Week 4 - Keystone Game Preview

I'm doing my best Ken DeBolt impression and waiting until the last minute to get my game notes / analysis out. Just kidding, like Ken has it every week during the fall, winter and spring sports seasons, this work week for me has been hell so I am late getting around to this game preview. 

The Keystone College Giants have been a program that's going through the usual growing pains after first starting their football program in 2021. They switched from the ECFC to the Landmark Conference back in 2023 and finished 2-8, 1-5 that season. This year the Giants are off to a 1-2 overall start, and are coming off a tough, 42-40, loss to Saint John Fisher (1-1) last weekend. 

Hobart (2-1) is 3-0 all time against the Keystone, having won all three matchups by an average score of 55-10. I expect this year's game to be fairly lopsided again as the Statesmen's offense seems to be figuring things out. Liberty League play starts up in Week 5 and this is a good final tune up for Hobart going into that critical game against Ithaca. 

Scouting the Giants

Keystone likes to throw the football and pictured above is their number one target, SR WR Jayson Nami. He's collected 13 catches for 268 yards and four TDs this season. The Giants average nearly 250 YPG passing. Running the offense is SR QB Donald Leach III. Through three games this season he's passed for 756 yards, eight TDs and five INTs. 

Their leading rusher is a dual threat as SR RB Mujaheed Muhammad has a team high 62 carries for 428 yards and five rushing TDs. Muhammad has also caught six passes for 85 yards and two receiving TDs. 

Defensively Keystone is led by SR LB Keith Johnson with 21 total tackles, including 1.5 TFL. On special teams the Giants have JR PK Jeremiah Ortiz who handles KO, P and FG/PAT duties. He averages 49.3 YPKO, 32.5 YPP and has gone 1-2 on FGs with a long of 39 yards. He's 12-13 on PATs also.

Return game wise Keystone has averaged 11 YPPR and 21.5 YPKOR.

Keys to the Game:

1. Fast Start - Hobart has yet to score in the first quarter of a game this season. I would love to see the Statesmen take their first drive on offense to the house and set the tone early. 

2. Pressure = Turnovers - Although the Giants are a senior-laden team, they have struggled to protect the football. The Keystone OL has not allowed any sacks so far on the season, but Leach III has been picked off at least once in each game so far this season. Keeping the pressure on the Giants can force some turnovers that will help set up the offense with good field position.

3. Test the Secondary - as good as the Giants are at passing the ball, their pass defense has been suspect, and something the Statesmen can exploit. Keystone is giving up almost 280 YPG passing, so look for SR QB Johnny Columbi to find open Statesmen down the field in this one. 

Prediction:

While I don't think Hobart will crack 50 points in this one, I do feel like the Statesmen should win comfortably. I could see this being a 35-14 game if the offense can come out and get off to a fast start. I could see the defense really give Keystone a long day, but the Giants may still score some points given their experience (and the likelihood of Hobart subbing in some second and third string guys in the second half).

That's it for now. Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Big Plays Give Statesmen, 27-12, Win on Coach Cragg Day

The Hobart College Statesmen overcame an anemic first half with an offensive outburst keyed by big plays on special teams, defense and offense to beat visiting Moravian University, 27-12, today in Geneva. Former HC Mike Cragg was recognized before and after the game, which fortunately turned to a celebration after Hobart (2-1) trailed 6-0 at the half. 

The Statesmen struggled to move the ball on offense for most of the first half, but SR QB Johnny Columbi would find FY WR Johnny Harding for his first receiving TD to open the second half to give Hobart a 7-6 lead. Although Moravian (1-2) would respond and retake the lead, Columbi found JR WR Ahmad Crowell for 77-and-25-yard TD passes in the fourth quarter to put this game away. SO RB E.J. Taylor added 101 rushing yards and a TD on the day as well. 

In a game where yards were initially hard to come by (neither team had a run over 10 yards in the game), the Statesmen offense awoke to gain 233 yards in the second half. Other stars of the game included FY DB Xavier Aviles, who recovered a muffed punt return at the Moravian 33-yard line, setting up Hobart's first TD. SR LB Vincent Giordano punched out the ball and the fumble was recovered by JR DL Dante Randle at a key part in the fourth quarter. 

