Making a Jumbo-size effort
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The latter scenario was what Tufts faced during the 2000 season. A 4-4 mark in 1999 was giving way to debilitating injuries and a five-game losing streak to end last season.
Though the Jumbos had enjoyed periodic success over the years — including three undefeated seasons in 125 years and a 7-1 record in 1998 — they were not known a perennial NESCAC power. Any effort to salvage the immediate future would have to come from within.
And that's exactly where it's come from.
"We still have a lot of things to improve upon if we're going compete with Williams and Amherst,'' said Samko. "But at least we've put ourselves in the position to be where we are. That was the first step. Now the next step is getting ready for Williams.''
In this era of high-tech offenses and specialization, the Jumbos are something of a throwback team. They love to run the football (59 of their 72 first downs have come on the ground) and they average only 59 yards per game in the air. Their offensive line, led by 300-pound co-captain Mike Willey (pictured), is the focus of the offense, and they also rely heavily on their special teams to supplement the offense and defense.
More from the old-time football department: Not only does senior Howie Rock handle the placekicking duties, he also punts and plays defensive back. Though he missed a PAT kick against Trinity, his 26-yard field goal late in the first half proved to be the difference.Running back Keven Kelley, 238 pounds and bigger than all but two Trinity defenders, used his mammoth offensive line to rush for a career-high 214 yards on 37 carries. He didn't break down, either. Kelley carried on 10 of the Jumbos' 14 plays in the final period.
"The offensive line was exceptional,'' Kelley said. "On every play they got me a push, 2, 3, 4 yards and let me go from there.''
"That's where we've made tremendous strides since last season," said Samko. "Our guys did a great job of getting bigger and stronger during the winter. Not just the line, but everyone. Kelley is a horse. And the line…well, they are big. Mike Willey benched 465 pounds during spring testing and did 12 pull-ups at 300 pounds."
The Tufts defense, which has allowed just 19 points over the last three weeks, stood its ground at the end of the Trinity game, bending slightly but never breaking.
Though a punt by Rock pinned Trinity back at its own 5-yard line with 3:18 to play, Trinity quarterback Greg Ward helped the Bantams escape. Ward completed seven of 13 passes and ran for 7 yards himself, moving the ball to the Tufts' 35 with 1:27 remaining.
But Tufts defensive end Reid Palmer intercepted Ward on the next play at the 30, halting the 65-yard drive to preserve the win and set up the battle of 4-0 unbeatens Saturday at Williams' Weston Field.
"It really goes back to what went on last season," said Samko. "Aside from three offensive linemen, every one of our guys on offense missed at least one game because of injuries, some a lot more. They could have put their tails between their legs and felt sorry for themselves and quit, but the dedicated themselves to finishing the season as strongly as they could, and getting better for this season. That's what you're seeing right now."
BEARISH ON COAST GUARD: Though the outcome was disappointing, the turnout was not. For Coast Guard's pivotal Freedom Conference game at Western Connecticut last Saturday, the Bears were backed by two rabid busloads of fans, all of whom cheered and hollered to the very end in Coast Guard's heart-breaking 18-15 loss.
"The corps of cadets make a difference at the Academy and they were a big factor in us playing down to the wire with one of the best teams in the country," said coach Bill George. "They were screaming and yelling the whole game and we all appreciate all they do to support this football team."
Coast Guard (2-3, 1-2) had lost its previous two games to Western Connecticut by a combined 101 points. This time, it took Andy Benicewicz's fourth field goal of the game with eight seconds remaining in regulation for the Colonials to win it.
"This is a step in the right direction,'' said George. "I'm so pleased with our defense and our defensive backs. (Western) had so much more speed than we do and to hold them to 18 points and one touchdown is amazing. The defense is the heart of this team.''
Coast Guard rallied from deficits of 12-0 and 15-7 to tie the game at 15 with 3:19 left in the third quarter. But Western Connecticut (5-0, 3-0) controlled the fourth quarter, running 21 of the 31 plays from scrimmage. A Western offense that has struggled throughout most of the season drove 55 yards in six plays to set up the game-winning field goal for Benicewicz.
Mike Forest tied a Western record with 10 pass receptions.
"It was a great effort by our defense and by our entire team,'' said Coast Guard's senior defensive end, Lyle Kessler. "But it would have felt a lot better if we had won. To come this far and lose feels awful.''
OKSANISH SETS MARK: His name is unusual and difficult to forget. His accomplishments aren't soon to be forgotten, either.
