NE10 Week Eight Thoughts

October 25th, 2021 3:00am

NE10 Week Eight Thoughts

Domination

It was supposed to be a good game between a couple of teams at the top of the standings in the NE10.  It turned into a rout early as New Haven easily defeated Stonehill 42-20.  The Chargers stayed undefeated in league play and just plain dominated the game.

It started with their special team’s unit.  Giye Jenkins blasted through the Stonehill punt team and blocked a punt that teammate Kasi Hazzard scooped up and dove into the end zone for the first points of the game.  It was just the start of the New Haven attack.

“I thought we did a real good job in all three phases of the game,” New Haven coach Chris Pincince said.  “Special teams picked us up by flipping the field with those two punt blocks.”

Jenkins blocked his second punt of the early in the third quarter.  Once again, he went untouched through the Stonehill line and blocked the punt, setting up a short field for the offense.

It was also about the New Haven defense.  Despite final stats that looked very balanced, Stonehill gained most of their yards once the game was out of reach.  The Charger defensive line of Khalim Cisse, Michael Montecalvo, and Hunter Addison controlled the line of scrimmage and just never allowed any space for the Stonehill running game.

“The defense did a wonderful job and our kids played very hard,” Pincince said.

The offense that took over as they scored the next 35 straight points to completely take control of the game.  Connor Degenhardt threw for three scores and ran for another two as the Chargers never let off the gas pedal in the game.

“We have a two-deep worth of guys that can play in this league,” Pincince said.  “That will help us out later in the year.”

For Stonehill, it was a frustrating day.  They just never were in the game and seemed outmatched all day long.  They had high hopes to make a run at the league title but this loss along with the Bentley one will most likely keep them out of the running.

“We had the momentum early and then we shoot ourselves in the foot and kudos to them,” Stonehill coach Eli Gardner said.  “We were trying to get that pendulum to swing back for us but most of the mistakes seemed self-inflicted.”

“Obviously, they are a good football team but when you play good football teams in big games, you can’t give them anything,” Gardner continued.

With the win, Pincince now is the winningest coach in program history.  It is the 48th victory of his career with the Chargers as he passed Mark Whipple to take over the top spot.  It is a huge accomplishment for Pincince as the program has had a lot of success over the years and he etches his name officially in the record books.

“It just means that I stuck around, to be honest for all of the kids and coaches that I brought here,” Pincince said.  “It just means that I decided to stay.”

New Haven will host Assumption this Saturday in another huge game in helping to decide the league champ.  Stonehill hits the road as they head to Pace.

Running Away

It looked like it was going to be a long season in Worcester after Assumption lost late at Stonehill in Week Four.  They were 1-3 overall and 1-1 in the league. 

But after a 42-21 victory over American International, the Greyhounds have won three in a row including two straight one-sided victories.  Khaleed Exum-Strong was again a big reason why the Greyhounds were able to walk off the field happy.

He rushed for 110 yards and scored three touchdowns.  Fellow backfield mate Berrell Neal also crossed the century mark with 106 yards and a 50-yard touchdown run. 

The defense has allowed 21 points in the last two wins after holding Franklin Pierce scoreless in overtime.  They have picked the right time of the year to play their best football and now they face a tough test.

Assumption is on the road this weekend at New Haven with the winner in the driver’s seat for a league title and a shot at Bentley.

Defense

Usually, when St. Anselm wins a game, it is because their offense puts up incredible numbers.  But in the 24-16 victory over Pace, it was their defense that was the difference in the game.

The Hawks allowed just 27 yards on the ground.  They also recorded 13 tackles for a loss including six sacks.  Five quarterback hurries also led to an interception for the defense as they were on their game the entire afternoon.

The offensive side of the ball was once again the Texas duo of Drew Willoughby and Anthony Brown.  The teammates hooked up for seven catches for 122 yards and two scores.  They are electric when they are in sync and other teams have trouble keeping them in check.

St. Anselm is at home again this weekend as they will host American International.

Rare Feat

Southern Connecticut has been an up and down team in 2021.  They seem to play well one week and then are not able to excel the next.  Last Saturday afternoon was a good day as they defeated Franklin Pierce 43-24 to even their record at 4-4 overall and 3-3 in the NE10.

The offense was led by Tylon Papallo.  He found the end zone four times, twice on the ground, once through the air, and then passed for one as well.  Each of his scores capped long drives by the offense that amassed 494 yards in the game.

Papallo is the first player in school history to run, pass, and receive a touchdown in a game.

Southern Connecticut has the weekend off.

Big Game, Part II

We had a huge matchup last weekend that turned one-sided very quickly.  And this weekend, we have another huge game on the schedule.

Assumption travels to New Haven for a game that leaves the winner in a great position to battle Bentley for the league title.  The Greyhounds are 4-1 in the league while the Chargers are unblemished with a 5-0 record. 

They have played a lot of huge games over the years including in 2019 when New Haven won a 34-33 game.  Or the 2015 NE10 championship game that Assumption won 17-14. 

Assumption has been one of the few NE10 teams that have defeated and even own a winning record against New Haven.  It is usually a game that is circled early in the season as it is always a key matchup for both schools to measure their success. 

Let’s hope for a more competitive game than last weekend’s game of the week.