In Bates’ season-ending 35-14 loss to Hamilton last week, a tie game at halftime turned into a three-touchdown deficit within the matter of one quarter.
It was an uncomfortably familiar turn of fate for the 2017 Bobcats.
“One of the things I mentioned to the team Monday in our last meeting is that there’s obviously highs and lows to every football game,” Bates coach Mark Harriman said, “and a mature team finds a way to overcome those times in the game when it gets away from you a little bit.
“That’s on everybody, that’s on me, that’s on the coaches and on the players. We got to do a better job making sure we’re in a position to battle through those — or the mentality to battle through those.”
Several games this season went from good, or at least manageable, to ugly in one quarter for the Bobcats (2-7), who finished eighth in the NESCAC.
Harriman reiterates that maturity — meaning, in this case, experience — was a factor.
“Part of it’s guys that have been there,” Harriman said.
Bates is losing 16 seniors to graduation, many who whom played valuable roles this and previous seasons.
But there also were several players, including many freshmen, who were also played valuable roles for the Bobcats in 2017. Those players experienced the tough times, and saw entire games flip on one bad quarter.
Next year, they will have a chance to learn from those lessons and rectify their shortcomings.
“If you look at the guys that had to step up and play more than we probably would have envisioned them playing … that’s a positive,” Harriman said. “When you’re going through it, it can be painful at times, but looking at the future, when you look at a year down the road, there’s huge advantages to what those guys went through this year.”
Even better for the Bobcats is that no position will be hit particularly hard by graduation.
That’s true even on the offensive line, which loses three players who started in Sean Lovett, Mike Cronin and Dylan Rasch. But Dan Marino, Jack O’Brien and others who saw significant action will return.
Freshman quarterback Brendan Costa, who seems to have earned a firm grasp on the starting job for the foreseeable future, will be back. As will Sandy Plashkes and Matt Golden, who also have experience starting under center.
Peter Boyer and Oak Hill graduate Kyle Flaherty will be back as the team’s top two divebacks. Golden also saw time there.
Exciting freshman Jaason Lopez will have an even bigger role as slotback, and Zach Doyon and Tyler Baum have experience there.
Marcus Ross will be back at receiver.
The defense has even more returners.
Tyler Harrington and Calvin Johnstone had their moments and defensive line this year, and should be in on more plays next year.
The linebacking corps will miss Max Breschi, but has several returners, including Bobby Dee, Jack Rega, Chase Fulton and Peter Daly.
The secondary will be loaded. Jon Lindgren had a phenomenal sophomore year, and Joe Frake was one of the team’s top defensive players. Freshman Devin Clyburn turned into a playmaker late in the season. There’s also Coy Candelario and Conner Suraci.
On special teams, kicker Grand DeWald and long snapper Luke MacDonald graduate, but punter Justin Foley will be back. Freshman kicker Karim Darwiche showed off a strong leg during halftime of the Bowdoin game.
Harriman said the biggest holes to fill will be the leadership roles of the seniors, including but not limited to Frank Williams, the team captain, Mickoy Nichol, Lovett and Rasch.
“From a leadership standpoint, those are going to be big shoes to fill,” Harriman said.
Though there were tough times this season, Harriman said the team’s enthusiasm never waned.
“Our guys every day came out and they were excited to be there,” he said, “and I think the effort that they put forth, that was never anything that we would have questioned. Those were things that were huge positives that I think the younger guys who are coming back, they can build upon.”
The loneliness of the long-distance runner
Both of Bates’ cross country teams were hopeful to receive at-large berths to this Saturday’s NCAA Division III championships after each ran to fifth-place finishes at last week’s New England regionals.
But, in the end, neither the 16th-ranked women nor the 21st-ranked men were so honored.
That means only one Bobcat, senior Katherine Cook, is heading to the Division III championships.
Cook, from South Burlington, Vermont, placed fourth at regionals. She can earn All-America status by finishing in the top 35 this Saturday in Elsah, Illinois.
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