More 2019 Schedule Releases Underway

The Hobart College Statesmen (aka Team 126) were one of the first D3FB programs to release their 2019 schedule, but some of the opposition has finally taken to social media and elsewhere to do the same. As previously covered in this blog, the 2019 Hobart slate is one of the toughest in the East Region if not the nation - following on the heels of the 2018 one earning the #1 SOS ranking in the nation.

Looking at some of Hobart's 2019 opponents, they don't seem to be taking quite as difficult a path, but let's break down three of the Statesmen's top foes - Brockport, RPI and Union - and how their 2019 schedules shake out:

Brockport Golden Eagles

The Golden Eagles were a mainstay in the Top 5 for pretty much the entire 2018 season but came up short of expectations in a 21-13 loss to RPI in the second round of the NCAA playoffs. My ITH co-host Frank Rossi and I learned after the fact that the loss shook up things between rising SR QB Joe Germinierio and the team, and it appears as though Joe is no longer on the roster. While this definitely impacts the Golden Eagles, this is still a program that has won 24 games in the past two seasons. With four of five OL starters, JR RB Justin Morrison coming be back from injury and national DC of the year Mike Fox also returning, the cupboard is hardly bare. Given HC Mangone's recruiting prowess, you can expect Brockport to end up in the preseason Top 25 - probably in the 11-15 range - going into 2019.

What's interesting about the Brockport schedule is the addition of and a rematch against Framingham State - who earned a NCAA berth via the MASCAC Pool A bid. The Eagles beat the Rams 40-27 in the first round of the playoffs in what may have been a more lopsided game than the final score indicated. Still, FSU is arguably the best NE program as far as overall talent, size and speed goes.

After Week 2, you could say things lighten up considerably for Brockport facing four teams that combined for only seven wins in 2018 (Fisher had the best mark at 3-6), then getting a bye in Week 7. Things get more challenging with games against Utica (2018 ECAC bowl winner), Cortland (the E8 runner up) and Alfred between Weeks 8-10. The Week 11 finale against Morrisville State could be one where they rest up for the playoffs, but that will really be determined how the Cortland and Alfred games go. I could see the Red Dragons as a potential spoiler to Brockport for the E8 crown this season (they almost were in 2018 too).

I'd rate the Brockport schedule as moderately easy, especially compared to 2018. The Statesmen have a big opportunity to avenge last season's opening debacle and put the East on notice, if they beat the Golden Eagles in Week 1.

RPI Engineers

The defending LL champion Engineers will enjoy six home games (which seems to be a common theme for LL teams given shifts in other conferences) this fall and face a pretty easy OOC schedule also. While Allegheny did improve to a 6-4 record in 2018, their HC is now at Bowdoin so the Gators may face an uphill battle in 2019. WPI had a down year in 2018 and while Utica gave RPI a scare last season, the Engineers will once again be the favorite in this game, especially at the ECAV. The Week 6 match up vs. Hobart looms as a huge game for both teams, especially given the fact that the Engineers have had Hobart's number of late, but the Statesmen did best RPI 30-0 in Geneva back in 2017.

What's tough for RPI is two of their LL rival games against the Statesmen and Union Dutchmen are both on the road. The Engineers will have home field against Ithaca in Week 10 - a game many may view as the de facto LL championship game (unless of course Hobart has something to say about it).

The key road games on the back half of the schedule make RPI's 2019 slate more of a moderate one - tougher than Brockport's schedule, but not by much. I'll be interested to see if this group of Engineers - who like the Golden Eagles will come into 2019 ranked in the preseason Top 25 - can keep finding ways to win close games like they did last season?

Union College Dutchmen

Union opens 2019 with three straight opponents from New England, so it's likely the Dutchmen will enter the Week 5 LL opener vs. Hobart (with an extra week to prepare no less), 3-0. The Statesmen will have run a brutal four week gauntlet prior to the game in Schenectady, so a coming up with a win there would be a huge get for Hobart, especially with RPI the following week. Like RPI and Hobart, the Dutchmen also enjoy a six home game slate, their longest road trip being to Buffalo State in Week 8.

