Familiarity in New Haven Will Ease Transition
Tecnically speaking, the New Haven Chargers have a first year head coach and are in their first year of NEC football.
Technically speaking.
The less-technical truth is that Head Coach Mark Powell is beginning his second year leading the squad after an interim year last season. His Chargers went 5-5 while competing well in several games against FCS opponents, including new rival Marist (the Chargers will play against Marist to open the season for the next seven years!)
At quarterback, A.J. Duffy returns. Duffy should figure in heavily when the all-NEC preseason team is announced. He’s a do-everything passer who will have a full season under his belt whenever the Chargers take the field under the lights in New Haven to open up the season. His prior stops were at Florida State and San Diego State.
Zaon Laney, one of the cover athletes for the NEC Blitz Football Preview in 2025, returns and will be expected to be among the league’s best running backs after redshirting in 2025. He’ll keep defenses from being able to simply defend against Duffy.
The defense should take a step forward with a second year in Coach Powell’s system.
The most interesting thing for the Chargers this year will be how rivalries begin to develop in league play. Central Connecticut State replaces SCSU as the big game on the schedule for the Chargers, but games against Marist, Stonehill, LIU, and Wagner will also be big games regionally. The Chargers are a perfect geographical fit.
Now, it’s just time to play football in league play.
LIU Will Need a Fast Start in 2026
Credit: Daniela Bedoya
After beating Eastern Michigan in 2025, the Sharks looked like the class of the NEC and suddenly became the favorites to win the league title. That didn’t happen. LIU lost the next four games and, hampered by injuries, dropped the first two conference games to Stonehill and Mercyhurst.
They’ll be able to do it if they can stay healthy, especially at the quarterback position. They like to use both Luca Stanzani and Ethan Greenwood, and with both players coming back, the Sharks will be on the attack offensively. They use the quarterbacks as runners and passers. Greenwood could be the best athlete on the entire team.
Defensively, Trey Watkins is among the returners. He’ll be one of the favorites to win the NEC Defensive Player of the Year. He racked up 51 tackles last year (8 tackles against Eastern Michigan) and actually had an argument for NEC Defensive Player of the Year last season.
The great thing about Greenwood and Watkins returning is that both tested the transfer portal and felt their best move was to stay home. Recruiting is still the lifeblood of college football, but re-recruiting your players in this era is vital. LIU has been able to do that.
They’ll face a lot of adversity with some tough games early in the season including two FBS games, but once they hit the meat of the season they’ll have to be ready to hit the ground running, injuries or not. They were probably historically unlucky last year. Let’s hope lightning doesn’t strike twice in New York.
Stonehill Will Feature Experienced Quarterback O’Connell
I’ve seen Stonehill picked 8th. It’s possible. As Coach Masella said, “The NEC is a funny thing.” I’m not sure even he knew just how funny it is.
But what I’ve seen out of the Skyhawks so far leads me to think this is an underrated team heading into 2026. Coach Eli Gardner knows how to recruit to Stonehill and what type of player seems to , well, work in Shovel Town. I think last year when I was bullish, I was a year early. I like this team.
At the center of this optimism is quarterback Jack O'Connell, a hyper-accurate passer who is a team captain in 2026. In 2025, O'Connell started all 12 games and put up numbers, throwing for 1,875 yards—the eighth-most in a single season in program history—and 15 touchdowns.
He currently ranks ninth in school history with 2,555 career passing yards and 10th with 23 career passing touchdowns. Whether he’s orchestrating a game-winning 34-yard touchdown pass against Maine with under two minutes remaining, or putting up 269 yards and three scores against Lafayette, O'Connell is a proven playmaker who anchors this offense and should take a step forward with a second year in the offensive system.
The Skyhawks possess a dynamic weapon to pair with O'Connell. Versatile receiver in Torrance Washington returns. He’s proven to be a reliable target and explosive playmaker. Across 11 games in 2025, he tied for the team lead with 33 receptions for 298 yards and two touchdowns.
His impact goes beyond just catching passes; he is a threat in the return game as well, having logged multiple kickoff and punt returns throughout the season, including a 48-yard kick return against Lafayette.
On the other side of the ball, the defense is bolstered by returning veteran Mo Seide. Across his 24-game career at Stonehill, Seide has been a steady presence, amassing 59 total tackles (40 solo, 19 assisted) and proving his ability to disrupt the passing game with 17 pass defenses and five career interceptions. While his 2025 campaign was limited to four games, his ability to anchor the secondary (4 picks in 2024) will help the defense to improve in 2026.
Look for the Skyhawks to exceed expectations.
Lake Show Rolls Forward
The Mercyhurst Lakers were the best story in the NEC in 2025, far exceeding our expectations to have a shot at a piece of the conference championship in the final week of the season. This kind of success leads to changes, and Erie wasn’t spared the usual slew of personnel turnover that big seasons bring.
