September 4th at 7:30PM. We hope you'll follow our twitter feed and join us on 9/4, and every Sunday thereafter, In the HuddLLe!
Monday, August 19, 2013
Hobart Picked First in the Liberty League Coaches' Poll
The seventh ranked Hobart College Statesmen were unanimously chosen to retain the Liberty League (LL) Championship in the 2013 Preseason Coaches' Poll. Hobart received seven first place votes and it appears as though Statesmen Head Coach Mike Cragg voted for Springfield (coaches may not vote for their own team). A link to the LL press release can be found here.
I was not surprised with how the teams were ranked as the poll pretty much mirrored the final 2012 LL standings. What I thought was interesting was Cragg's vote going to Springfield over Union, but the Dutchmen graduated a lot on defense, so that could be the reason.
Overall I think the LL will be improved in comparison to 2012. For example, last season only four LL teams had winning records, but I think this year we may see as many as six LL teams that finish above .500.
A few other thoughts / observations:
First - SO OL Brendan Casey got some nice recognition by the Boston Globe a few days ago. He starred at Boston Latin and is likely in the hunt for one of the two open starting jobs on the Statesmen OL this fall. A link to the article can be found here.
Second - I am already noticing a few folks from last year's team no longer on the Statesmen roster, especially SR DB Kevin Hearon. Hearon contributed over 20 tackles and one interception (against Wittenberg) in 12 games for the Statesmen and was second on the team with six pass break ups. I also noticed that both of Hobart's kickers SO James Hull and Josh Neuss no longer appear on the roster. This means kicking duties will fall on FY PK Ethan Miller and/or Sean Kirshe, pending preseason camp.
Third - Although he didn't appear on the FY class roster announcement, likely due to being a transfer, FY WR Chase Stewart has also joined the Statesmen's fairly large WR corps. What Stewart lacks in size (coming in at 5'7" 150 lbs), he makes up for in speed. Junior Woodard '13 wasn't a particularly big guy either and his career at Hobart was a good one. Time will tell if Stewart can become a receiving and/or special teams threat. His HS highlight reel can be found here.
Finally, thanks to all the readers who pushed the "View Tracker" over 40,000 visits to this blog around 4:30 PM today.
I'll have a report out on the Aug 23rd scrimmage and more Statesmen news soon. 18 days until kickoff:
Thanks again for reading and go 'Bart!
I was not surprised with how the teams were ranked as the poll pretty much mirrored the final 2012 LL standings. What I thought was interesting was Cragg's vote going to Springfield over Union, but the Dutchmen graduated a lot on defense, so that could be the reason.
Overall I think the LL will be improved in comparison to 2012. For example, last season only four LL teams had winning records, but I think this year we may see as many as six LL teams that finish above .500.
A few other thoughts / observations:
First - SO OL Brendan Casey got some nice recognition by the Boston Globe a few days ago. He starred at Boston Latin and is likely in the hunt for one of the two open starting jobs on the Statesmen OL this fall. A link to the article can be found here.
Second - I am already noticing a few folks from last year's team no longer on the Statesmen roster, especially SR DB Kevin Hearon. Hearon contributed over 20 tackles and one interception (against Wittenberg) in 12 games for the Statesmen and was second on the team with six pass break ups. I also noticed that both of Hobart's kickers SO James Hull and Josh Neuss no longer appear on the roster. This means kicking duties will fall on FY PK Ethan Miller and/or Sean Kirshe, pending preseason camp.
Third - Although he didn't appear on the FY class roster announcement, likely due to being a transfer, FY WR Chase Stewart has also joined the Statesmen's fairly large WR corps. What Stewart lacks in size (coming in at 5'7" 150 lbs), he makes up for in speed. Junior Woodard '13 wasn't a particularly big guy either and his career at Hobart was a good one. Time will tell if Stewart can become a receiving and/or special teams threat. His HS highlight reel can be found here.
Finally, thanks to all the readers who pushed the "View Tracker" over 40,000 visits to this blog around 4:30 PM today.
I'll have a report out on the Aug 23rd scrimmage and more Statesmen news soon. 18 days until kickoff:
Thanks again for reading and go 'Bart!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
95 Statesmen Arrive for Preseason Camp
Hobart's QB Coach Jonathan Drach tweeted to D3football.com that 95 players checked into the Statesmen's preseason camp yesterday. A link to the tweet can be found here.
The first practice of the 2013 season began today, and the updated roster can be found here.
Expectations are high for 7th ranked Hobart and here is what we know:
Although the Statesmen return a vast majority of their 2012 roster, there will still be a great deal of competition at each positional group. The six returning starters (JR OL Ali Marpet, JR OL Deandre Smith, SR OL Mike Green, JR TE Mike Berkowitz, JR FB Dominique Ellis and SR RB Steven Webb) who, if they remain healthy, will be important aspects of the offense. The biggest question mark for most Hobart fans will be which of the five QBs in camp will emerge with the starting job?
