To say that the football team wants to put the 2012 season behind it is an understatement. Last season’s 1-7 mark was the team’s worst record in a decade, since the Polar Bears finished winless in 2003. The season’s disappointing outcome reflects a season marred by major and untimely injuries. In order to ensure a significant improvement next year, the team will look to execute its newfound playing style and stay healthy.
The first wave of injuries occurred in the pre-season, and sidelined the team’s two most productive offensive players, senior captain and wide receiver Sean O’Malley and junior running back Zach Donnarumma. Although Donarrumma returned in week three, O’Malley was out the entire year.
During the season, injuries plagued the already short-handed Bowdoin squad. In the first game, starting quarterback Grant White ’14 and starting linebacker David Nurse ’13 joined O’Malley and Donnarumma on the sideline. Nurse did not return until the seventh week, and White was kept off the field all year. No other NESCAC team this year suffered injuries to their most productive quarterback, wide receiver, running back, and linebacker simultaneously.
Nevertheless, these injuries afforded once inactive players the opportunity to become starters and have the playing time to become stars. Tommy Romero ’14 became the starting quarterback for most of the season. Nick Goldin ’13, David Black ’15 and Daniel Barone ’16 quickly became his favorite targets at wide receiver, catching passes to compensate for injured and graduated receivers from last year.
On the other side of the ball, junior linebackers Joey Cleary and Brian Glazewski found themselves starting due to Nurse’s absence. Defensive backs Jibrail Coy ’16 and Dan Johnson ’15 were tasked with filling holes in the defensive unit. Sophomore defensive linemen Tom Wells and Clarence Johnson anchored the defense up front in the absence of seniors Cedric and Kyle White.
As the coaching staff restructured offensive and defensive strategies to better suit the healthy personnel available for any given week, the identity of the team took shape. By the end of the year, the Polar Bears were known for their tough defense, a relentless ground game, and big receivers.
The defense improved each month of the season, allowing 32.0 points per game (ppg) in September and just 15.5ppg by December.
The rushing attack improved steadily until the final two weeks. The backs accrued 126.5 yards per game in the first two games and 148.5 in the following four before dipping to 67.5 yards per game in the final two contests. The offense focused on targeting tight ends along with the wideouts. After combining for only four receptions and 52 yards in the first half of the season, tight ends Matt Perlow ’15 and Mike English ’14 accounted for nine receptions, 174 yards and one touchdown in the second half of the season.
With a whopping 15 returning starters, Bowdoin hopes to implement this style of play more effectively in their 2013 campaign.
The offensive unit only needs to fill a receiver slot and three linemen positions next season. The wide receiver spot is already filled—O’Malley is set to return to school in the fall.
“Sean will be a huge addition. He is an extreme athlete that can play anywhere on the field. He’s a big facet of our offense and special teams.” said Donnarumma.
“No one on the team is close to him with experience,” added captain Beau Breton ’13— linebacker and punter for the 2012 squad.
Next to O’Malley, Donarrumma is the most experienced offensive threat, returning for his third year in the starting lineup. Despite missing one-fourth of the season due to injury, he finished fourth in the conference in rushing yards and was selected to the All-NESCAC Second Team.
“We will be running a similar style of offense,” said Donarrumma. “I’m expecting to get the ball.”
On defense, the Polar Bears return eight starting players. The defensive unit is tasked with selecting two starters at the safety positions and one at defensive tackle.
Linebacker Griffin Cardew ’14, one of the most productive defensive players in the NESCAC, is poised to have another exceptional year. In 2012, his 97 tackles led the NESCAC en route to his being selected to the All-Conference First Team. Also on the defensive side of the ball is sophomore defensive lineman Clarence Johnson, one of only eight sophomores in the NESCAC to earn All-Conference recognition.
Returning players offer the potential for an improved season and also give the team an advantage through their leadership. Historically in the NESCAC the teams with more upperclassmen and returning starters tend to have a better record the following year.
For example, in 2011 the top four teams with the most returning upperclassmen finished one through four in the conference. The 2011 champion Amherst and runner-up Trinity each had 32 upperclassmen and 10 returning starters. The only other teams to have over 30 upperclassmen and 10 returning starters, Williams and Middlebury, finished third and fourth overall, respectively.
This trend persisted in 2012 as well. The 8-0 Trinity team included 30 upperclassmen and 12 returning starters. Runner-up Middlebury had 32 upperclassmen and 14 returning starters while third place Amherst had 31 and 8.
Should this statistical tendency continue to hold in 2013, Bowdoin will finish in the top tier of the NESCAC in 2013. Amidst the 34 upperclassmen, the team consists of 15 returning starters, more than any other NESCAC opponent can boast. Wesleyan follows close behind with 14 starters poised to return and 38 upperclassmen while defending champion Trinity returns 13 starters among 40 upperclassmen.
“There shouldn’t be any reason why [we] are not an upper level team in the NESCAC this year,” captain Martin Robledo ’13 said. “Top three,” he projected.
“I think we will be in one of the top three positions,” Clarence Johnson said, reflecting a similar outlook. “Last season is always going to be in the back of our heads and we are going to do everything in our power...to not let that happen again.”
Although the number of seniors, juniors and returning starters is not a recipe for winning the NESCAC championship, it can be a blueprint for finishing the season at .500 or better. The NESCAC teams in 2011 and 2012 with over 30 seniors and juniors as well as 10 or more returning starters have finished 4-4 or better in the past two seasons, with the exception of one team in each season. The odds say that Bowdoin will finish at least 4-4, which is a conservative estimate according to the players.
“We have a lot of experience and great younger players. We know what we have to do to win,” said Donnarumma. “Will we do it? That’s the question. But, I like our odds right now.”