D3football.com: Around the Northeast

Games to watch in 2008

A seven time Vermont sportswriter of the year, Tom Haley has been with the Rutland Herald since 1987. He was inducted into the Castleton State College Hall of Fame in 2004 and received the Contributor to Football Award from the National Football Foundation's Vermont Chapter.
Previous columns
Nov. 18 Curry's prayers answered on Sunday
Nov. 11 Golden memories from region's final full week
Nov. 4 Other NEFC spot still up for grabs
Oct. 28 CBB is a special slice of Maine
Oct. 21 NEFC's big game is here
Oct. 14 Trinity finds ways to win with offense
Oct. 6 Where running still matters
Sep. 29 Mount Ida, Becker, look forward to new league
Sep. 23 Bridgewater State found a new challenge
Sep. 15 Salve's work beginning to pay off
Sep. 8 Success breeding itself at Curry
Sep. 2 Games to watch in 2008

Posted Sep. 2, 2008
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Some of the games in New England are guaranteed to be worthy of your time year in and year out. But when last year started, who would have thought that Western New England would pull one of the biggest upsets of the entire Division III football season?

With that in mind, here's the 10 games to watch for the upcoming season.

Sept. 6, Western New England at Hartwick
WNEC is anxious for redemption after a deceiving 3-7 record. The three wins were over quality teams with winning records, including one over NCAA tournament team Hartwick. Needless to say, Hartwick will be ready.

Sept. 20, 1 p.m., Bowdoin at Middlebury
The Panthers begin defense of their 2007 New England Small College Athletic Conference championship by hosting Bowdoin.

Sept. 27, 1 p.m., Husson at American International
Husson coach Gabby Price has built a formidable program in a few short years. This game against a quality Division II program will be a measure of just how far the Eagles have come.

Oct. 4, noon, Curry at Salve Regina
Curry is the gold standard in the New England Football Conference. It’s been a long time since the Colonels have lost a league game. The Seahawks aren’t ready to challenge them yet, but coaches throughout the conference say no coaching staff has hit the recruiting trail harder than the one at Salve Regina. This will be the Seahawks chance to gauge their progress.

Oct. 11, 1:30 p.m., Middlebury at Williams
Middlebury is not the Ephs’ biggest rival but Williams is Middlebury’s biggest rival. And if the Panthers are to repeat, there is a good chance the road must run through Williamstown, Mass.

Oct. 18, 1 p.m., Coast Guard at Bridgewater State
Just as Curry has ruled the roost in the NEFC’s Boyd Division, Coast Guard has had its way in the Bogan Division of the conference. But coaches are saying that Bridgewater State is loaded this season. This one could be for supremacy of the Bogan.

Oct. 25, noon, Gallaudet at Husson
This is the southernmost school in the North Atlantic Conference that adds football in 2009 against the northernmost school in the new league. Both can’t wait to be in a conference and this is a harbinger of that day.

Oct. 25, 1 p.m., Curry at Plymouth State
The Panthers try to avenge their only loss of last season against a Curry team that was unbeaten during the regular campaign and won its first NCAA playoff game. The Panthers would love to be playing in the NCAA playoffs as opposed to the ECAC bowl game they won last year. It all might be attached to this game.

Nov. 1, 12:30 p.m., Wesleyan at Williams
The NESCAC prides itself on tradition and any Little Three Game involving Williams, Wesleyan or Amherst is a special part of that.

Nov. 8, noon, Williams at Amherst
This is the one everyone waits for: “The Biggest Little Game in America.” It has been a stop on ESPN’s GameDay, the only Division III venue the show has made part of its itinerary and 10,000 fans sometimes find their way to this event, the longest standing rivalry in Division III football.