Statesmen Win 13th Straight Over Saxons, 31-9

The Hobart College Statesmen ran away with their 2023 season opener in convincing fashion, outrushing their hosts, the Alfred University Saxons, by a 217-57-yard margin. 

SR RB Rayshawn Boswell led Hobart (1-0) with 96 rushing yards and 2 TDs. SR RB Tim Denham, Jr. added 76 yards and 1 TD also. For those doing the math at home, this dynamic duo totaled 32 carries for 172 yards and 3 TDs. They also combined for 4 receptions for 38 yards (1/3 of Hobart's total receiving yards on the night) as well. 

Those impressive numbers confirmed it was a solid debut for the new Statesmen OL (SR OL Matt Siegel at C, SR Ethan Kowalski and SO OL Ben Goodell at G and SO OLs Quinn Broggy and Ashton Meijas at OT). They got over their 1st quarter jitters of allowing one sack and getting flagged for a personal foul (the first of many on the night, but the rest were on the defense), but finished strong, helping Hobart outgain Alfred (0-1) by a 331-269 total yard margin.

JR QB Johnny Columbi started off really well and was 10-14 early in the game. He cooled off however and ended the day 13-26 for 114 passing yards and 1 INT. FY QB Tru Styles got some action late in the game, but he did not attempt a pass.

SR DB Abdoulaye Diallo added a 44-yard "scoop and score" TD for the defense. He would later be disqualified from the game however on another one of Hobart's unbelievable 10 penalties for -124 yards on the night. The Statesmen were the most penalized team in the LL last season (flagged 84 times for -711 yards) and they achieved nearly 18% of that number in this first game. To be fair, this officiating crew was flag happy - they threw 8 on Alfred for -70 yards. But still, something's got to change here. The worst part is now Diallo will need to sit out for at least the first half against Morrisville next weekend.

The Statesmen also struggled on third downs, going a mediocre 4-14, but they made up for it with nearly 35 minutes of TOP and converting 4-5 red zone trips. 

JR PK Tobias Wefering went 1-2 on FGs, was a perfect 4-4 on PATs, while averaging an impressive 63 yards on KOs and 34.3 yards on 3 punts.

The Hobart defense was led by JR LB Peterson Monexant, who surprisingly didn't start the game, but still finished the night with a team high 10 total tackles. He added 1.5 TFL and sacks and forced a fumble. JR DB Chris Ntumba and SR DB Joe McCoy added 1 INT a piece.

Hobart will host SUNY-Morrisville next Saturday at Boswell Field. The Mustangs will debut tomorrow against Kean University in New Jersey. 

That's it for now. It wasn't pretty, but it's still a win. I was actually pretty close on my prediction (off by 2 points), which was interesting, but probably just luck. 

Hopefully the Statesmen can learn from the film and play a cleaner game against a much stronger Morrisville squad next Saturday in Geneva.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Week 1 - Alfred Game / Season Opener Preview

The Hobart College Statesmen will travel to nearby Alfred, NY to take on the Saxons for the third consecutive season opener against their Empire 8 rivals. This Friday night game will be the 80th edition of the series that dates back to the 1902 season.

Hobart leads the overall rivalry with a 41-35-4 record, mostly due to the fact that the Statesmen have bested the Saxons for 12 straight games, dating all the way back to the 1996 season. While Hobart fans should be confident going into this one (Logan Hansen's "Ratings" predictive model gives the Statesmen an 88% chance to win), but it should be noted that Alfred has a winning record against Hobart at home - 18-16-2 - and they'll be debuting in their upgraded turf field at Yunevich Stadium.

Last season the Statesmen defeated the Saxons, 36-6, thanks to a strong aerial attack that racked up 258 passing yards and 4 pass TDs. This is a new season; however, and with a new QB and OL, Hobart may need to pivot to the run game. 

Both squads lost some key players to graduation, but Alfred does return a few key components from last year's 2-8 team. SR LB Joe Copp and JR RB Max Freeman IV will lead the defense and offense, respectively. They earned first team All-E8 honors last year. Copp was also a second team All-Region selection by D3football.com. 

The Saxons also bring back second team All-E8 GR WR Jacob Kelsey, SR DL Danny Quinones, SR LB/P Zach Johnson and SR DL Tyreek Ormil. Kelsey, Copp and Quinones are team co-captains along with GR DB Amir Massey and GR OL Parker Evans.

