MARSHFIELD, Mass. - Like all Division III conferences, the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) will conclude its regular season schedule this Saturday, November 13. The final weekend will prove meaningful for several programs as the league Championship, NCAA Automatic Qualification and postseason Bowl Bids remain in reach for several programs.
The league Champion scenario is simplest for Anna Maria College, win and in. Even if the AMCATS finish tied with Alfred State at 5-1; their regular season win against the Pioneers back in mid-October would be crirtical should the championship be decided via tiebreaker. If the AMCATS defeat Maritime College this Saturday they will earn the golden football trophy and league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA postseason. However, Maritime is a seasoned team that is no stranger to the postseason and are playing with their own postseason goals in mind.
Alfred State also has a lot on the line as they take on 2019 ECFC Champions, Dean College in Massachusetts on Saturday afternoon. Should Anna Maria lose their game, Alfred State would be in prime position to nab the league crown uncontested at 5-1 with a victory over the Bulldogs. The Pioneers are also playing with postseason aspirations in mind as a victory likely assures them a trip to the postseason (via the NCAA Tournament or New England Bowl Bid) for the first time in the program's history as an NCAA football program.
The Castleton Gallaudet game is also of note - as both programs have a chance to finish in a four-way tie for the league crown should both Maritime and Dean play spoilers. Depending on who wins the matchup between the Spartans and Bison would trigger different records against tied opponents in the league standings.
All in all, the final weekend of league play is set up for some competitive football to be played and some potential shakeup in the final standings. The NCAA Postseason selection show is scheduled for Sunday, November 14 at 5:30 p.m. and will air live on NCAA.com. The Commissioners of the New England Football conferences will convene after the NCAA selection show to consider teams and pairings for the New England Bowl. A public release announcing the match-ups will be distributed Monday morning.
Timeline for the Weekend
Saturday 12:00 p.m. Alfred State at Dean: Alfred State aims to finish the season over .500 for the first time since the 2012 season and nab a trip to the postseason. The Pioneers will look to quarterback Aaron Jenkins to stay hot. He currently leads the conference in rushing touchdowns with 12 and ranks third with 12 passing touchdowns as well. On defense it will be Joel Smith and Brock Weist that aim to keep their compete level high against a tough Dean offense. Smith is currently ranked fourth in the conference with 7.8 tackles per game and Weist is tied for 3rd with 4.5 sacks.
The Bulldogs will look to play spoilers as their team statistics and offensive output are not reflective of their overall record. Dean boasts an explosive offense that averages 25.7 points per game and ranks second in total offense, outputting 381.6 yards per game. Quarterback David Curry will look to capture some magic on Saturday and improve on his already impressive passing numbers of 260.2 yards per game (2nd in ECFC) and 16 passing touchdouns (2nd in ECFC). On defense it will be the linebacker duo of Dre Kidd and Desmond Dias aiming to rattle Jenkins. The duo currently rank in the top five in the conference in tackles per game at 8.0 and 7.7 respectively.
Saturday 12:00 p.m. Gallaudet at Castleton: Don't sleep on this game as the outcome could prove critical should the season end in a four-way tie. Gallaudet has put together an impressive 5-2 campaign and will look to captain Timel Benton to rally the Bison for another big performance in Vermont. Benton leads the conference in rushing, averaging 97.6 yards per game. His eight (8) rushing touchdowns also rank second. On defense, Jacob Hartman is coming off a huge game where he was recognized as ECFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performace against Anna Maria. The freshman tied a career-high with 10 tackles and also added on a pick six in the contest. Hartman's 8.3 tackles per game currently rank second in the conference.
Castleton will look to one of the most explosive defensive players in the conference in Chris Rice to set the tone early. Rice has been incredible to watch all season with his 10.5 sacks leading the way in the ECFC. His 2.4 tackles for loss per game also leads the entire country at the NCAA Division III level. The Castleton defense as a whole has also proved stingy as the Spartans lead the conference with 13 interceptions on the season. The defensive unit also ranks first in sacks (21) and are tied for second with seven (7) fumble recoveries.
Saturday 1:00 p.m. Maritime at Anna Maria: The fate of the conference crown hinges on this contest as the AMCATS look to put a cherry on top of their storybook season by taking home the league title and getting ready for a trip to the NCAA postseason with a win. Anna Maria have been a joy to watch this falland Head Coach Dan Mulrooney and his staff has the team clicking on all cyllinders, winners of six of their last seven games. Quarterback Alex Cohen leads the conference in nearly every offensive passing category with his completion% (61.9%), passing yards (2,769), yards per game (346.1) and touchdowns (23) all checking in at league bests. He is also flanked by a core of talented receivers in Deandre Wallace, David Robinson and Justin McMillian, all who are capable of breaking away from coverage and busting the game open with a long catch and run. The AMCATS boast the country's fourth-ranked passing offense - checking in with 356.6 yards per game.
For Maritime, the Privateers will bring their discipline and calm demeanor to the field as they aim for their third straight win. Runningback Christian Schiavone is coming off back-to-back 100+ yard rushing games, putting up 138 and 141 yards on the ground against Dean and Keystone respectively. His 65.0 yards per game rank fourth in the conference. Maritime also has a weapon on special teams in Joseph Gagliardi. He's been a consistent force for the Privateers in all aspects of the kicking game, including being the league's best punter while averaging 40.0 yard per punt. He's also placed 16 punts within the 20, which could prove useful for Maritime if the game comes down to field position.
Sunday 5:30 p.m. NCAA Field and Bracket announced on ncaa.com
Monday A.M. - New England Bowl participants announced via press release on easterncollegiatefootballconference.com
