The Colby football team has been a turnover machine this season, consistently wreaking havoc on opposing offenses.

The Mules are 2-3 after a 24-7 loss to Wesleyan University on Saturday, but they’ve forced nine turnovers, including six interceptions. Sophomore defensive back Ameer White is second in the New England Small College Athletic Conference with three interceptions. Drew Ramos, Christopher Milmoe and defensive lineman Montrail Holmes each have one pick.

White intercepted a pass, forced a fumble and made two pass breakups in the Mules’ 13-6 overtime victory over Bates on Oct. 4, an effort that earned him NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Colby coach Jack Cosgrove said White’s ascension in the secondary began late in the 2024 season.

“He got in at the end of last year quite a bit and performed very well for us,” Cosgrove said. “He’s really taken that next step in his development from a first-year to second-year player, and that’s really shown up. He really has been one of the leaders of our defense.”

White’s forced fumble against Bates led to the tying field goal with 29 seconds left in regulation. It was Colby’s second forced fumble this season, the other coming in a 13-6 victory over Trinity.  

The Mules’ pass rush is anchored by defensive linemen Cooper Bunnell and Jack Mullen, who consistently disrupt the offensive backfield. Bunnell is fourth in the conference with 3.5 sacks, while Mullen is fifth with three sacks. Mullen also is third on the team with 23 tackles.

Cosgrove said the secondary’s ability to prevent receivers from getting open gives the defensive front time to do its job.

“Sometimes you end up getting those bonus sacks — where if it’s not because of the pressure, it’s because of the fact that (the quarterback’s) eyes aren’t where they should be,” Cosgrove said. “I think when you look at sacks, it’s really the result of how the defense plays. You know, how you’re doing the job in coverage that makes the quarterback hold on to the ball longer. So that’s something we’ve really worked hard at.”

UMF and Husson finding the back of the net

The University of Maine-Farmington women’s soccer team is eighth in NCAA Division III with 50 goals, and Husson is 15th with 41 through Wednesday’s games.

Husson defeated Vermont State University Lyndon 18-0 on Sept. 27, setting a program record for goals in a game.

UMF’s Natalie Tracy, a Messalonskee graduate, is tied for second in Division III with 16 goals. Addi Laslie of Ellsworth leads Husson with seven.

The two teams are near the top of the North Atlantic Conference standings. Both are tied for third place with 13 points, UMF with a 4-2-1 record in the conference (7-5-1 overall) and Husson at 4-0-1 (7-4-1 overall).

Those teams meet Saturday in Bangor.  

Ruth White continues to excel

Former Orono High School cross country sensation Ruth White continued her strong sophomore season by placing third in a time of 17 minutes, 31.84 seconds while helping New Hampshire to a third-place finish at the New England championships on Friday.

Earlier in the week, she was named America East Performer of the Week for the second time this season.

White opened the season by winning her first three races: the Suffolk Short Course Classic (10 minutes, 59.42 seconds) on Aug. 30 in Attleboro, Massachusetts; the Ted Owen Invitational 5K (17:06.60) on Sept. 20 in New Britain, Connecticut; and the Paul Short Run (20:29.4) on Oct. 3 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Keiss wins New England title

Bowdoin’s Mark Kneiss claimed the New England men’s tennis title with a victory over Andreas Sillaste of Amherst, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, on Oct. 5 at Tufts University.

Kneiss is the third player in program history to win the ITA New England championship, joining Tristan Bradley and Luke Trinka.

Kneiss, a senior, will travel to Rome, Georgia, to compete in the ITA Cup from Oct. 16-18.