Upset

Many people didn't see Assumption falling last Saturday except for a team from Waltham wearing white shirts and black helmets. Bentley came into the fire and calmly accepted the challenge and downed the number 12 team in the country 35-31.

Once again, it was the freshman combo of Stephen Sturm and Austin Ryan that excelled for the Falcons. They hooked up eight times for 284 yards and four scores to knock off the previously undefeated Greyhounds.

Ryan had touchdown catches from 2,60, 63 and the game winner from 50 yards away with 1:34 left in the game. It was quite the game again for Ryan as his big play capability was on full display as his quickness and ability to break tackles showed once again.

Assumption had a chance late to drive for the winning margin but an interception by Jack Scordato sealed the victory for Bentley. It also sealed a winning record for the Falcons as they finish the season 6-4 overall and 6-3 in the NE-10.

For Assumption, it is not the end of the season. They were selected to play in the Division II playoffs. They are the third seed in SR1 and will host California this weekend. It is the third consecutive season that they are playing extra games.

Upset, Part II

Merrimack stepped onto the blue turf of New Haven and defeated the Chargers 31-21 for the second consecutive time. The Warriors trailed going into the fourth quarter before scoring 14 unanswered points to win the game.

The running game was on full display for Merrimack as they gained 205 yards. Derrick Villard was the workhorse again with 101 yards and two scores. He scored early in the fourth quarter to take the lead and Cam Hayes took a short field possession for another score to cement the victory.

Merrimack finishes the season 4-6 overall and 4-5 in the NE-10. New Haven wraps the season at 6-4, 5-4 in the NE-10.

Family Bond

LIU Post defeated St. Anselm 45-7 to win their fifth straight game but the story was the father-son bond on the sideline. Both hugged each other after the game and did not want the season to end.

Head coach Bryan Collins has coached his son Tyler for the past five years and it has been a great experience for both of them. Tyler was a wide receiver who saw limited time over his career for the Pioneers.

"It is awesome," the elder Collins said of coaching Tyler. "To be able to see him grow and mature into the man he is, I am very proud of him. It has been a gift."

Tyler has been part of this program for years before he was able to wear the uniform. He came to the games as a little kid and made lasting memories.

"It has been great," the younger Collins said. "It has been the best five years of my life. I don't want it to end. I have coming to the games since I was a little kid. I was really close with a lot of these guys. It means so much to me. It is a dream come true."

Collins joked that most of the players did not realize that Tyler was related to him when he arrived on campus for team meetings.

"It is very tough to be the coaches' son," the elder Collins said. "His first year here for the first three weeks, people didn't even know that he was my son."

Coach Collins missed a lot of games of Tyler when he was in high school as schedules conflicted. He wished that he saw him more but very happy that they were able to reconnect on the football field at Post.

Congratulations to Coach Collins and Tyler on a successful journey.

Four in A Row

Southern Connecticut continued their second half resurgence with a 34-0 victory over Pace last Saturday. It was the fourth straight victory for the Owls as they finish the year at .500.

Quarterback Ray Catapano was again solid for SCSU as he tossed two touchdowns, ran for another and was a big part of the 455 yards of total offense.

But the story of the day was the defense. They allowed Pace just 82 yards and limited rushing leader Jhalen Bien-Aime to just three yards on four carries. It was the type of defensive performance that the Owls craved in the first half of the season.

It was a streaking season for Southern Connecticut. After starting 1-1, they lost four straight games before winning the last four. The hopes were higher as the season opened but they finished strong.

Southern Connecticut finishes at 5-5, 5-4 in the NE-10 while Pace fell to 3-7, 2-7 NE-10.

First Time

There is a first time for everything. Stonehill finally got the monkey off their back as they defeated American International 38-27. It was the first time in 22 tries that they defeated the Yellow Jackets.

Once again, it was the Matt Foltz and Andrew Jamiel show with a dash of Brian Kearns, Jr. The quarterback and receiver hooked up 11 times for 123 yards and a score. Kearns, Jr. had 90 yards and two scores. And the Skyhawk defense picked off three passes to help erase an early deficit.

Stonehill finished the season 6-4 overall and 5-4 in the NE-10. American International finished 2-8 and 2-7 in the NE-10.

Preseason Thoughts

Remember August! It was a bit warmer than it is right now. I gave you my preseason predictions and once again, I can say that I was off.

I thought that Assumption and Post would be the top players in the league. I juggled who was going to be the top dog and eventually settled on Post. The teams finished a game apart so I was kind of right.

The middle pack of teams was slightly flip flopped from what I thought. I had Bentley at six in the preseason and they finished third. New Haven and Southern Connecticut finish tied for fourth with Stonehill as I had them third through fifth in the preseason.

The bottom half of the league was close but slightly off. Merrimack emerged from my ninth-place prediction to finish seventh. Pace was supposed to be last but surprised everyone to finish in a tie for eighth. American International and St. Anselm were picked to be seventh and eighth but finished in a tie for eighth and last, respectively.

So the preseason predictions mean nothing once again. I figured that Bentley was going to struggled offensively but they were one of the best offenses over the second half of the season. I figured that the same for Merrimack but they had their moments this year including a near upset of Bryant. Southern Connecticut was supposed to compete for the title but a 1-4 start doomed that for them. They did rebound nicely in the second half.

We have a clear three tier system in the NE-10. We have teams always competing for the title, teams that are one or two games away from competing for the title and teams on the bottom half of the league. The fun thing is that the teams seem to move up and down each year and even during the season. Who would have thought Pace would have been 3-2 in September?

This league continues to get better every season. Exciting players are making their mark on this league and it is a good thing for all the teams. More and more fans are going to games and seeing an improved brand of football. That is exactly what the league is looking for.

Can't wait for 2018 but we have more football in 2017 as the playoffs are here.