A 9-yard touchdown pass from Cean Oksanish to Kevin Gnidek with 2:31 to go in the first quarter gave Oksanish, the Worcester State quarterback, the school record for TD passes in a season with 23, and helped seal another win for the Lancers.
Worcester (7-0, 5-0 NEFC Bogan Division) rolled up 613 yards total offense last Saturday in its 56-7 rout of Framingham State.
The old Worcester record for touchdown passes in a season was 20, shared by Jeff Caputo (1996) and Dan Hanson (1997).
The Lancers registered three touchdowns and a safety in the first quarter. They then scored five more touchdowns and allowed Framingham (1-4, 1-3) only eight first downs.
Oksanish, who has a Ukrainian father and Irish mother, finished with 292 yards and four touchdowns on 17-for-25 passing.
Marty Bottari led the ground game with 96 yards on 15 carries. Kevin Gniadek led the receivers in yardage with 133 yards on four catches, but Jeremy Frisch led in receptions, taking in six for 74 yards. Frisch also blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.
PLYMOUTH GETS EVEN: With the help of a first-half, goal-line stand and an ensuing touchdown drive, Plymouth overcame a 7-3 deficit and beat Springfield for the first time since 1997, 9-7.
The turning point came with 3:13 left in the first half, when substitute placekicker Steve Kosciukiewicz missed a 20-yard field goal for Springfield. Kosciukiewicz had only joined the team Wednesday after regular kicker Greg Switaj became ill.
Springfield had reached the Plymouth 1 on third down on the drive, but was stopped.
PSC took over at its own 20 and drove the length of the field in nine plays, with Matt Simpson throwing to Shaun Spaulding for the go-ahead score 42 seconds before halftime.
Though running back Russ Massahos was limited to just 76 yards rushing, Simpson went 12-for-25 with 174 yards and one TD.
“There was a lot of pressure,” Massahos told the Manchester Union-Leader.
“We were trying to keep Springfield’s offense off the field. It seemed like everything we wanted to do they knew. They (Springfield) were calling it out before the play even started. They knew when we were running. They knew when were passing. They’re defense played a heck of a game today. It could have gone either way . . . they made it hard for us to move the ball.”
The Plymouth defense, led by Chris Kelleher, Mike Pelletier and Bob Maylone, did the same to Springfield.
POINTS OF INTEREST: Now that Springfield and Norwich have formally announced their intentions to leave the FFC after 2003, commissioner Steve Bamford can concentrate his efforts on trying to reshape what remains of the 10-year-old conference.
Earlier this year, Coast Guard, Kings Point and WPI announced that they're jumping to the UCAA for 2004; Springfield and Norwich are headed for the Empire 8. Buffalo State, Brockport, Mount Ida, Wesley, Frostburg, Salisbury and Newport News are among those interested in joining forces with FFC holdovers Plymouth and Western Connecticut. New Jersey City, Kean and William Paterson may also be looking for a new home if the NJAC, as rumored, disbands for football.
Safety Scott Farley, the son of Williams coach Dick Farley, returned a punt 63 yards for a third-quarter touchdown, kicked a 26-yard field goal and had two extra-point kicks in the Ephs' 23-3 win against Middlebury. He also led the Williams defense with seven tackles.
Norwich snapped its three-game losing streak with a 45-6 win against Mount Ida. Norwich (2-5, 0-4) hadn't won since beating St. John Fisher Sept. 15. "It’s a huge morale booster,” Norwich coach Mike Yesalonia told the Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus. “If we can keep getting better, and keep moving on, we’ll be OK.''
Bates tailback Sean Atkins rushed for 270 yards against Wesleyan last Saturday but his team lost by 42-16 after Wesleyan proved to be far more diversified on offense.
"When we throw the ball and spread it around, it opens up holes for the runners," said Wesleyan's Young Douglas told the Hartford Courant. "(Atkins) is a great back, but when we get it going and are hitting from all over like that, we're mighty tough to stop."
Wesleyan, 3-1 and a game behind Amherst, Tufts and Williams, faces Amherst this week.
RPI's Dan Cole was named UCAA Offensive Player of the Week. A sophomore quarterback, Cole helped the Engineers remain undefeated (4-0 overall, 2-0 UCAA) with a 32-29 win against 10th-ranked Union in the annual Dutchman Shoes’ Trophy game Saturday. Cole completed 14 of 29 passes for 112 yards with three touchdowns (4, 9, 10) and no interceptions.