Husson begins its final season of Eastern Collegiate Football Conference play this weekend, on the road at SUNY-Maritime. Winner of the ECFC title three of the last four seasons, Husson will play in the Commonwealth Coast Conference beginning next season.
The Eagles (1-2) carry a 15-game conference win streak into Saturday’s game. Husson’s last conference loss came Nov. 7, 2015 in a 20-17 loss to Norwich. The Cadets have since left the league for the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference.
The biggest question facing Husson entering the season was how the Eagles would replace running back John Smith. An All-American and semifinalist for the Gagliardi Trophy, awarded annually to the top football player in NCAA Division III, Smith led the nation in rushing yards last season with 2,242 and 31 touchdowns.
Replacing that production with one player is difficult, but in freshman Solomon Hassen, Husson may have found Smith’s successor.
In three games, Hassen has 452 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Hassen’s 150.7 rushing yards per game is 11th best in the nation. The freshman ran for 245 yards in Husson’s 47-7 win at the University of New England. He followed up with 121 yards in a 31-28 loss to Western New England.
Gardiner Area High School graduate Kaleb Caron, a sophomore linebacker, has 11 tackles for the Eagles. Devin Pickett, a junior kicker and Messalonskee grad, is 10 for 10 on extra point tries.
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A large part of Colby College’s 0-2 start can be attributed to the run game.
Defensively, the Mules have been unable to stop the run so far, allowing 632 yards in two games. Offensively, Colby has gained just 211 yards itself on the ground.
Senior Jake Schwern has 215 yards rushing for the Mules, but the rest of the team has combined for minus-4 yards. In total, Colby averages just 2.4 yards per carry.
The Mules will try to get on track Saturday when they host Middlebury (1-1).
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Cony High School graduate John Bennett, a senior defensive back at Maine Maritime Academy, is a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy. The award recognizes a player as the top football scholar athlete in the nation.
A Marine Engineering Technology major, Bennett is a captain with the Mariners. He’s one of 179 semifinalists named from all levels of college football. The National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame will announce 12-14 finalists on Oct. 31. Each finalist will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and an invitation to the awards dinner in New York City on Dec. 4. The winner will have his scholarship increased to $25,000.
Bennett has played in all 30 games in his career with the Mariners, making 171 tackles and grabbing seven interceptions.
Bowdoin senior Cameron Rondeau also is a Campbell Trophy semifinalist.
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MIT is 4-0, and one of the contributor’s to that early-season success is Messalonskee grad Jack Bernatchez.
A junior tight end/running back, Bernatchez has two receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown.
The Engineers host the Merchant Marine Academy Saturday.
Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242
Twitter: @TLazarczykMTM
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