With Saturday’s game against Wesleyan approaching, Colby College football coach Jonathan Michaeles was still deciding who will be his starting quarterback, freshman Jack O’Brien or junior Christian Sparacio.

“We’ve had good competition all week between both guys. I don’t know who’s going to start. Honestly, we’ve got to go back and look at film tonight and make a decision,” Michaeles said after Thursday’s practice.

Incumbent quarterback Gabe Harrington was injured in the season-opening win at Williams. O’Brien finished that game, and started last Saturday’s home opener against Middlebury. O’Brien completed 4 of 8 passes for 21 yards before Sparacio took over. Sparacio was 10 for 23 for 109 yards and a touchdown, but also threw two interceptions.

“Jack struggled a little bit early last week. Christian came in and gave us a little bit of a spark. They’ve been both on the same plane all week competing for the spot,” Michaeles said.

Michaeles added that Harrington’s status for the rest of the season is still up in the air.

“We’re prepared for the worst and hoping for the best,” Michaeles said.

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Husson cracked the top 10 in the latest New England Division III coaches poll. The Eagles are 3-1 since a season-opening loss to Alfred, which is ranked 25th in the nation in the latest D3football.com poll.

Husson is coming off a 33-12 win over SUNY-Maritime in its Eastern Collegiate Football Conference opener. It’s nothing but conference games the rest of the way for the Eagles, who host Gallaudet at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Husson running back John Smith earned ECFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his 164 yard, two touchdown effort against SUNY-Maritime. It was the 11th consecutive 100-yard game for Smith, a junior. Smith is ranked eighth in Division III in yards per game, averaging 156.7. The NCAA stats do not include Husson’s game against Dean, which has not yet joined the NCAA and is considered an exhibition for record-keeping purposes.

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With Hurricane Matthew approaching the East Coast, Madison native and Old Dominion head coach Bobby Wilder had this weekend’s home game against UMass moved up to Friday night. Kickoff will now be at 8 p.m. Friday, rather than Saturday.

Wilder and the Monarchs are 3-2, 2-0 in Conference USA play. Waterville native Brian Scott, like Wilder a former University of Maine quarterback, is Old Dominion’s assistant head coach/offensive coordinator.

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Bates senior captain Mark Upton, a linebacker, was named one of the 156 semifinalists for the National Football Foundation’s William V. Campbell Award for scholar athletes.

The National Football Foundation will announce the names of 12-14 finalists on Nov. 1. Each finalist will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, with one winner earning a $25,000 scholarship. A Political Science major and Rhetoric minor, Upton has a 3.56 grade point average and has been named to the Dean’s List three times.

On the field, Upton’s senior season is off to a strong start. Upton was named New England Small College Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his 17 tackle effort in a 12-7 loss to Tufts. Through two games, Upton is second in the league in tackles, with 29.

Bates (0-2) hosts Williams (0-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM

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