2018 Season Review

A new era of Hobart College Statesmen football began last summer, as HC Kevin DeWall '00 returned home to the Finger Lakes. A smaller roster, injuries and other challenges awaited him, but with a solid coaching staff and patience, the Statesmen slowly began to turn the corner en route to a 5-4, 3-2 finish.

While technically this ties the 2010 season as far as the worst W/L record from the last two decades, I wouldn't say this year was a bad one. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as Hobart took on a demanding schedule (actually the highest SOS in the nation) that featured a several teams that appeared in the Top 25. While we all know the Statesmen weren't able to compete with #3 Brockport (11-0) in Week 1; by the latter half of the season, Hobart was literally plays away from knocking off two eight win teams and got the better of a seven win Union squad.

With only 10 SR players graduating, the future looks bright for the Statesmen as 14 of 18 (the most of any team in the LL) players who earned All-Conference recognition should be back in 2019, not to mention a couple of players who's seasons ended prematurely because of injury.

We saw some historic offensive performances, including the incredible 118 points scored in the Week 2 and 3 wins over SUNY-Morrisville (6-5) and Shenandoah (5-5). In the five wins the Statesmen had this season, the Hobart offense averaged over 48 PPG. JR QB Ryan Hofmann struggled with injuries a bit this year, but he still finished with the highest efficiency rating (149.2) and was second in the LL for passing TDs (19), completion percentage (61.6) and YPG (242.3).

JR WRs Jake Catalioto and Ray Conley combined for 80 catches for 1,279 yards and 14 TDs. JR RB Brian Haeffner finished fourth in the LL with 431 rushing yards and six TDs. Overall the Statesmen were the highest scoring offense in the conference, averaging 33.2 PPG.

Hobart also had the two best special teams players in the conference, with SO PK Kyle Hackett having a nearly perfect season, going 38-39 on PATs and 9-9 on FGs. He's 19-19 for FGs in his career and one away from setting the program record. JR WR John DelliSanti led the LL in net punting with a 37.3 average.

Defensively JR OLB David McCarthly finished first on the team and fourth overall in the LL with 75 total tackles. SR DE Al Smith and JR DE Collin Hudgins finished tied for a team leading four sacks. SO OLB Emmett Forde really came into his own this season, finishing second on the team with 52 tackles and 6.5 TFL. SO CB Jared Leake had a great season as well, leading the team with eight pass breakups to go with 36 tackles and one INT. Hudgins, Hackett and JR DB Andrew Koonz were added to the 2018 Google Cloud Division III Academic All-District 3 Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) as well. Koonz switched from WR to S and did a nice job in the seven games he played in, adding 38 tackles and a a team-leading three INTs.

The difference between being 5-4 and 9-1 ultimately was ending up on the short end of three closely contested games. Hobart lost these games by a combined 17 points. They showed a lot of heart and could have won all three, but unfortunately, just had some bad luck (e.g., the forward pass as a fumble call in the Ithaca game, unsportsmanlike penalty on the final Endicott drive and the failed onside kick in the RPI game) which didn't help.

As these younger players begin to buy into Coach DeWall's disciplined approach, I think we'll see continued growth (and by extension, more wins) in the very near future. While I'm still not sold on the dual FS / two-three DL fronts, I am willing to be open-minded. The LL is becoming a more pass-heavy offensive league, but Hobart may want to consider going back to their traditional 4x4, with pressure coming from the DEs and OLBs which was so successful in past seasons (but it also obviously dependent on the available personnel).

I am anxious to start seeing in the new recruits that'll be coming in as part of the Class of 2023. Early decision letters will be mailed pretty soon. In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys a happy and healthy holiday season.

See you in 2019!

Statesmen Stay Ahead of Saints, 42-31, but Pass on NYS Bowl

The Hobart College Statesmen racked up 275 rushing yards, while holding the Saint Lawrence University Saints to only 52, on a cold and windy day in Canton, NY. The Statesmen (5-4, 3-2) ensured their consecutive winning season mark would stay intact (23 seasons and counting), but the Saints (2-8, 1-4) certainly kept things interesting until the bitter end.

Hobart had a chance to go up 21-0 early in the second quarter, converting a 4th and 10 from the SLU 32 yard line, with a 23 yard FY QB David Krewson to JR WR Ray Conley pass. Credit Saints SO DB Theo Blaschinski for making a head's up play, forcing a fumble at the SLU nine yard line which was recovered by FY DB Kyle Frimel.

That turnover changed the complexion of the game as the Saints found their stride, marching 89 yards for a TD and then another score on their next possession to make it a game, 14-12, with just over five minutes remaining in the first half.