All-Americans SR OLB Devin Worthington and JR DE Tyre Coleman headline the defense which returns the majority of last year's DB, LB and DL corp. While the defense returns more starters than the offense, I expect position competition will be tough there as well.
Special teams returns all their key players, but the inclusion of two FY kickers tells me it's a wide open competition for those duties going into camp.
I'll do a more in depth preview as camp draws to a close.
The first practice of the 2013 season began today, and the updated roster can be found here.
Expectations are high for 7th ranked Hobart and here is what we know:
Although the Statesmen return a vast majority of their 2012 roster, there will still be a great deal of competition at each positional group. The six returning starters (JR OL Ali Marpet, JR OL Deandre Smith, SR OL Mike Green, JR TE Mike Berkowitz, JR FB Dominique Ellis and SR RB Steven Webb) who, if they remain healthy, will be important aspects of the offense. The biggest question mark for most Hobart fans will be which of the five QBs in camp will emerge with the starting job?
All-Americans SR OLB Devin Worthington and JR DE Tyre Coleman headline the defense which returns the majority of last year's DB, LB and DL corp. While the defense returns more starters than the offense, I expect position competition will be tough there as well.
Special teams returns all their key players, but the inclusion of two FY kickers tells me it's a wide open competition for those duties going into camp.
I'll do a more in depth preview as camp draws to a close.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Coach Cragg Announces Class of 2017, New Asst Coaches & Preseason Scrimmages
Hobart Head Football Coach Mike Cragg announced the Statesmen Class of 2017 today. It includes student-athletes from across the US, including players from as far away as CA.
A list of recruits, in alphabetical order, is below. I have put the young men not previously identified by this blog in bold:
QB Troy Anthony Loudonville, NY
TE Clay Barker Darien, CT
DT Jack Barnett Conklin, NY
RB Sean Bright Manlius, NY
RB Brad Burns Hoosick Falls, NY
CB Jerome Cappadonna Lynnfield, MA
CB Todd Collier Salem, MA
CB Matt Cragg Corry, PA
WR Sean Cunningham Geneva, NY
OL Bobby Erickson New Canaan, CT
FS Austin Gallegos Yucca Valley, CA
FS Michael Harper Westwood, NJ
DE James Hedger Rochester, NY
OL John Hillenbrand Syracuse, NY
OLB Marcus Jemison Nyack, NY
K Sean Kirsche Lakewood Ranch, FL
K Ethan Miller Meadowview, VA
OL Patrick O'Connell III Frederick, MD
WR Jack Pfohl Cicero, NY
DE Brian Rabasca Berkeley Heights, NJ
DT Zack Robak Higganum, CT
DT Will Rosato Greenwich, CT
DT Jake Russell Syracuse, NY
QB Dillon Russo Scarborough, ME
CB Gabriel Smith Albany, NY
OL Nick Testani Pittsford, NY
ILB Zach Thornton Scarsdale, NY
WR Mitch Wagner East Amherst, NY
WR Jordan Wesley Coram, NY
Conspicuously absent from the above list were three prior commits in Gesauldi, Skinner and John. Both Gesauldi and John have decided to focus on lacrosse at Hobart instead of football. My best guess is Skinner enrolled elsewhere.
Also in Coach's announcement was the appointment of former Statesmen Captains Art Garvey and Andrew Klindera '13 to the coaching staff to assist with the OL and LBs, respectively. An intra-squad scrimmage is slated for August 23rd at 8 am. Another scrimmage at Buffalo State is slated for August 31st at noon.
All in all this looks like another outstanding class for Hobart and its only 30 days from the season opener at Dickinson.
Go 'Bart!
A list of recruits, in alphabetical order, is below. I have put the young men not previously identified by this blog in bold:
QB Troy Anthony Loudonville, NY
TE Clay Barker Darien, CT
DT Jack Barnett Conklin, NY
RB Sean Bright Manlius, NY
RB Brad Burns Hoosick Falls, NY
CB Jerome Cappadonna Lynnfield, MA
CB Todd Collier Salem, MA
CB Matt Cragg Corry, PA
WR Sean Cunningham Geneva, NY
OL Bobby Erickson New Canaan, CT
FS Austin Gallegos Yucca Valley, CA
FS Michael Harper Westwood, NJ
DE James Hedger Rochester, NY
OL John Hillenbrand Syracuse, NY
OLB Marcus Jemison Nyack, NY
K Sean Kirsche Lakewood Ranch, FL
K Ethan Miller Meadowview, VA
OL Patrick O'Connell III Frederick, MD
WR Jack Pfohl Cicero, NY
DE Brian Rabasca Berkeley Heights, NJ
DT Zack Robak Higganum, CT
DT Will Rosato Greenwich, CT
DT Jake Russell Syracuse, NY
QB Dillon Russo Scarborough, ME
CB Gabriel Smith Albany, NY
OL Nick Testani Pittsford, NY
ILB Zach Thornton Scarsdale, NY
WR Mitch Wagner East Amherst, NY
WR Jordan Wesley Coram, NY
Conspicuously absent from the above list were three prior commits in Gesauldi, Skinner and John. Both Gesauldi and John have decided to focus on lacrosse at Hobart instead of football. My best guess is Skinner enrolled elsewhere.