The Union schedule is mostly back heavy, with games against Ithaca, Utica and RPI in Weeks 9-11. Fortunately for the Dutchmen, most of their rivalry / tougher games are at home. The one exception is having to go to Ithaca in Week 9. Honestly this looks like a 6-4 or 7-3 season once again for the Dutchmen. That being the case, I'd rate Union's schedule similar to Brockport's, moderately easy.

Speaking of Ithaca, as of this posting, their 2019 schedule has yet to be revealed, but we can glean the following from the above:

They will likely open up with St. Vincent again (in PA, as IC hosted in 2018), but won't face Brockport in Week 2 like they did in 2018. We know they'll play SJFC at home in Week 4 after the Cardinals posted their new schedule earlier this week.

That said, the back end of the Bombers 2019 schedule looks like:

Week 7 vs. Hobart
Week 8 - likely bye (Statesmen also have same bye week)
Week 9 vs. Union
Week 10 @ RPI
Week 11 @ Metlife Stadium vs. Cortland (looking to break the D3FB game attendance record)

which is pretty tough also, but they do have the advantage of hosting Hobart and Union (is this the year the Statesmen finally break the Butterfield curse / streak?). Assuming IC keeps teams like Alfred from the E8 on their 2019 slate, the Bombers will be in a similar boat with Hobart, as far as SOS goes.

I will post any more schedule and recruiting news as it comes in. If you're looking for some more off-season D3FB coverage, please check out Frank and my latest ITH update which was posted a couple of days ago.

Thanks again as always for reading (hard to believe we're creeping towards 250k views) and go 'Bart!

Presidents, Bubbles, Lions and Huns, Oh My!

Yesterday the HWS and Geneva community welcomed Dr. Joyce P. Jacobsen as the 29th president of Hobart and the 18th of William Smith Colleges. Currently serving as the Provost and SVP for Academic Affairs of Wesleyan University (CT), Jacobsen will officially take over for interim President Pat McGuire on July 1st. While the delayed start may mean we won't have a new Hobart Athletic Director until after football season, Dr. Jacobsen's appointment establishes a sound leader at the top of HWS for years to come. Her academic credentials are second to none, which should appease an entitled and vocal faculty while her training as an economist will be handy after some financial mismanagement of the annual budget and endowment investing at the tail end of the Gearan regime.

The official news release can be seen here.

One of my former Hobart class and teammates, current SAA director and all around solid guy, Dave "Gibby" Gibbons '94 reports that the new indoor facility is up and looks impressive. I am proud to be one of several alums who contributed (and still am btw) to getting this building on campus.

Here are some shots he took from the outside and inside of the "bubble":

In other news, Brandon Shed '18 has reportedly signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. According to Matt Baker (no relation ;), Shed was one of three new "internationals" to sign with the club. 

A link to the article can be seen here.

The CFL preseason opens over Memorial Day weekend and the regular season lasts throughout the summer months and into the fall. The Lions play an 18 week regular season schedule which will hopefully culminate in an appearance in the Grey Cup Championship game, which is slated for November 24th at 6:00 PM ET. I'll have more news on Brandon's work towards a roster spot in the coming months.

Last, but definitely not least, I'd like to extend a welcome to SR FS/SS from the Hun School of Princeton, Blake Hansen to Hobart. The rangy safety signed with the Statesmen after gaining admission via Early Decision. At 6'2" 180 lbs, Hansen showed good coverage and football smarts in his highlight reel. He has a nose for the football and is a sound tackler with a good burst and technique at the point of attack. 

Well, that's a wrap for now. Will post more recruiting and other news as it comes up. Thanks again for reading and go 'Bart!

