I will be previewing all of the NE-10 football teams over the next 10 days. I will roll out each team in my preseason poll from # 10 to # 1. The NE-10 will release the coaches preseason poll towards the end of August.

The season starts on September 5th when American International travels to face PSAC opponent East Stroudsburg.

Here is the my pick for # 3 in the league in 2013:

American International College Yellow Jackets (7-3, 7-1 NE-10)

Coach: Art Wilkins, 20th season (119-76)

Opening Game: September 5th @ East Stroudsburg

2013 Schedule

2012 Stats

American International was undefeated against teams that did not make the playoffs last year. The problem was that they played two teams that made the playoffs and lost three games to them. Twice to NE-10 champion New Haven and the opening game to Shepherd. Those losses kept them from playing in the postseason last year. This year, they are in a solid position to win those games.

The AIC offense is explosive and talented. Junior quarterback Kevin Arduino returns to run the multidimensional offense. He is a dual threat as he threw for nearly 1,700 yards and gained another 570 yards on the ground. Senior Terrell Williams will take the majority of the hand-offs and is looking to improve upon his 931 yards and seven touchdowns from 2012. Senior Matt Brown and junior Cal Brownridge will be the down field threats and both are capable of making big plays. Senior Viondy Merisma and junior George Grosz will anchor the always large and physical offensive line for the Yellow Jackets.

The defense allowed just 24.6 points per game last year and will need to continue their dominance for AIC to play for another NE-10 title. The strength of the defense is in the linebackers. Juniors Joel Bowen and Jaquawne Simpkins as well as sophomore Demetrius Steed form one of the top linebacking cores in the league. They are all fast and finish every tackle. Senior Justin Tervo will be the leader of the defensive line. The secondary was hit hard by graduation but there are always players ready to make a play for the Yellow Jackets.

Head coach Art Wilkins does not get the recognition for his work at AIC over the years. He recruits top quality players for a program that is always in the mix for the NE-10 title. This year will be no exception. He will motivate the team with the struggles down the stretch a year ago and hope to turn them into something much more positive this November.