Based on the roster, barring any surprises from preseason camp, my guess is Hobart can expect to see now SO QB Chris Kelly leading the offense. He started against the Statesmen last year, going 16-27 for 142 pass yards. He would later lose / share the starting job to SO QB Zuke Smith, but Smith doesn't appear to be back this season. 

On special teams, the Statesmen will have to wait and see who the Saxons have this year. Last season's FY PK Ian Barbini doesn't appear to have come back. FY PKs Owen Bishop and Dominic Bronco are the current players on the roster, other than Johnson, who are kickers. 

Keys to the Game:

1. Copps & Blockers - Maybe Coach DeWall will surprise me, but I would suspect Hobart to lean into the running game Friday night. The OL will need to account for Alfred's best defensive player in Copp, who's a big (6'0 240 lbs.) run stuffer who is aided by an experienced DL. I could see the Statesmen use some lead blockers or otherwise look for opportunities to isolate Copp and run to daylight in the other direction. I'd also like to see some roll outs and play action that can take advantage of JR QB Johnny Columbi's athleticism. A few early completions can build his confidence and perhaps set up a longer shot downfield to JR WR Rane Daramola, who had a 28-yd TD catch against the Saxons last season.

2. Sack the Saxons - Hobart's defense returns most of last season's excellent unit, so I would expect them to be aggressive and pressure the Alfred offense into third and longs as well as a turnover or two. I'll be closely watching the DL, which is the group that has the newest starters, as well as our deep safeties. 

3. Win and Go Home - Lucky 13 (in a row) will be the number for the Statesmen to focus on, as going 1-0 is really the goal for Week 1. The Saxons will be a tough test, especially on their home field, but the Statesmen should have enough talent to head back to Geneva with a victory.

Prediction:

I suspect the game will be low scoring to start much like last year, but Hobart will pull away in the second half. I'll take the Statesmen to win 31-7. 

Just like the rest of you, I'll be looking forward to watching the game on Friday night. Excited for the season to be here. Thanks for reading as always and go 'Bart!

Hobart College Football 2023 Preseason Preview

The 129th season of Hobart College Football will kick off on Friday night, September 1st. It will be the fifth season under HC Kevin DeWall ’00 (given the 2020 COVID year), who’s led the Statesmen to a 30-12 mark since returning to Geneva. Last year Hobart struggled with inexperience and injuries at key positions, dropping to a 7-4 overall record with a 35-18 loss to Washington & Jefferson in the ECAC Bushnell Bowl. Talent wise, the Statesmen had a roster that could have gone 9-1 in the regular season but couldn’t close out a couple of games on the road due to turnovers and mistakes in key situations.

Over the past several years, the Liberty League has elevated to one of the Top 5 best conferences in D3FB, and larger institutions in the league have taken advantage of the COVID 5th year provisions to bolster their rosters. Hobart has been in the mix every year but hasn’t won the LL championship dating back to the 2016 season, which is also the last time the Statesmen qualified for the NCAA playoffs.

Conference realignments across the East and other regions have negatively impacted Hobart and the LL also, mostly due to not being selected to pair up for OOC scheduling with or like the NJAC/Centennial, Empire 8/Landmark, and PAC (which added Allegheny so now they can’t play OOC games). Due to that, LL teams had to be creative in scheduling their 3-4 OOC games this season. We will see some marquee matchups, but also some duds (more on that later), prior to LL play.

I suspect Hobart will be selected to finish 3rd in the LL preseason coaches’ poll, which is where they have averaged the past four seasons. Can the Statesmen take the next step? Time will tell.

Here’s a first look at Team 129:

(OFFENSE)

Hobart will debut a new starting QB in 2023. JR QB Johnny Columbi is the likely heir apparent, but he’ll be challenged by some talented incoming players. Columbi had a fair second season in 2022, gaining 386 total yards over seven games, scoring a passing and rushing TD.

Whomever plays QB will be reliant on what will be a retooled OL. Hobart will need to replace four starters from this group. I wouldn’t be surprised if SR OL Ethan Kowalski is moved inside to center, leaving his tackle spot open for a competition between players such as SO OL Quinn Broggy and SR Matt Siegel. SO OL Ashton Mejias got into the rotation, and even started a handful of games as a FY, and will compete for a starting role, at tackle or guard. The rest will need to be decided in preseason camp. Needless to say, how this group evolves will have a huge impact on the Statesmen's season.

The Statesmen will welcome back one of the strongest 1-2 punches in the nation with the return of SR RBs Rayshawn Boswell and Tim Denham, Jr. Both guys saw a decline in their production from the 2021 season, mostly due to injuries. Keeping these two healthy is a key priority for Hobart’s success in 2023. Denham, Jr is currently ranked as the sixth best active RB in the nation (based on total rushing yards), which is pretty impressive.