PS - if you're looking for an AAF team to follow, I'm a new fan of the Orlando Apollos. Hey, the Orange and Blue uniforms kind of go with Hobart colors you know ;)

Lake Brantley's Cecere Commits to Statesmen

The Class of 2023 (wow I feel old ;) is starting to come in and the first commitment comes from my home city of Orlando, FL of all places! While I've yet to meet Cade Cecere, an OL/DE from Lake Brantley HS, I am happy to have come across his Twitter feed where he made the announcement.

Cecere was the LBHS Varsity Football Captain earning All District, First Team All Conference and 2nd Team All Sentinel Varsity awards during his SR season. While a bit undersized at 6' 240 lbs, as far as Coach DeWall's usual OLmen go, I am sure Coach Gray will bulk him up. Not only a strong football player, Cecere is a star in the classroom, sporting a 3.8 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society.

Congratulations on your admission to Hobart. I'll look forward to following your Statesmen career from your "backyard".

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Shed's Search Continues

The AAF announced their 52-man rosters across their 8 team league yesterday. It was a close call, but unfortunately former D3football.com and Hobart College All-American WR Brandon Shed '18 wasn't one of the players selected.

The San Antonio Commanders, the team that Shed was invited to compete in camp by, ultimately elected to stick with a  primarily Texas and Midwest-only WR corps. In fact, across the entire AAF, only 3 of the 416 available roster spots went to former D3FB players (which I am honestly surprised by, but maybe shouldn't be given the NFL's bias against small school players in general).

These players are:

• DB Dwayne Hollis of NC Wesleyan to the Atlanta Legends
• WR Donteea Dye from Heidelberg (OH, same conference as Mount Union) - a former teammate of Ali Marpet '15 on the Buccaneers - by the Orlando Apollos
• DE Jake Payne of Shenandoah (VA), who was coached by Scott Yoder '01, by the Birmingham Iron

According to local San Antonio blog 210football.com, former Syracuse and Dallas Cowboy great, now GM of the Commanders, Daryl Johnston said "some of the toughest roster decisions were at receiver."

While Brandon's dream of playing professional football remains temporarily on hold, it's possible he could be claimed by another AAF team at any point. After close calls in Minneapolis (with the Vikings) and most recently with San Antonio, the third time should be the charm for one of our favorite Statesmen.

Keep grinding Brandon!

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Statesmen Post 2019 Slate (and it's REALLY good)

The Hobart College Football team announced it's 2019 regular season schedule today and it's one of the best I've seen in over 25 years of following Statesmen football!

It's a full 10-game slate with some old and new out-of-conference foes, as well as the usual Liberty League ones - with one new addition.

Let's break it down:

Week 1 - 9/7/19 - Home and season opener vs. Brockport 

The Golden Eagles (11-1) were upset in the NCAA playoffs by LL Champions RPI (10-2) and will lose a huge amount of it's top-ranked defensive players to graduation. SR QB Joe Germiniero is back however, so this will be a highly-anticipated game for both teams. Brockport will likely be ranked in most preseason Top 25 polls.

Week 2 - 9/14/19 @ SUNY-Morrisville 

The Mustangs finished with a respectable 6-5 season, including a 4-3 mark in the always competitive Empire 8. They earned an ECAC bowl berth against Grove City of the Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC), but lost in a 56-48 shootout.

Week 3 - 9/21/19 vs. Rowan

So I may have had a hand in this game getting on the schedule after I interviewed Rowan HC Jay Accorsi on ITH and texted HC Kevin DeWall '00 about Rowan's open dates directly thereafter. To be fair, the NJAC lost two teams (Frostburg to D2 and Southern VA to the ODAC), so this could have happened regardless. Even though the Profs had an up and down year finishing 6-4, they are a huge add to the 2019 Hobart schedule. This will be a very closely watched East Region OOC battle.

Week 4 - 9/28/19 - Homecoming & Family Weekend vs. Montclair State

One of the surprise teams of 2018, the Red Hawks were 10 points away from being undefeated NJAC Champions. They almost cracked the NCAA bracket (and probably should have been in) as an at-large selection. This will be another tough test for the Statesmen prior to shifting into LL play.