Up next for Hobart will be a trip to Keystone College (PA) in the final week of OOC play. I'll have more on that one early next week. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 3 - Moravian Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen head back to the Boz for another new opponent, the Moravian Greyhounds of the Landmark Conference (formerly of the Centennial). Moravian (1-1) is coming off an impressive 18-13 win over a good Utica (1-1) team. The Greyhounds were down 13-0 at the half but rallied in the fourth quarter to get the win. 

Scouting the Greyhounds

Moravian is led on offense by SR QB Jared Jenkins. He is an accurate passer with a strong arm but doesn't seem like much of a rushing threat. Over the past two weeks, he's gone 42-63 for 488 yards, 3 TDs and an INT.

Jenkins' favorite target appears to be GR WR Jordan Bingham. The Indianapolis native leads the Greyhounds with 15 catches for 132 yards. Californian SR WR Diego Del Castillo has a team high 172 receiving yards on 9 catches and 2 receiving TDs. 

Shown above is GR RB Joey Richmond, a big (5' 10" and 220 lbs.) back who caught and ran in the game winning TD pass against Utica. He's rushed for 46 yards on 11 carries. He shares carries with JR RB Isiah Rico (21 carries for 59 yards) and backup FY QB Declan McCarthy, who's rushed for 48 yards on 7 carries (he's attempted two passes with one completion also). 

The Greyhound's defense is led by SR DB Chad Newhard with 16 total tackles and a TFL. JR LB Clay Basile is second with 14 tackles and 2 TFL. The Hobart OL will have their hands full with FY LB/DE Malachi McNeil-Harrison. He stands 6' 5" and has three sacks, three TFLs and an INT on the season already.

It appears that Moravian is a bit inexperienced on special teams. FY PK Ryan Child missed two PATs last Saturday and has yet to attempt an FG this season. Opponents have also racked up a decent amount of kickoff return yards (Muhlenberg had a 100-yard KOR for a TD in Week 1) against the Greyhounds, but not much in the punt return department.

Keys to the Game:

1. Stick to the Script: The Hobart defense will need to keep an eye on the Moravian deep threats, and if the offense can build on the passing game, leveraging their TEs, they can keep this Greyhound defense on their heels. On offense the Statesmen can lean on the run game to kill the clock and shorten the game.

2. Explosive Plays: Moravian has shown themselves to be weak on special teams and prone to giving up explosive plays on defense. Hobart should look to take a few shots early in this one and work field position to their advantage, assuming the defense keeps the Greyhounds stuck in a lot of 3 and outs.

3. Win One for the Gipper: Coach Cragg will be honored as part of this game and so I expect some alumni and former Statesmen players to be there to cheer him and the team on. 

Prediction:

We know Hobart has only scored 17 points in the first two weeks of the season, and that may not be enough to get by this Moravian team. I think at home on a nice fall Saturday, Hobart will get things going offensively and may even get a special teams or defensive TD. I'll take the Statesmen in another close one, 20-14.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobarts Loses OT Heartbreaker in Virginia, 14-7

The Hobart College Statesmen took #8/9 ranked Randolph-Macon to the wire, dropping a game they had a chance to win in the final seconds. The Statesmen (1-1) defense looked like a Top 10 unit, stuffing the Yellow Jackets (2-0) all day. Hobart held the Yellow Jackets to 206 total yards but came up short on a game winning field goal from 33 yards out.

The Statesmen defense kept RMC in check, forcing them to punt 11 times in the game (4-15 on third down). Still, the D1 transfer QB Dante Casciola had a good game, finding Landon Farriss in the back corner of the end zone on a fourth down in overtime from 17-yards out for the game winning TD.

There was some controversy with the finish, something Frank and I will discuss on the next In the D3FB Huddle show, as SR QB Johnny Columbi appeared to have gained a first down in the OT possession for Hobart, but a fumble was ruled, then reversed by the officials. They called the game when it may not have been over.

Either way, it was a fantastic effort for Hobart who showed a lot of grit in this tough loss to a great program. With other teams in the Liberty League struggling and Ithaca starting 0-2, things are looking up for the Statesmen. Still, Moravian beat a strong Utica team yesterday, 18-13, so Hobart needs to focus on Week 3 and not look ahead to league play.

I'll have more on that game soon.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Never Forget

On this 23rd anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, I wanted to recognize former Hobart College football player and alumnus Andy Glokin '93 as well as fellow grads Scott Rohner '01 and Michael Simon '83, P '11 who lost their lives that unfortunate day.