At WR, the Statesmen welcome back JR WR Rane Daramola who emerged as one of Hobart’s top receiving threats in 2022. He led the team with 18 catches for 404 yards and 4 TDs. SR WRs Chris Bartosec and Peyton Cayea also return giving this group added depth and experience. 

Hobart will need to find a new starter at TE and apparently four players competed in spring practice for this role and the starter will be a Week 1 decision. What should help this group is the addition of former two-time captain and starting TE Mike Zaccone '22 who will be the TE position coach this season. 

(DEFENSE)

This younger unit in 2022 ended up being the strength of the team with several outstanding performances from a deep and talented LB corps. JR LB Anthony Romano earned 1st team All-Liberty League and 2nd team D3football.com All-Region awards. He led the Statesmen with 88 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks and 2 INTs last season. Also back are JR LB Peterson Monexant, SR LB Drew Walsh, and team co-captain JR LB Jamien Bliss. JR LB Cashon Young and SO LB Mike McGee gives this group added depth. 

On the DL, JR DE Alex Karpovich returns after a breakout 2022 season where he earned 1st team All-LL honors. He led the Statesmen with 11 TFL and four sacks. SR DEs Connor Gunn and Joel Kraft will compete for the other DE starting job. In the middle, three players, SR DL Caleb Pulver, SO DL Denzel Silver, and SO DL Nick Provenzano will compete for the starting NT role. 

The Statesmen will need to replace both starting safeties, but have experienced players like SR DB Joe McCoy, SO Alex Smith, and JR DB Zac Ambielli returning. Both starting CBs – SR DB James Mahoney and SR DB Abdoulaye Diallo – also return. Should either struggle or become injured, both JR DB Chris Ntumba and SO DB Mekhi Rodgers will be ready for action. Overall, 8 starters with several experienced veterans return to this unit, which should once again keep Hobart in tight games, particularly in LL play later in the season.

(SPECIAL TEAMS)

JR PK Tobias Wefering returns and added into the mix will be FY PK Luke Monteyne. The Statesmen will have the dangerous duo of Boswell and Denham, Jr. available for the return game, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some newer faces getting an opportunity here given all the talent on the roster.

(SCHEDULE)

Long-time Hobart fans know the Statesmen have a particular home field advantage when it comes to gameday at the “Boz”. Hobart is 18-2 since the 2018 season at home under Coach DeWall ’00 and as scheduling “luck” would have it, will get to play six home games in 2023: Week 2 vs. Morrisville, Week 4 vs. Keystone, Weeks 6 & 7 vs. Buffalo State and Hilbert and Weeks 9 & 10 vs. Saint Lawrence and RPI. 

It’s been a while since the Engineers and Hobart played this late in the season, and I’m expecting it’ll be a game with LL championship and postseason implications. On the flip side, the Statesmen will have some challenging road trips, but they are spread out, starting with Week 1 at Alfred, Week 5 at Ithaca (who of course gets their bye in Week 4 before this game), Week 8 at Union and Week 11 at Rochester.

Ithaca begins the season ranked #9 in the D3football.com preseason Top 25 and the defending LL champions are the team to beat again this season. The Statesmen had a scrimmage yesterday against the Empire 8 defending champions, Cortland, which will be a good measuring stick for Hobart heading into the Week 1 game against the Saxons.

(SUMMARY)

With more unknowns than we’ve seen going into a season for a while, it’s hard to gauge expectations for Team 129. The scheduling realignments in Region 2 has forced Hobart to take a couple of games they normally would have preferred to avoid (due to SOS considerations) but could be a blessing in disguise. For a younger offensive squad looking to establish its identity, particularly early in the season and down the literal “home stretch” with the RPI looming in Week 10, this schedule has some benefits.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart! 

Orchard Park's Ciesielski Selects Statesmen

In the better late than never category, we happily welcome Orchard Park HS SR OL Alex Ciesielski who just announced on Twitter that he's "decided that I should finally announce my commitment to Hobart Football, thank you everyone who led me here."

Ciesielski was sought after, receiving offers from colleges like Grove City, Allegheny, and W&J. Based on his timeline it looks like he did campus visits to Catholic and SLU also. While a little undersized at 250 lbs. I'm certain the S&C staff (and Cam's) will help him bulk up fast.

His highlight reel can be viewed here.