The Statesmen got back on track by Krewson running and passing the ball well. He would find FY WR Javon Coleman (who's listed on the roster as FS) for his first career receiving TD, to push the lead to 21-12. The Saints would only need six plays to score once again, however, to make it 21-18, with only 1:30 remaining on the clock before the half.

The Statesmen defense would shut out the Saints in the third quarter, and SO LB Reilly Pelow forced fumble to set up the Hobart offense at the SLU 45 yard line. JR TE AJ Perlino would score on a five yard pass to push the Statesmen's lead to 28-18, a few plays later. JR RB Brian Haeffner would add to that lead, scoring his second TD of the game, before adding another for the football equivalent of the "hat trick" late in the fourth quarter. Haeffner finished the day with 195 rushing yards, a career best.

Although the Saints would rally, they never got closer than 10 points down the stretch. The Statesmen pass defense had a tough day, giving up 400 yards and five passing TDs, but they did cause three turnovers, including INTs by SO CB Jared Leake and FY FS Jay McCoy. SO PK Kyle Hackett went 6-6 on PATs, but didn't get a chance to break the FG record given the Statesmen's success in the red zone. That'll have to wait until Week 1 of the 2019 season.

The win ends one of Hobart's tougher seasons on a relatively high note, but the excuses given for not accepting the Liberty League's bid to the New York State Bowl will leave a bad taste in many Statesmen's mouths for some time. Cortland State (7-3), who lost a close 24-21 Cortaca Jug game to Ithaca (8-2), would have been happy to host the game. There was money in the budget, it's a short trip and so I honestly don't understand interim-AD Brian Miller's stance on not letting the team play the game. It really sucks, actually, especially for the SR players, many of whom were counting on getting that elusive 10th game, an extra week of practice with their teammates and one last time to suit up before they call it a career.

On a brighter note, the Statesmen's future looks good. A lot of young players gained valuable playing time and experience this season. Hopefully a better schedule and another talented recruiting class - hats off to the Class of 2022 who really stepped in and made contributions right away - will get Hobart back to the top of the LL standings, a place where RPI and Ithaca have supplanted them, for now.

Thanks to all the readers and support of the blog over this season. I'll post more Hobart Football news as it comes along.

Happy Holidays to everyone.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 11 - SLU Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen are looking to end the 2018 regular season on a positive note, travelling up to the "North Country" to take on long-time rival, Saint Lawrence University. While Hobart has dominated the series in the last couple of decades from a W/L perspective (Hobart has only lost to SLU three times in the last 29 seasons, dating back to 1990, 1991 and 2010), the Saints (2-7, 1-3) have given the Statesmen (4-4, 2-2) some close games in the past few seasons.

Hobart leads the all-time series 51-36-2, making this season's match up the 90th meeting of the two programs, dating back to 1901. Last season the Statesmen took care of the Saints will relative ease, winning the game, 34-7, at Boswell Field. Shane Sweeney '18 led the Statesmen with nearly 300 passing yards, while the Hobart defense recorded four sacks, one INT and held SLU to -19 rushing yards on the day.

Scouting the Saints 

FY QB Tyler Grochot turned heads, going 36-71 for 412 yds and 3 TDs, against #14 RPI in a 27-20 loss last Saturday.

This year's Saints squad is a young one, but HC Dan Puckhaber has brought in a lot of talent and SLU has not been an easy out for any of their 2018 opponents. SLU has a couple of talented QBs in Grochot and SO QB Aaron Ruthman. Grochot has struggled protecting the football this season (throwing 10 INTs), but had his best game last weekend against RPI. 

The Saints are primarily a passing team, and they have averaged almost 49 pass attempts, compared to only 24 rushing attempts, a game this season. Overall the Saints are averaging 18.5 PPG, scoring 17 passing and eight rushing TDs on the year. SLU has only converted one FG (only a 21-yarder) on three tries this season. Their starting lineup in last week's game listed four WRs and no RBs.

That said FY RB Jamie Battaglia has been their best runner, gaining 218 yards and two TDs on the year. Not surprisingly, the Saints have six different receivers with double-digit catches, but the clear leader of that group is SO WR Anthony Ferraro with 69 catches for 739 yards and 3 TDs. SR WR Travis Marnell has about half of that amount (34-436) but he's has the most TD receptions on the team with seven.

Defensively the Saints have allowed 29.44 PPG (which is pretty similar to Hobart's average on the season, albeit they have really improved in recent weeks there) and over 400 YPG of offense. They run a traditional 4-3 scheme with JR LB Riley Cott, FY LB Devin Kelley and SO LB Liam Murray as the Sam, Mike and Will, respectively.