HWS did a nice piece on their website commemorating and remembering this tragic event back in 2021.

I'd also like to recognize the Toyen family, who lost their daughter and sister Amy in the attacks. She was the younger sister of my Avon High School classmate, Heather.

Never Forget.

Week 2 - Randolph-Macon Game Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen will make one of their longest road trips in sometime, travelling over 425 miles and seven-plus hours to take on the #9 Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets. This will be the first ever meeting between these two schools.

RMC (1-0) is the defending Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship and coming off a national semifinal run and 13-1 mark in the 2023 season. The Yellow Jackets have been one of the best programs in the nation in recent years. They have a 56-8 overall record (.875) going back to the 2018 season.

Scouting RMC

This season the Yellow Jackets had to reload at several key positions but seem to have done so quite well. The Jackets used their opportunistic defense to blow past Dickinson (0-1) last Saturday by a 47-21 margin. Their new starter, SR QB Dante Casciola, was efficient in his debut, going 12-17 passing for 162 yards. He scored on a rushing TD and a three-headed backfield of SR RB Kwesi Clarke, JR WR Jason Moore (who also had 94 receiving yards) and JR RB Cameron Chatmon rushed for a combined 168 yards and 4 TDs on 31 carries.

Defensively the Jackets were led by JR LB Neftali Reyes with 10 total tackles. The RMC forced four turnovers (2 INTs and 2 FRs) to help rally their team after falling behind 14-7 going into the third quarter.

The Jackets have three specialists including SR PK Kyle Ihle (2-2 FG, 5-6 PATs), SO K/P Jordan Etz who averaged 45 yards punting and JR KO Tyler Graham, who had a busy day on KOs, with 9 averaging 48.2 YPKO. There wasn't much from a PR or KOR game against Dickinson to write much there. That said Hobart is always strong in ST coverage, so I don't view this as an important aspect of this game. 

Keys to the Game:

1. First Down Offense: Hobart (1-0) was terrible on first down in last Friday's game. Needless to say, on the road at a nationally ranked opponent, they have to do better and not always have 2nd and 10's.

2. Protect the Football: Dickinson was winning the game last week until turnovers did them in. RMC is clearly opportunistic, and SR CB Coleton Payne's pick six was the beginning of the end for the Red Devils. 

3. Nothing to Lose: In the grand scheme of things, while a win would be amazing, a loss here won't wreck the Statesmen's season nor really impact their playoff chances given the new NPI system. Win or lose, Hobart controls its destiny in what really feels like a wide-open Liberty League. I saw Union and RPI in person last weekend and watched most of the Johns Hopkins-Ithaca game. The Bombers still seem like the team to beat, but either way, a 9-1 (or 8-2 via a tiebreaker) Liberty League champion seems very likely. 

Prediction:

While I'd love to predict a Hobart upset that would shock the nation, I just don't think this young, inexperienced team is ready to pull that off. I'd rather see them execute better and gear up for what the real biggest game of the season is, Week 5 at home vs. Ithaca. RMC isn't a huge team, but they are skilled, well-coached and quick. I just hope we see a better offensive effort from the Statesmen from an execution standpoint, otherwise this could be a long game. The defense can keep us in it, but they will need some special teams and offensive plays to avoid being worn down.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart! 

Statesmen Survive Season Opener Scare by the Saxons, 10-7

The Hobart College Statesmen had the home crowd on the edge of their seats last Friday night, having to overcome offensive struggles, missed scoring opportunities, and enduring a couple of weather delays in order to beat Alfred University, 10-7.

Along with my recap below, you can check the HWSAthletics release and the Finger Lakes Times recap here also. 

JR LB Mike McGhee would save the day with a game winning interception and the home team would escape with a win. Hobart (1-0) went 1-8 on first down passing plays and really struggled to move the ball against a tough Saxons (0-1) defense. The Statesmen would eventually rack up 328 total yards, but scoring chances were few and far between. Hobart went 2-11 on third down and were flagged nine times for -76 yards, which didn't help.

On a more positive note, SO RB E.J. Taylor had an excellent debut as a starter, gaining a career high 159 rushing yards on a game high 19 attempts. He broke a 72-yard run at the start of the 4th quarter which finally got the Statesmen on the scoreboard thanks to a SR PK Tobias Wefering 26-yard FG to make it, 7-3 Alfred, with 11:04 remaining in the game. 

