Plymouth State returning to roots
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Once, one of the proudest of Division III programs, the Plymouth State Panthers had fallen on very hard times of late. The NCAA and ECAC playoff appearances and unbeaten seasons have been distant memories as the Panthers endured a 9-39 record from 2002 through 2006, including two straight 0-10 seasons.
But the program that landed record-breaking running back Joe Dudek on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1985 and helped propel coach Don Brown to the University of Massachusetts is back.
When the Panthers defeated Endicott 28-17, it pushed their record to 5-0 and 3-0 in the New England Football Conference's Boyd Division where they have a showdown at home with Nichols College on Saturday.
Yes, the glory days are back.
PSU has clinched its first winning season since 2001 when they went 7-3 and won the Freedom Football Conference title.
A good credit for the resurgence has to go to athletic director John Clark and his staff for landing the Panthers in the NEFC after the Freedom disbanded. During years as an independent, the Panthers had to piece together a schedule that included the likes of William Paterson, Southern Connecticut and Bentley.
Clark said the coaches, students and players who stuck with the program during those lean non-conference years where losses were numerous, travel extensive and the schedule grueling are the "unsung heroes."
 John DeMarco has thrown seven touchdowns and two interceptions. |
"We have an outstanding head coach (Paul Castonia) and he was always on a very even keel.
"They always kept their heads up. No matter will ever remember who they were but I have the greatest admiration for them. We were playing the best Division II and III teams in New England. Those were tough times and they never gave up."
This is Plymouth's second season back in the NEFC.
It is Castonia's fifth season and the progress has been steady. The Panthers went 0-10 when he arrived in 2002. They won a game in 2004 and then there was measurable progress with 4-6 and 4-5 seasons.
This season has been a great ride so far and the campus and community can be excited again with the Bison coming to town for the matchup of teams unbeaten in the Boyd Division.
"Everyone is very excited. It's wonderful to be in a conference," Clark said. "Playing Nichols is huge for us."
Plymouth was in the NEFC before the advent of the Freedom Football Conference and Castonia appreciates both the more sensible geographic layout of the conference as well as rekindling the old rivalries.
"It's a lot easier on the kids not getting on the bus to go to New Jersey and Buffalo all the time," Castonia said. "And it's great playing schools that Plymouth has a history with 10 and 20 years ago.
"It's a competitive conference. There are no easy games."
The Panthers stayed unbeaten with a balanced attack. Quarterback John DeMarco has thrown for seven scores and ran for seven. Jeff Mack has picked up 628 yards and also has seven touchdowns and Brandon Clough has rushed for 422 yards and five scores.
"Some guys have really stepped up," Castonia said.
"I didn't think we were that far away last year. But we were sloppy with the ball. This year we are taking care of the ball and causing some turnovers. That's been the difference."
Getting to know you
When the New York Maritime Privateers pay a visit to Husson in Bangor, Maine, on Saturday, it will be a matchup of future conference opponents. The Eagles and Privateers will be charter members of a new football conference in 2009, the North Atlantic Conference. That conference will also include Gallaudet, Becker, Mount Ida and Norwich.
Castleton State in Vermont is weighing adding football and should reach a decision sometime in 2007. It's no secret that president David Wolk wants the sport very badly and the ball appears to be in the hands of the Board of Trustees. Castleton would become the seventh member of this new conference.
Husson the move
This is Husson's fifth year of football and the Eagles tapped the right guy to marshal the program along when they picked Maine high school coaching legend Gabby Price to lead the new program. Last year the Eagles were 6-4 and they are 4-2 going into this weekend. Price had a high school record of 129-52.
Coast to coast
You could tell Middlebury coach Bob Ritter didn't want to let on that freshman Donald McKillop was the leading candidate for the quarterback position this summer. There were plenty of candidates and he wanted to keep it open. But it was hard for Ritter to conceal his excitement about the kid from Poway, Calif.
His long trip to the East Coast is looking to be a great decision for McKillop and the Panthers. Middlebury is 3-0 and McKillop was named New England Small College Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for his performance in the 19-16 win over Amherst.
McKillop was 15-of-34 for 168 yards and did not suffer an interception.
NESCAC unbeatens
The other 3-0 teams in the NESCAC are Trinity and Tufts and Trinity has been doing it through the air. Eric McGrath already has 10 touchdown passes. Williams' Patrick Lucey is next in the conference with eight.
The big game
The NESCAC has its own answer to the NEFC's showdown between Nichols and Plymouth as Trinity and Tufts are putting their unbeaten records on the line against one another. Kickoff in Medford, Mass., is 1:30 p.m. Trinity's Tyler Berry has been a wrecking crew. He is tied for the conference lead in tackles with 40 and in sacks with 2.5.
On the other side of the ball, the Bantams feature McGrath with his 10 TD passes and Joe Clark who is averaging 97.3 receiving yards per game. Tufts boasts NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week in Tom Tassinari. He returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown last week, forced and recovered a fumble and made eight tackles, including 12 of the solo variety. Tassinari leads the NESCAC in interceptions with four.
The showdown in the foothills of the White Mountains is equally as attractive.
"Nichols is the best team we will have played," Castonia said. "They have a lot of weapons.
"And they took it to us last year even though it was only a five-point game."
One of those weapons is Robert Morris from Melbourne, Fla. He has already piled up 727 yards rushing for the Bison (4-1 overall) and has six touchdowns. Anthony Pillari is far and away the leading receiver with 22 catches.