November 3rd, 2023 8:00am
Week 10 of the NE10 Football D2 NE10 Conference has four games on the calendar. The game to watch is Assumption and Bentley as they are both looking to move up in the NE10 Conference standings.
NE10 GAME TO WATCH
Assumption 21 @ Bentley 17: Assumption is looking to bounce back from a loss at New Haven. Bentley has been an opportunistic program and is playing well in all three phases of the game. Bentley has found themselves in the hunt for the NE10 Conference and this is a big test for them. Assumption bounces back for a major win.
COACHES PROFILE (Lou Conte AIC):
Lou is in his first year with AIC in the NE10 Conference after coaching at the Citadel for the past seven seasons. Last year Coach Conte was the interim Head Coach at the Citadel. A native of Western, MA, Lou saw an opportunity to come home when the AIC job opened. He was excited about the chance to lead AIC and to get closer to his friends and family.
When asked about the season thus far, Lou was proud of the effort of his guys and said, “They really love football”. He was especially complimentary of his skill position players and standout Junior RB Sidiki Kone, who is arguably one of the best backs in the NE10. Lou said that in many of their losses, they were in several of their games early, but were unable to finish in the 3rd and fourth quarters. Special teams have been a concern this season and he knows they need to get better on specials if they want to compete at the highest level. A career triple option offensive player and coach, Coach Conte said AIC runs a version of the spread offense. Coach understands the importance of winning in the trenches and has made O-line and D-line recruiting a priority after the season.
Coach Conte came into the program with the plan to establish a culture of accountability. He is proud of how the boys have responded to his coaching style and how they understand his expectations for the program. AIC plays Post this week and Lou is looking for AIC to get a big win as the season winds down.
From my interview with Coach Conte, I was very impressed with his vision for the AIC football program. I expect them to become a top contender in the Conference in the very near future.
GAME PREDICTIONS
New Haven 35 @ Pace 10: New Haven is starting to play the football we expected them to play prior to the season beginning. Pace is a scrappy team, but New Haven’s depth and athleticism will be the difference in this one.
Post 7 @ AIC 28: RB Sidiki Kone will rush for over 150 yards this week and AIC will control the line of scrimmage.
Franklin Pierce 10 @ Saint Anselm 17: Saint Anselm has played solid football throughout the season. Their rushing defense has struggled as they have given up 126 yards per game on the ground. A 4-2 conference shows they are a football team that can win big games. Saint Anselm's offense will score at the end, and they will pull this one out.