The Statesmen defense would hold Alfred on the ensuing possession, but the Saxons would return the favor, sacking SR QB Johnny Columbi for a 10-yard loss to the Statesmen 43- yard line. SR DB Chris Ntumba would recover the ball on the muffed punt return by Alfred, setting the offense back up at the Saxons 26-yard line.

Columbi would eventually call his own number and rush for the go-ahead TD with 1:52 remaining. You know the rest.

A couple of FY players had big contributions in the win as FY WR Johnny Harding would lead the team with four catches for 35 yards. FY WR Luke Hansen hauled in two passes for 40 yards as well.

SO DL Billy Brosko (a transfer from Drexel), helped the Hobart defense with seven tackles and two TFL. SR LB Jamien Bliss led the defense with eight stops and a TFL.

Up next for Hobart will be nationally ranked and defending ODAC Champions, Randolph-Macon College, who had a big 47-21 over Dickinson on Saturday. 

More on that one in the coming days. Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 1 - Alfred Game / Season and Home Opener Preview

The 130th season of Hobart College Football is set to get underway on Friday night, September 6th with a 7 PM kickoff against the Alfred University Saxons. This will be the 81st installment of this series that dates all the way back to 1902. Hobart has a 42-35-4 overall lead and has won the last 13-straight against their nearby Empire 8 foes.

The Saxons are coming off of a 4-6 season in 2023 and Alfred hasn't been an over-.500 team dating all the way back to 2018, when they went 7-4 overall. Last season Hobart jumped out to a commanding 24-0 lead before cruising to a 31-9 win over the Saxons. 

Scouting the Saxons

I don't believe the Empire 8 released a preseason poll like the Liberty League has, but they did produce a preview / overview for fans to read. 

Here are some of the highlights from the Alfred capsule:

• 70 players, including 16 starters return. 
• Senior linebacker and co-captain Joe Copp returns. He led the Empire 8 with 122 tackles (58 solo, 64 assisted) and was third nationally with 12.2 tackles per game to go along with 9.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks. Copp has 357 tackles in his collegiate career. 
• Four all-conference selections return in addition to Copp, including first team defensive lineman Danny Quinones, third team defensive back Adam Mietz and two-time All-E8 selection, running back Max Freeman IV and wide receiver Dion Anderson, on the offensive side. 
• Fellow upperclassmen Gavin Bartholomew, Carter Fronk, Tommy Welch, Roque Santiago, Luke Atlas, and TJ Marsh LB will look to play a greater role in 2024.

You can read more about the Empire 8 in their preview here. Alfred also published their own preview, which you can review here. 

So far, the Statesmen have scrimmaged both Brockport and Cortland, basically the top two teams in that conference. The results of those scrimmages, depending on how you look at them, can be somewhat concerning. The Hobart offense didn't score much, and one of the E8 coaches I texted with was complimentary of the defense, but basically said the offense needs more speed and a WR who can win 1:1, which isn't encouraging. 

That said I expect a defensive, lower scoring game on Friday night. 

Keys to the Game:

1. Win the LOS - The strength of the Hobart offense this year should be an experienced and big OL. Establishing a strong running game and moving the sticks on first and second down will be important. I expect the Saxons to stack the box and effectively dare the Statesmen to throw the ball, so some play-action and/or RPO calls could be helpful. 

2. Look for 88 - If the WRs still need time to develop, the return of SR TE Luke Hescock from injury could be a much-needed outlet for the Hobart passing attack. Standing 6' 5" and 230 lbs., Hescock is a big target that Alfred will struggle to match up well against. 

3. Do Your Thing on Defense - Since renewing this rivalry back in 2021, the Statesmen defense has only allowed 3, 6 and 9 points in the last three games against the Saxons. This stingy approach should help carry the Hobart offense as they form their identity and game plan. 

Prediction:

I think Hobart will see SR PK Tobias Wefering kick a few FGs, the defense will have some big plays and SO RB E.J. Taylor should find the end zone at least once, so I'll take the Statesmen to win this one, 23-10.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

The Hobart College Football 2024 Season Preview

The 130^th season of Hobart College Football is almost here!