A major shift for the upcoming season is the change at the helm. Following Ryan Riemedio's departure to become the defensive coordinator at Youngstown State, Tom Sydeski has been elevated to head coach. Additionally, the Lakers have retained Mike Waring, who will serve as the team's General Manager and Recruiting Coordinator, helping to maintain the success the program has established. The Lakers have had a sort of unique footprint in the NEC with an ability to recruit into areas like Kentucky, Virginia, and especially the West Coast. They’ll likely look to maintain that identity as well as the passing game fireworks with their retentions. Among other losses, Coach Eli Altizer, who was one of the names we heard most often from recruits, has gone to coach at Memphis. Again, success has a cost.
With the graduation of star quarterback Adam Urena, the team looks to Anthony Wolter to step into the QB1 role. Wolter is a transfer from Nevada and a former 3-star recruit. Like Urena, he brings a West Coast background to Erie, Pennsylvania, hailing from Lancaster, California. He lacks typical size at 5’11”, but he’ll have the option to spread the ball to some incredible targets. The cabinet remains well-stocked with experienced receivers:
Dylan Evans: Coming off a strong 2025 campaign where he recorded 43 receptions for 571 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Evan Van Dyke: A key contributor in 2025 who hauled in 41 receptions for 396 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Swiss army knife Jameir “Mookie” Gamble will also return for the Lakers. He could step into an even bigger role this season.
The Lakers captured the league's attention last season, staying in the hunt for a share of the NEC championship until the very final week and pushing Central Connecticut to the absolute limit in the finale. Now, the goal shifts. After proving they can compete with the conference’s elite, the question for 2026 is whether Mercyhurst can flip the script in key matchups, most notably seeking revenge against Duquesne, and cement themselves as the team to beat in the NEC. Can the league’s best story become the league’s best team?
Dukes Will Look to Transfer at QB in 2026
The Dukes brought in quarterback Ty Riddell in 2025 to add an experienced, mature signal caller to the offense. It worked pretty well. The Dukes werein the hunt for the NEC title and FCS playoff berth up until the last week of the season last year. The Dukes offense in general was stellar last season, but having a seasoned player at the most important position was part of the reason why.
Now, the Dukes look to do it again.
Carson Camp arrives at Duquesne as one of the most well-traveled and battle-tested quarterbacks in the FCS. His career path reflects the modern reality of college football, moving from South Dakota (2020–2022) to Sacramento State (2023) and most recently Southeastern Louisiana (2025).
Camp’s most productive season came at South Dakota, where he posted career-best numbers with 2,252 yards and 17 touchdowns, while maintaining an impressive 65.2% completion rate.
Across his collegiate career, Camp has amassed 6,136 passing yards and 39 touchdowns. Having seen 809 career pass attempts and faced the pressure of 92 sacks, he brings a level of "seasoned" composure that is rare for any program.
For the Dukes, Camp is a plug-and-play veteran who has consistently demonstrated the ability to command an offense, maintain a high completion percentage, and manage high-pressure game environments.
That seems to be exaclty what Duquesne is looking for.
Look for the Dukes to exceed expectations this season in the NEC.
Mercyhurst Brings in Nevada QB Anthony Wolters For Visit
The Lakers have brought in some FBS talent at the quarterback position for a visit.
There are some tough shoes to fill. Adam Urena was one of the best quarterbacks in the NEC for the past two seasons, and while he'll be moving on the Lake Show has to continue to roll. They return Alex Gevauden at QB, but as we've written about in the past, competition has been key at Mercyhurst and it looks like they'll be looking to add it again this fall.
Wolters was a 3 star QB per 247 who will have 3 years of eligibility. The Nevada site does not list any statistics for his career. He is from California, a major Lakers recruiting ground, and played HS ball at St. Bonaventure.
The Lakers have shown an ability to bring in FBS talent for visits in the past including a former 4 star last offseason. The offense is quarterback friendly and they've had stud receivers to throw to, including Dylan Evans, who is expected to return this season.
We'll keep you posted on any updates.
“It’s Fun When You Win”: New Haven Sweeps Its First-Ever NEC Contests
Credit: New Haven Athletics
Can New Haven compete in their first season in big league hoops?
Emphatically, yes.
The Chargers roared out to an undefeated start on opening night across both divisions of NEC hoops, with the men winning 70-55 on the road and the women’s squad winning 66-61 at home. Both contests were against the Stonehill Skyhawks.
On the men’s side, the Chargers took a halftime lead of 36-31 and added an additional +10 in the second half. The women had to survive a late Skyhawks rally after a flawless 3rd quarter where they outscored Stonehill 25-6. Anyia McDonald-Perry had 23 points for the women’s side, while the men spread the points out evenly. Notably, Aiden Losiewicz scored his 13 points on 3-5 shooting from downtown in just 16 minutes. Najimi George paced the men with 14 points.
“It’s fun when you win,” said Coach Hotaling on the men’s side. “Happy to get our first NEC win.”
It’s the first NEC win in program history for both sets of Chargers.
It’s an impressive pair of wins. But maybe the most impressive thing is what New Haven has done to compete- and fast.