Please join me in welcoming Alex and the extended Ciesielski family to the Hobart Football one!

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Statesmen Name Captains for 2023 Season

HC Kevin DeWall '00 took to twitter once again to make an important announcement regarding three Hobart players who've been named team captains for the 2023 season. 

SR DB Abdoulaye Diallo, SR RB Tim Denham, Jr. and SR LB Jaimen Bliss earned this honor with their selfless play and leadership.

From the Bronx, NY Diallo has been an Arthur Ash and All-Liberty League academic scholar award winner over the past couple of seasons. Last year, he totaled 15 tackles and an INT, leading the Statesmen with 8 PBUs.

From Syracuse, Denham battled through injuries last season but still rushed for nearly 800 yards and scored 12 TDs, which was second best for any individual player in the LL. I had a front row seat in the season finale, as I watched from the sideline and end zone as Tim rushed for 175 yards and a TD in the Centennial Cup game last November. 

From Solvay, Bliss is a standout among Hobart's talented LB corps. In 2023 he tallied 46 tackles, 9 TFL, three sacks, and 2 FF. He was a standout in the Statesmen's big win over Union, recording 8 tackles, 2TFL, and 1.5 sacks.

Congratulations to this strong trio of Statesmen!

81 days until kickoff (but who's counting ;)

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Hobart Gets 11 Statesmen on the NFF Hampshire Award Society!

It's June!

We're slowly creeping to the start of the 2023 season, now 92 days away from kickoff against the Alfred University Saxons on Friday night, September 1st.

While this news was reported back in April, it bears repeating since these 11 Statesmen tied the all-time program record for this honor society.

Certainly, a lot of hard work is happening off the field and, in the classroom, up in Geneva. Congratulations to all these honorees!

Go 'Bart!

Class of 2027 - Recruiting Roundup (For Now)

May 1st has come and gone, and while it's very likely that there will be a handful of other additions to the Class of 2027, it looks for now 30 new Statesmen is where we stand. This is a smaller class than in past years but keep in mind the whole COVID extra year of eligibility rule will basically ensure five classes of players per program for the next couple of seasons.  

Here's a recap from a high level, then positional perspective (with a few of my notes and opinions thrown in for some additional color commentary):

So far, the Class of '27 comes from eight different states including NY (11), MA (5), NJ (5), CT (4), NH (2), OH, GA, and AL. The NYS group is broken up into the usual local Central/Western NY kids as well as "Strong Island" contingent we've seen for many years now. I'm kind of surprised we didn't get at least one player from PA, but we'll have to wait and see if there are any late additions over the coming weeks / months. 

Based on my initial impressions I view this strong class as being broken out as follows (and should note this is complete conjecture on my part as the coaching staff will ultimately decide which positions these players are best suited to play):

4 LBs (mix of ILB and OLBs)
3 DBs (1 CB, 1 SS, 1 FS)
6 DL (1-2 interior and 3-4 edge rushers)
3 RB (really talented group that we could see spelling #1 & #2 here and there)
2 PK (will be in the conversation for KO/P/PAT/FG duty competition)
3 QB (one guy stands out to me, but time will tell)
4 OL (another strong group with a NEPSAC lean)
2 TE (couple of interesting athletes here, one that reminds me of Mike Berkowitz '15)
3 WR (mix of possession and deep threats that will have to compete for time given depth here)

While time will tell which of these incoming Statesmen will have the biggest impact on the 2023 season, I can assure you that HC Kevin DeWall '00 believes that Hobart will need at least a handful of these players to begin contributing right away. 

On the offensive side of the ball, there will be 3 starting roles open on the OL based on last year's roster. This to me is of critical importance, as last season's OL play dropped off from the 2021 season, in my opinion. To be fair, some of that was due to injuries at RB and an inexperienced WR group which made Hobart's offense less explosive. The OL excelled in pass blocking, allowing only 10 sacks in 11 games, but there was a noticeable drop in rushing totals (156.9 YPG and 23 TDs last season vs. 237.2 YPG and 36 TDs in 21). There will be a new starter at the TE position and given the athleticism of some of these new recruits, we could see one or more of these guys getting a shot sooner than later. 

Defensively Hobart will need to replace a couple of starting DL (NG and DE) as well as two key DB roles. The LB corps was the best unit on the field during the 22 season and most, if not all, of these key players return. I think this why you'll likely see more newcomers on the offensive side of the ball, but the defense will rotate in younger guys per usual, so we'll have to keep an eye on these up and comers. 

All in all, the future looks bright for the Hobart College Football program. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!