The Statesmen are coming off an 8-3 overall 2023 campaign that had its share of ups and downs. With a number of Liberty League teams graduating a lot of key talent, an expanded 40-team NCAA playoff field and a favorable home “Boz” schedule, many Hobart fans are hopeful this is the year the Statesmen finally return to the top of the league and back into the playoffs.

The Statesmen have 38 lettermen returning along with a big (48 player) incoming recruiting class. I expect we will see a lot of familiar faces in key roles, with a few newcomers making contributions this 2024 season.

Let’s take a look at Team 130 starting off with what was the strength of the 2023 team, the:

DEFENSE

Hobart will have to replace around half of the defensive starters from last season after the graduations of DE Connor Gunn, DT Caleb Pulver, CB Abdoulaye Diallo, and SS Joe McCoy. JR CB Mekhi Rodgers opted to transfer out, moving closer to his hometown of Philadelphia and enrolling at Saint Francis University which is a NEC Division I program. We wish him the best. While not technically a transfer, Gunn decided to use his final year of eligibility as a GR player at Johns Hopkins. The defending Centennial Conference champions come into 2024 as the 8^th ranked team in the D3football.com preseason Top 25. Also opting out of his final year of eligibility was DE Alex Karpawich. He was a big contributor to the defense last year and will be missed.

Coming back will be a core group of outstanding players including SR LB Anthony Romano, SR LB Jamien Bliss, JR LB Mike McGhee, SR LB Cashon Young, SR LB Vincent Giordano and JR FS Alex Smith. The hard-hitting LB group accounted for 262 total tackles, 24 TFL, 7.5 sacks, and four INTs. Smith added 34 tackles as well as a TFL and INT in 2023.

Filling in for the Statesmen DL will likely be JR DE Dante Randle, who rotated in a good deal last year, as well as JR DL Nick Provenzano to take over at NT/DT. Three other DEs will be competing for the third and final DL starting role, so we’ll have to wait and see how preseason camp shakes out. One name to keep an eye out for is FY DL Bill Brosko.

In the secondary we should see SR DB Chris Ntumba take one of the starting CB roles. SO DB Zeshan Dixon is expected to compete for the other starting CB role with some incoming FY players. At safety, SR DB Zac Ambielli rotated in at FS last season, so he should be ready to replace McCoy as the starter here.

OFFENSE

The returning offensive starters include SR QB Johnny Colombi, SR OL Ethan Kowalski, JR OL Ashton Mejias, JR OL Ben Goodell, and JR OL Quinn Broggy. Coming back after missing 2023 due to injury is former starting SR TE Luke Hescock.

While the explosiveness and versatility of Rayshawn Boswell and Tim Denham, Jr. will be missed, Hobart is looking for “the next man” up to fill in their large shoes. SO RB E.J. Taylor (named the offensive rookie of the year by the team) was productive in a backup role last season, rushing for 333 yards and three TDs. He made three catches for 25 yards and one TD also. There could be a few others who get looks at the RB spot over the course of the season.

The RBs will benefit from an experienced OL that’s bringing back four starters. While it’s possible you could see some movement of the lineup with the graduation of former center Matt Seigel ‘24, I would expect these four players be the foundation of the team this season. Right now, it’s possible JR OL Quinn Broggy could take the center job, meaning there would be a competition for the fifth and final tackle spot on the OL.

Adding to the experience on the OL, is a strong TE corps that’s complimented not only by Hescock’s return but also strong and experienced players like JR TE Lukas Ruby, SR TE Kevin Christ and SR TE Ryan Hinman.

Going into preseason camp, the WR position is wide open. SR WR Rane Daramola opted to transfer out, so it will be SO WR Marcus Crowell and JR WR Ahmad Crowell returning with the most experience. Also in the mix will be SR WR Christian Donnelly, GR WR Benjamin Farrell, and JR WR Anthony Ruscetta looking to contribute. We could also see two to three incoming FY players step in quickly also. Overall, the WR group should be deeper and more competitive after these Statesmen get some more game experience.

I believe improving upon last season’s 1800-yard passing/receiving yards performance will be critical to Hobart’s success in 2024. Last year, the Statesmen ended up being ranked fifth in the LL (only Buffalo State and Saint Lawrence had lower yardage totals), and the Hobart’s 11 receiving TDs was sixth (second to last) in the league.

The Statesmen’s experience on the OL and a younger, and hopefully healthier RB group could pay dividends as Hobart has not broken the 2,000 yards rushing mark since the 2021 season.  