Also in Coach's announcement was the appointment of former Statesmen Captains Art Garvey and Andrew Klindera '13 to the coaching staff to assist with the OL and LBs, respectively. An intra-squad scrimmage is slated for August 23rd at 8 am. Another scrimmage at Buffalo State is slated for August 31st at noon.
All in all this looks like another outstanding class for Hobart and its only 30 days from the season opener at Dickinson.
Go 'Bart!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Iroquois' Miller to Attend Hobart
Next to the annual family beach vacation, my favorite part about August is knowing that preseason camps are starting up and football season is just a few more weeks away!
In the meantime, here's some more Hobart recruiting news:
The Sun News reports that Iroquois High School's (Elma, near Buffalo, NY) SR RB/DB Tyler Miller will enroll at Hobart. Miller was a First Team Section 6 Class A South player for the 7-2 Chiefs. The small (6' 1" 175 lbs), but speedy Miller rushed for 1,004 yards on 154 carries (111.6 YPG) in 2012 and scored 13 total TDs. He was also a receiving threat out of the backfield, collecting 19 passes for 324 yards (17.05 YPR). A link to the article announcing Miller's enrollment to Hobart can be found here.
Although he was recognized for his offensive prowess, Tyler also starred on defense for the Chiefs. Miller tallied 46 total tackles and three tackles for a loss (TFL) as a DB.
My guess is Tyler starts off his college career in a special teams role. Miller totaled an impressive 136 return yards, including a long of 90 yards vs. Grand Island (8-2 overall, 5-1 Class 6A North). Given the lack of depth of RB (only four men on the current Statesmen roster), my initial thought is Miller could initially play that position. That said I wouldn't be surprised if he moves to DB over his college career.
The Statesmen, for better or for worse, have utilized a smaller, speedy DB unit that play a conservative "keep things in front" style of play that has been bolstered by it's relentless pass rush. This typically works well against most Eastern teams, but obviously wasn't in the same league against the big and fast receivers from #2 Saint Thomas in the NCAA Elite 8.
Miller fits the aforementioned mold so it remains to be seen whether he's given a shot to stick with offense or gets groomed to play special teams and/or defense as a collegiate player.
Regardless, this is another great pickup for the Statesmen so please join me in welcoming Tyler to the Hobart Football Class of 2017!
Go 'Bart!
In the meantime, here's some more Hobart recruiting news:
The Sun News reports that Iroquois High School's (Elma, near Buffalo, NY) SR RB/DB Tyler Miller will enroll at Hobart. Miller was a First Team Section 6 Class A South player for the 7-2 Chiefs. The small (6' 1" 175 lbs), but speedy Miller rushed for 1,004 yards on 154 carries (111.6 YPG) in 2012 and scored 13 total TDs. He was also a receiving threat out of the backfield, collecting 19 passes for 324 yards (17.05 YPR). A link to the article announcing Miller's enrollment to Hobart can be found here.
Although he was recognized for his offensive prowess, Tyler also starred on defense for the Chiefs. Miller tallied 46 total tackles and three tackles for a loss (TFL) as a DB.
My guess is Tyler starts off his college career in a special teams role. Miller totaled an impressive 136 return yards, including a long of 90 yards vs. Grand Island (8-2 overall, 5-1 Class 6A North). Given the lack of depth of RB (only four men on the current Statesmen roster), my initial thought is Miller could initially play that position. That said I wouldn't be surprised if he moves to DB over his college career.
The Statesmen, for better or for worse, have utilized a smaller, speedy DB unit that play a conservative "keep things in front" style of play that has been bolstered by it's relentless pass rush. This typically works well against most Eastern teams, but obviously wasn't in the same league against the big and fast receivers from #2 Saint Thomas in the NCAA Elite 8.
Miller fits the aforementioned mold so it remains to be seen whether he's given a shot to stick with offense or gets groomed to play special teams and/or defense as a collegiate player.
Regardless, this is another great pickup for the Statesmen so please join me in welcoming Tyler to the Hobart Football Class of 2017!
Go 'Bart!
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