Following a disappointing end to the 2007 season, the Amherst football team is looking for a little bit of redemption. After starting the season 4-1, the team dropped its final three games to Tufts University, Trinity and Williams Colleges.
While the team’s goal is to take home the NESCAC Championship with an 8-0 record, this season has special importance for the class of 2009. This year’s senior class is trying to ensure that they graduate with at least one victory over Williams.
“We absolutely want to beat Williams because we haven’t in the past three years,” said senior running back Eric NeSmith.
The Jeffs will have someone new under center this year as sophomore Alex Vetras takes over the starting quarterback role. NeSmith said, “I am impressed by Alex Vetras. We didn’t get to see much of him last season, but he seems to have really grasped the playbook and is emerging into the leadership role of the starting quarterback.”
Though Vetras hopes to provide a spark to a passing offense that finished last in the NESCAC with only 122.5 yards per game, a lot of Amherst’s success will fall on the shoulders of NeSmith and his backfield partner, junior Aaron Rauh. Last year the duo posted a combined average of 143.2 yards per game. In order to keep the ground game strong, the Jeffs will have to replace departed All-Conference players, Dan Guariglia ’08 and Chris Gillyard ’08.
On the defensive side of the ball, Amherst returns three All-Conference players to a stingy unit that allowed only 13.6 points per game last year, making them the second best defensive unit in the NESCAC.
Anchoring the Jeffs’ defense will be this year’s lone captain, senior Guy Matisis. Last year Matisis recorded 55 tackles, including a team high 9.5 tackles for a loss. Senior cornerback A.J. Scola returns to play alongside Matisis. Last year Scola tied for second in the NESCAC with five interceptions.
The success of the season will hinge on the Jeffs’ ability to gut it out during the stretch as once again the schedule closes with Tufts, Trinity and Williams. NeSmith said that a similar finish to last year’s is unacceptable.
“This year, to make sure we don’t struggle down the stretch, we are trying to make the practice environment more intense and up-tempo,” said NeSmith. “We are always trying to spark competition in practice so that down the stretch we aren’t just going through the motions. We also have to let it be known to the entire team that we have an exceptional amount of talent and losing is simply not accepted.”
The Jeffs won’t take any team lightly this year as they strive to improve on last year’s .500 record. Yet, even for the first seven games of the season, you can be sure that the Nov. 8 Homecoming meeting with the Williams Ephs will be in the back of every senior’s mind.
NeSmith said, “It is extremely important for the seniors to beat Williams this year. We haven’t beat them our entire career and it would mean the world to really put a whooping on them this year.”