SPECIAL TEAMS

SR PK Tobias Wefering returns after a successful 2023 season where he led the LL in FG percentage (11-14 or 78.6%) and finished in second place with a 40.8 YPP net average, leading the LL with eight punts over 50 yards.

JR PK Vicente Lyons is back after missing the prior season. He was Hobart’s starting punter in 2022, averaging 37.53 YPP with a long of 73 yards and dropping 12 punts inside the opposition’s 20-yard line. 

I suspect we'll see a number of newer Statesmen audition take over the KO and PR duties now that Boswell and Denham, Jr. have graduated. GR WR Benjamin Farrell did have a team-high seven PRs and SO RB E.J. Taylor was second on the team with seven KORs in 2023. 

SCHEDULE

The Statesmen look to maintain their home field advantage at the “Boz” with a couple of critical league contests, as well as welcoming a new opponent to Geneva in 2024. Since HC Kevin DeWall ’00 took over the program, the Statesmen have had an impressive 21-2 record at home.

This year the Statesmen will open up under the lights at home against long-time Empire 8 and local rival, Alfred University on Friday night, September 6^th. Week 2 features a big matchup against the defending ODAC champions and national semifinalists, Randolph Macon. It will be one the longest road trips (425+ miles) the Statesmen have made in recent memory. Week 3 has Moravian University coming to Geneva for the first time ever, followed by another trip to Keystone College (PA) in Week 4.

Week 5 is the LL opener against Ithaca. The Bombers are enjoying a six-game winning streak over Hobart that dates back to 2017. A win against Ithaca in this game at home would go a long way for the confidence of the players and put Hobart in a great position to make it to the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Week 6 is a short road trip to Buffalo State followed by a Week 7 trip up to Canton, NY to take on Saint Lawrence. In Week 8 the Statesmen will welcome former QB Coach and OC Jon Drach, who’s the newly minted HC at Union. This is another big game, as it’s Hobart’s second oldest rivalry (this will be the 103^rd game in the series), with five of the last seven games have been decided by a TD or less. The Statesmen’s last home loss to the Dutchmen, now the “Garnet Chargers,” goes back all the way to 2008.

Week 9 presents another tough challenge as Hobart will travel to Troy, NY to take on the RPI Engineers in what could be a potential LL Championship game scenario. Week 10 will be a late bye week to help Hobart gear up for their Week 11, regular season finale and Senior Day against Rochester.

With a combination of focus, determination, and a little bit of health and luck, this Statesmen football squad has a great opportunity to return Hobart back into the national conversation and playoff picture. It will require stronger overall play from the offense, which has been hampered by inexperience and injuries in prior seasons, and the defense maintaining their aggressive, turnover-causing style with some great special teams play mixed in.

 I feel very confident that this could be a special season for the Statesmen, but as the old adage goes, they will just have to do their best to go 1-0 every week and see how it stacks up by November. It would be really nice to knock off some old rivals along the way. We will see.

 Thanks for reading and go ‘Bart!

Welcoming the Class of 2028 - Part X

Given the delays with FAFSA this admissions year, I'm not surprised to see a few late additions to the Hobart College Statesmen Class of 2028. This takes the class up to 49 student athletes which is the most I've seen in about a decade or more.

Here's the latest Statesmen tweeted out by HC Kevin DeWall '00 yesterday afternoon:

Another new Statesmen from the Sunshine state, The King's Academy (West Palm Beach) RB Marion Victor is a tough, down field runner who racked up over 1,300 rushing yards and 14 TDs his senior season. You can check out his highlight reel here. 

The second commitment out of Commack HS (NY), is a tall, rangy WR/DB Christian Baldi. Standing 6' 3" and weighing 200 lbs. I could see the coaches using Christian at FS or on the offensive side of the ball. You can check out his highlight reel here. 

A big DL with a low center of gravity, The Haverford School's Bill Brosko looks like he'll be a menace to opposing team's OLs, QBs and RBs. Standing 5' 11" and weighing 280 lbs., Brosko is a fire hydrant kind of NG that should fit in well with Hobart's 3-4 defensive scheme. You can see his highlights here. 

Another potential pass rusher / run stuffer is Stone Bridge HS (VA), DE/DL Maurice Brassell. Standing 6' 4" and weighing 225 lbs., Brassell is a big and athletic guy who can get to the QB/RB. You can check out his highlight reel here.

