People in New England have always acknowledged that the rivalry between Amherst College, Williams College and Wesleyan University is one of the fiercest that college sports has to offer. This year, ESPN recognized the significance of these Div. III games when they brought their College GameDay program to Williamstown and shined the national spotlight on the football game between the Jeffs and the Ephs.
Although it is officially the Little Three Championship, and therefore includes Wesleyan, Amherst and Williams tend to steal the spotlight whenever they meet, regardless of the circumstance. In his response to the importance of playing against Amherst’s two traditional rivals, Drew Blacker ’09 summed up the Jeffs’ approach to the weekend. “Well, I really hate Williams, so I really wanted to do well against them particularly,” he said.
Despite the schools’ rivalry, there is certainly a proper amount of respect present as well. The competition against Wesleyan, on the other hand, is viewed quite differently. Senior co-captain Mark Rapisarda commented on the dynamic, saying, “While Wesleyan is always considered a guaranteed victory, Williams is seen in just the opposite light.”
In light of both a good showing at the NESCAC Tournament and the respect that always permeates Amherst and Williams matches, the Jeffs entered play at home this weekend with a subdued confidence. “After NESCAC, we had perhaps our most confidence yet and we certainly took that into Little Threes,” said Rapisarda, who played both matches in the first position.
The Jeffs opened play with a convincing win, shutting out the Cardinals, 9-0. The most dominant performance was turned in by first-year Tom Rapisarda, who held his opponent to only three combined points, winning 9-0, 9-3, 9-0 from the fifth position. Combined, the Jeffs dropped only one game to Wesleyan.
Just as the senior Rapisarda had expected, the Jeffs encountered far less success against the Ephs, losing 8-1. However, as Rapisarda pointed out, the scores can be misleading. “This year was different, and although our 8-1 loss [to the Ephs] doesn’t exactly show it, we were right there in every match.” Blacker, who played in the second position, picked up the lone victory for the Jeffs. Only two of the individual matches weren’t competitive.
After adding a game to both the win and loss columns this past weekend, the Jeffs’ season record stands at 9-9. According to Blacker, the team could have done better than a .500 winning percentage—but there are positives to be drawn from the season as well.
“We should have been more competitive with schools that we didn’t have great matches against,” Blacker said. “I think that a lot of us learned a great deal about ourselves this season. We have the potential to do better next season, it’s just a matter of tapping that potential.”
Perhaps next season the Jeffs will be able to put both games of the rivalry in the win column and claim the Little Three title. In the meantime, they’ll focus on the upcoming CSA National Tournament.