Week 5 - 10/5/19 @ Union

Union will be looking for redemption after losing 29-28 to the Statesmen in 2018. The Dutchmen found new QB, RB and WR stars for their team but are graduating a lot of defense.

Week 6 - 10/12/19 vs. RPI

The Statesmen have struggled with the Engineers of late and it's likely RPI enter 2019 as a Top 25 ranked team and rated as the LL favorites. The Statesmen have lost three straight to the Engineers and are 3-5 against them this decade (Hobart won three in a row between the 2012-14 seasons). A win here would be big.

Week 7 - 10/19/19 @ Ithaca

Hobart will look to break another losing streak on the road against the Bombers. It's been well documented that the Statesmen have never won at Butterfield Stadium. This is the last in a brutal gauntlet of games against teams that finished with winning records last season.

Week 8 - 10/26/19

The bye week.

Week 9 - 11/2/19 vs. SLU

Hobart's home stretch for the regular season starts with Saint Lawrence. The Saints were a young team in 2018 and will be bringing back a lot of talent like the Statesmen.

Week 10 - 11/9/19 vs. Buffalo State

Long time preseason scrimmage opponent Buff State has joined the LL as an affiliate member. Long time HC Jerry Boyes retired after a disappointing 1-9 2018 campaign. Christian Ozolins is the interim HC but provides continuity having been on staff since 2003.

Week 11 - 11/16/19 vs. UofR

The Centennial Cup is back as the regular season finale again. HC Chad Martinovich '94 also endured a 1-9 campaign in 2018, but should start showing signs of improvement with his first recruiting class coming in for 2019.

Summary

Six home games, two against NJAC teams means this is one of the most competitive schedules you'll see in the East Region. While this isn't a surprise to some Hobart fans after they finished with the #1 SOS in the nation in 2018, it'll be one of the most demanding slates the Statesmen have faced in some time. I can't wait to see how the team tackles this challenge after returning so many young players who had significant starting / playing time in 2018. 

Exciting times are ahead for Hobart Football fans and family.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Shed in San Antonio Commanders Preseason Camp

The NCAA season is over and the NFL is winding down, but football won't end in February. The new upstart Alliance of American Football (or AAF) will be kicking off nationally televised games the Saturday after the Super Bowl.

One of the hundreds of hopeful AAF stars is Hobart grad and former D3football.com All-American WR Brandon Shed '18.

Shed, who's one of three former D3FB players on the current roster (others attended Wesley and Berry Colleges in DE and GA, respectively) will be competing with a number of former D1 and NFL caliber players. So far so good as Brandon has flashed in camp and was cited in a recent article by 210football.com, which has been covering the team. You can follow Brandon and the AAF on Twitter, Instagram and elsewhere to stay up to date. Rosters will be cut down from about 70-5 to just over 50, similar to what you see in the NFL regular season.

I know all of the Statesmen out there will be hoping to see #15 make the cut and be seen on the nationally televised broadcasts next month and through April. The AAF has some rule changes to make it a bit different from the NFL (e.g., no kickoffs, ball is placed at the 25; no PATs, only 2-PT conversions allowed after a TD, etc).

Good luck Brandon and go 'Bart!

Hackett Earns Another All-American Honor

SO PK Kyle Hackett became the first player at his position in Hobart College Football history to earn All-American honors. He was named to the AFCA 2nd team and earned Honorable Mention honors from D3football.com.

Hobart's press release has more information on the AFCA honor, which was announced on Monday, December 10. Hackett and SR TE Matthew Woods were named to the D3football.com All-Region teams the week before. The D3football.com All-American team was announced this Friday afternoon prior to the Stagg Bowl, D3FB's National Championship game.

The Statesmen coaching staff continues to be on the road recruiting and should start releasing names of incoming recruits in the spring of 2019. Hopefully we'll have some updates on the 2019 schedule in the coming months as well.

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season and New Year!

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!