Murray leads the unit with 82 tackles, including 7.5 TFL. He's no stranger to the Statesmen, as he's a former teammate to SO FS Cal Sullivan and FY RB Kyle Camposano at Acton-Boxboro HS (MA). The Hobart OL will have to keep an eye on SR DE Tyler Mirabile, who leads the Saints (and is tied for the LL lead) with 7.5 sacks and 11.5 TFL (which is second best in the LL). SO DT Caleb Null has been a good run-stuffer, logging 10.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks, to go with 49 tackles. 

On special teams SLU SR P Jackson Reaper averages 35.32 YPP and JR PK William Manory has averaged 53.9 YPKO. The Saints have a fairly average return unit, averaging about 16 YPKO and only 6.25 YPP. SLU lost it's PAT/FG PK to injury in the RPI game, so if they score, they'll likely be going for two.

Keys to the Game:

1. Start Fast - SLU leads the LL in total YPG, averaging 278.8. That's mostly due to falling behind early and having to play catch-up. The Hobart offense couldn't do much against a tough Ithaca defense last weekend, but they shouldn't struggle as much against SLU. Look for JR WR Jake Catalioto and JR WR Ray Conley to have good games, much like they did against RPI in Week 8.

2. Pin Their Ears Back on Defense - The Saints are one-dimensional on offense so the Statesmen will need to find ways to get to the QB and disrupt their passing game. Hobart only has nine INTs on the season, which is the worst mark in the LL, but they should get at least a couple of opportunities in this game to get a pick or at least match the four sacks they recorded last season against SLU.

3. Make a Little (Hobart) History - I think SO PK Kyle Hackett will break the Hobart all-time FG kicking record in this game, maybe as early as the first quarter, so make sure you tune into Ted Baker's WEOS call to hear (and if you're watching the stream, see) it. 

4. Just Win - There's a great chance that even with a 5-4, 3-2 record, the Statesmen can earn the NYS Bowl bid from the LL with a win Saturday. That extra week of practice and a 10th game, especially against a strong Cortland State (who will end up 7-3 or 8-2 overall after Cortaca) squad, would be a huge opportunity for this young Hobart team.

Prediction:

I think the Hobart offense gets back on track this weekend and the Statesmen run out to an early lead that they'll hang onto until the end, 27-12. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Update: this will be the final game of the 2018 season. The LL has decided not to participate in the NYS Bowl and so the game will not be held this year.

Ithaca Outlasts Hobart, 10-3

The Hobart College Statesmen (4-4, 2-2) lost a tough, defensive battle on Senior Day, 10-3, Saturday in Geneva. The Ithaca Bombers (7-2, 3-1) capitalized on five Hobart penalties during key parts of the game, including an unsportsmanlike penalty on their single TD drive and a fumble call that probably was an incomplete pass that killed Hobart's best drive of the day (the refs at the Boz never seem to call them the Statesmen's way, in football or lacrosse).

The loss drops Hobart to their worst mark since the 2010 season. All is not lost for the Statesmen, however, as a win against SLU (2-7, 1-3) would salvage a winning season and a potential NYS bowl bid given Ithaca could end up in the NCAAs as an at large candidate (but that's a long shot, honestly) or the ECACs (see my post from 10/22/18 - note: even with the 21-16 loss to Brockport, Cortland (7-2) could also still be in the hunt for an at-large / Pool C NCAA playoff berth as well. Worse case they are currently in second place in the E8 and could be Hobart's potential NYS Bowl opponent given Alfred's surprising 28-14 loss to SJFC yesterday).

In yesterday's Ithaca game, the Statesmen got on the board first thanks to a 28-yard SO PK Kyle Hackett FG to take an early 3-0 lead. The kick tied the Hobart all-time mark for FGs made.

The Hobart defense showed up in a big way today, sacking SO QB Wahid Nabi four times. JR OLB David McCarthy, JR DE Collins Hudgins, JR LB Josh Walker and SO DT Isaiah Boone each had a sack on the day. McCarthy led the defense with 12 tackles with two TFL. Hudgins had nine stops and two TFL as well. SR DE Al Smith added three tackles and was ejected from the game in the final seconds. He will be illegible to play in the first half in next weekend's game.

While the defense shined, the offense struggled to move the ball on the Bombers defense, gaining 231 yards on the day. JR QB Ryan Hofmann went 13-25 for 100 yards and threw an INT. JR WR John DelliSanti had a 51-yard pass on a trick play to JR WR Jake Catalioto but the Statesmen were unable to cash it in. Hobart only made it to the red zone twice in the game, converting the Hackett FG in the first quarter.

I'll take a look at the SLU early next week. The Saints gave LL Champions RPI (8-0, 4-0) all they could handle, falling 27-20, yesterday at the ECAV. FY QB Tyler Grochot had a big day, passing for 412 yards (dropping back 71 times!?!? in the process) and 3 TDs against the Engineers.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!