The Colby College football team is young, with 46 players in either their first or second year with the Mules. Now that the season has started, head coach Jonathan Michaeles said the team can’t use youth as an excuse for any lack of execution.

“We’re young, but we’ve been practicing for 30 practices now, and we’ve got to grow up,” Michaeles said.

Trinity’s Paul McCarthy (32) breaks up a pass intended for Colby’s Mark Snyder last Saturday. The Mules return to action Saturday at Middlebury. Staff photo by Michael G. Seamans

Ben Lucas

Last week, the Mules opened the season with a 34-0 loss to Trinity. While some of Colby’s troubles in that game stemmed from Trinity’s talent, Michaeles said he’s looking for improvement in the areas the Mules can control, like playing with great tempo, fundamentals, and a stronger mental approach. Getting away from that helped lead to four turnovers.

“Playing the next play. We got down a couple scores, and people started to press. They tried to do more than what was asked of them,” Michaeles said. “We have to stay focused on what’s in front of us. Play the next play. That’s what we’re looking for.”

At Middlebury this week, Colby faces quarterback Matt Milano, last season’s New England Small College Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

“They’re an outstanding offense,” Michaeles said of Middlebury. “(Milano’s) just very efficient. He gets the ball out on time, and he’s decisive. We’ve got to do a good job keeping him a little bit uncomfortable, keeping him off balance. He’s good, and he doesn’t get frazzled, and that’s why he’s good.”

• • •

The college football career of Cony graduate Ben Lucas is on hold again. The quarterback who led the Rams to the 2013 Class B state championship and won the Fitzpatrick Trophy as the state’s top player that year had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. It’s the second shoulder surgery in as many years for Lucas, now a member of the football team at Wagner College.

“Same injury,” Lucas said via email. “Labrum was torn again.”

Lucas had the surgery earlier this week, and by his account, it went well.

“Surgery was successful,” Lucas wrote from his Twitter account on Tuesday.

Prior to his surgery, Lucas, a sophomore quarterback for the Seahawks, had not appeared in a game.

• • •

After two weeks without a game, Husson gets back on the field on Saturday in a big way, hosting Castleton in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference opener for both teams.

Coincidentally, both Husson (1-1) and Castleton (2-1) come into this game with a win over Alfred State. Castleton defeated Alfred State, 35-20, last week, while Husson beat Alfred State, 44-2, on Sept. 12.

Saturday’s game is homecoming at Husson, which is trying to become the first team to win the ECFC title in back-to-back seasons.

Husson’s defense has to focus on Castleton’s passing game, particularly wide reciver Soren Pelz-Walsh, who caught seven passes for 180 yards and three touchdowns last week for the Spartans. Castleton quarterback George Busharis has completed 68.1 percent of his passes (62-91) for 684 yards, with six touchdowns and three interceptions.

Led by sophomore running back John Smith (265 yards), the Eagles offense was ground-heavy in its first two games. Husson averages 222.5 yards per game rushing.

• • •

Lawrence grad Shaun Carroll had a strong game for Bates in last week’s season-opening 37-14 loss to Amherst. Carroll, a senior, ran for 107 yards on 13 carries, and had an 80-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, on the Bobcats’ first offensive play of the season.

Carroll and the Bobcats host Tufts on Saturday.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM

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