That should do it for now, but I'll post any more news as I hear it. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys a happy and safe 4th of July holiday! 

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Statesmen Captains Named for the 2024 Season

Hobart College Football HC Kevin DeWall '00 took to Twitter (or X) to announce the Statesmen captains for the 2024 season.

They are, pictured below from left-to-right, SR QB Johnny Columbi, SR LB Cashon Young, SR OL Ethan Kowalski, SR OLB Jamien Bliss, and SR LB Anthony Romano. 

Congratulations to these student athletes and team leaders!

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart! 

Welcoming the Class of 2028 - Part IX

Today we move up to 45 new recruits which is exciting, as it hasn't happened for quite some time now. 

Up first is a new Statesmen that attended my old team and roommate's alma mater, Westhill HS (NY). DE/TE Trey Dillabough is a big (6' 3" and 240 lbs.) pass rusher based on his highlight reel.

Out of the Brooks School (MA), Gabriel Nwobi is a tall (6' 3"), rangy DB who has sound technique and an eye for the football. You can check out his highlight reel here.

Another future Statesmen from nearby Irondequoit HS (NY) is Vincent Jiang, an OL/DL prospect, standing 6' 1" and 230 lbs. He looks like a sound blocker and run stuffer at the LOS. You can check out his highlight reel here.

After a lot of new faces, here's a familiar one hailing from Webster Thomas HS (NY). We met TE/DE Sean Meyers back in early March of this year.

Last but not least is a veritable "Swiss army knife" of an athlete in The Haverford School's (PA) RB/PK/LB Matt Brosko. He gained over 3,100 yards and scored 33 TDs in his 28-game varsity career. You can check out his highlight reel here.

Will we get to 50? That's a great question to have to ponder as we wait for another day of future Hobart College Statesmen commitment announcements. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Welcoming the Class of 2028 - Part VIII

Now this is getting the exciting with an incoming class of at least 40 new Hobart College Statesmen! I'll have to go back, but I'm pretty certain this is the largest recruiting class under HC Kevin DeWall '00 to date. 

Let's meet the next group:

Starting us off today is Irondequoit HS (NY) WR/DB Jordan Nolan. What he lacks in size (5' 7" 170 lbs.) he makes up in strength and speed, boasting a sub-4.4 40-yard dash number in his Hudl profile. You can check out his highlight reel here. 

Another nice get from a strong program, Boys Latin School (MD), FS/DB Tyrell Moore is an athletic student athlete with good field vision and play making ability. You can check out his highlight reel here.

Next is Haldane HS (NY) QB/DB Ryan Van Tassel. Time will tell if he'll end up in the QB group or in the secondary, but Ryan had a lot of success his SR season, passing for almost 600 yards and throwing seven passing TDs. He added another 600+ yards of rushing and nine TDs on the ground. You can check out his highlight reel here.

Somerville HS (NJ) OL/DL Braeden Kaye is likely going to end up on the defensive side of the ball. Standing 6' 2" and weighing 225 lbs., Braeden has quick feet and gets to the ball with the speed of a LB. We met him back in March.

A candidate for "best name", Cardinal Hayes HS (NY)'s DB Corey Rock will be the latest Hobart College Statesmen on the team from CHHS (Abdoulaye Diallo '24 and rising JR DL Denzel Silver being the others). You can check out his highlight reel here.

That's 40 so far. Will see if there any more recruits to talk about tomorrow.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart! 

Welcoming the Class of 2028 - Part VII

Now comes the "fun part" for me, as most of these new Hobart College Statesmen going forward are new players I haven't seen before on Twitter or otherwise. 

Starting us off today is Pioneer HS (NY) FS/WR Dalton Giboo. Unfortunately the only highlights I could find of him were from basketball, so he's clearly a strong multi-sport athlete. 

Not sure if Gonzaga College HS QB Aidan Conrath is the future leader of the Hobart offense, but he looked impressive when we first met him back in February. 

Whomever ends up the starting QB for the Class of 2028, there's a chance they will be getting the ball from St. Luke's School (CT) C Mark Dodaj. You can check out his highlight reel here. 

From Fort Lee HS (NJ), another new name is LB Kendry Peralta. He looks like a sound tackler with good field vision and closing speed. You can check out his highlight reel here. 

Out of McQuaid Jesuit HS (NY) is RB John Harding. He racked up almost 1,800 yards of offense his senior season and scored 23 TDs! You can check out his highlight reel here. 

That's it for this group. Will we get to 40+ new Statesmen? Time will tell.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart! 

Welcoming the Class of 2028 - Part VI

This next group takes us to 30 new Hobart College Football Statesmen.

Starting us of is a recruit I swear I've seen already, but I don't have a post on him, so maybe not. Sayville HS WR/DB Luke Hansen looks like a strong add to either the offense or defense. You can check out his highlight reel here.

Up next is a nice get from Deerfield Academy (MA), a school that Hobart doesn't get many students out of in recent years. We met Xavier back in February.

Another new recruit for the OL/DL is Emerson-Cresskill HS (NJ) Zack Adams. With imposing size (6' 5" and 280 lbs.), Zack is a nice get for Hobart. You can check out his highlight reel here. 

Tanner Bracchy is the second half of the "Dynamic Duo" Hobart recruited out of Delaware Academy HS (NY). 

Last but certainly not least, is Skyler Simon out of St. Paul's School in MD. Hobart usually doesn't get too many commits from the DMV, so this is a nice get for the Statesmen. Skyler looks like a potential KR, DB or WR based on his speed and ability to allude tacklers. You can see his highlight reel herehis highlight reel here. 

That's it for this latest group. More to come this week.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart! 

Welcoming the Class of 2028 - Part V

Let's keep it going with the next group from the Class of 2028.

We start off with a brand-new recruit out of the Hill School (PA). A WR/SS in HS, Tristan Reynolds is a strong student (3.9 GPA) who has good size (5' 11" and 190 lbs.) and speed (4.5 forty-yard dash). You can check out his highlight film here. 

Fairport HS two-sport athlete Jackson Rucker committed to play football and baseball at Hobart. We met him back in February. 

Another new recruit from my home state of Florida is Braedon Serna of Cardinal Gibbons HS (Fort Lauderdale area). Braedon is a big and strong LB (6' 2" and 215 lbs) and hard to stop when he blitzes the QB. You can check out his highlight reel here. 

From nearby (Syracuse area), Christian Brothers Academy's WR/FS Jason Brunson is another new recruit we haven't seen before. You can check out his highlight reel here. He looks like a good get for Hobart as a deep safety. 

Getting us up to 25 is another new recruit, Matthew Huliev from DePaul Catholic HS (NJ). He looks like another strong LB that'll fit well into Hobart's defensive system. You can check out his highlight reel here. 

That's it for today. Congratulations to the Class of 2024, who graduated today up in Geneva. May you all lead lives of consequence in your chosen life's pursuits!

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Welcoming the Class of 2028 - Part IV

We keep it going with this next extended group of future Hobart College Statesmen.

Up first is Germantown Academy's (PA) Anthony Lara. We met Anthony at the end of March. 

From nearby Jamesville-Dewitt HS is a recruit I haven't seen before, OL Hayden Fleet (great name btw). Hayden seems to be an athletic big guy, able to pull at the LOS and pave the way for his backfield. You can check out his highlights here. 

Tabor Academy's (MA) Perry Goodridge was the second Hobart recruit I reported on back in January. 

Up next is Bernards HS (NJ) DB Jaden Phillips. We met Jaden back in early March. 

The first of two Delaware Academy HS commits, we met Angelo Krzyston back in February.

So that's 20 new Statesmen as of today, with more to come.

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Welcoming the Class of 2028 - Part III

Here's the next five newly minted Hobart College Statesmen for the Class of 2028.

Starting us off is Lawrence Academy (MA)'s Sam Healey. We first met Sam back in January. 

From right under Union grad and Ballston Spa Mayor Frank Rossi's "nose", Hobart picked up a great student athlete and young man in Jacob Powell. He met him back in March. 

A new commit from my home state of Florida, is coming up to Hobart from Carrollwood Day HS in the Tampa area. Based on his film, it looks like Trent can make an impact at either interior DL/OL.

Another "Irish Linebacker" for the Statesmen is coming up to Hobart from Vestal HS in the form of Logan McNamara. We first met Logan back in March.

The second of two incoming student athletes from West Orange HS (NJ). we got to know Jake back in January.

That's it for today's round. More to come tomorrow. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!