Last season in Division II, the Chargers finished 12-17. They weren’t expected to make too much noise in the league this season. They were picked to finish 10th in conference out of a 10 team league. It was going to take time to be competitive. It’s not exactly unprecedented to make the transition from Division II and immediately show firepower in the league- Mercyhurst finished 9-7 in conference last season, after all- but at least the Lakers were a .500 team in a loaded PSAC the year prior. New Haven is coming off of a 7 win conference slate in the NE10. Stonehill, on the other hand, is one of the more highly touted teams in the conference, with a preseason #3 ranking in the NEC.
The women’s side didn’t look much different, with New Haven picked 9th and Stonehill picked 2nd.
No game is a referendum, and there’s a lot of action left in NEC play. The 17 games remaining will show us a lot about what New Haven basketball will add to the league. There was probably a lot of focus on the Chargers as a football addition (as well as volleyball, from this side of the reporting sphere). I think basketball was viewed as something we’d probably have to wait and see to find out more about. But what we’re seeing right now- and what we’ve seen so far from the Chargers- indicates that they’ll have plenty to say this season.
On the men’s side, the Chargers upset UMass Lowell, handled Delaware State, and had Boston College and NJIT on the ropes. Early on, this looks like one of the better teams in the conference. This is an NEC that has been able to consistently punch up in non-conference play. The Chargers certainly looked the part in their early slate.
The win against Stonehill- on both sides- has shown that it isn’t a fluke.
The early reviews are in. New Haven basketball looks like it’ll be ready to compete this season. The Chargers will have to keep building just a little while longer to make noise in the postseason when they’re eligible in a few seasons.
“The Most Important Missed Dunk in NEC History”
I was talking with Nelson Castillo (@NelCastNY on X) recently and brought up the missed dunk that the NEC hinged on in 2024-25. He responded that it was the most important missed dunk in NEC history. Unless someone out there has a better example, I think that’s right on the money. Let me set the stage for you here.
March 1, 2025.
23.9 seconds remaining, Saint Francis was up 68-65 on Chicago State in Loretto, Pennsylvania. The Cougars inbounded as the announcers discussed moped accidents. Despite the banter, this was actually a big moment late in the season for the NEC- then the Northeast Conference- and the opening shot of what we call March Madness.
If Saint Francis was able to hang on in these final 23 seconds, they’d earn a home game in Loretto for the NEC tournament and crucial homefield advantage for a Frankies team that needed as much help as they could get in the competitive league. Lose, and this was the final home game in Loretto this season, along with a road trip to start what would have been a road gauntlet to the Big Dance. If they could even make it that far. Even to this point, the Saint Francis run had been improbable. On Feb 15th, the Red Flash had lost on the road in New Britain, CT to drop to 5-8 on the season. After this, they rebounded to beat Le Moyne in overtime on the road in Syracuse and then won a second straight overtime game at home, this time against FDU. So, if nothing else, it was obvious the Red Flash knew how to play in these kind of situations.
The Cougars ran their play and Quincy Allen shot a good looking 3 attempt from the top of the circle. Drained. Tie game at 68. The Red Flash inbounded and moved quickly with Riley Parker streaking down the court with the ball, hoping to end it in regulation. He met Allen and lost possession. The ball landed, as if by magnetism, in the hands of a Cougar defender. Moving fast the other way, they passed the ball to Quincy Allen yet again, who had been Superman for the last 20 or so seconds. This was it; one bucket and it would be hard for Saint Francis to recover. He went up for the uncontested dunk and…
clang.
He missed.
The game would go to overtime and the Cougars could never get it rolling. Saint Francis held on to win their third straight overtime game and clinched the #3 seed and a home game.
"I've been in college basketball for almost 30 years, and I don't know that I've experienced a final 15 seconds in regulation like that,” said coach Rob Krimmel, who had just unknowingly coached his last home regular season game with Saint Francis.
He would next be coaching his last home playoff game in Loretto, although he probably didn’t know that then, either. This time, the Red Flash hosted Wagner in the opening round of the NEC tournament. SFU avoided overtime for the first time in four games.
With two seconds remaining and the score tied at 55, Riley Parker was fouled. He sank all 3 free throws and the Red Flash moved on. It’s impossible to say, of course, but would that really have happened if the Red Flash were playing on the road?
Assuming they did win, the likely next game would have been against #1 seed Central Connecticut State. Instead, we were treated to a road semifinal thriller against No. 2 LIU, where the Red Flash rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to stun the Sharks 71-68. Juan Cranford, Jr. scored 17 in the second half and suddenly Saint Francis had rallied from a certain loss on their home court to Chicago State to the cusp of an NCAA Tournament berth. The game is undoubtedly the motivating force behind the favorite LIU Sharks this season, but at the time it was more like watching an unlikely tournament run mixed with The Butterfly Effect.
Perhaps Nelson Castillo (@NelCastNY) put it best in the moment:
"I’ve been thinking about the ripple effect the Quincy Allen missed dunk from last Saturday had. If he had made that dunk, SFU would have likely lost and would’ve had to start on the road at Stonehill as a 5 seed and it [would] probably change the trajectory of this entire NEC tournament. Now SFU will be playing in a NEC final. It is pretty wild."
That final, played on March 11 at top-seeded Central Connecticut State's Detrick Gymnasium, was a defensive slog for the ages—the lowest-scoring NEC title game in history. Saint Francis ground out a 46-43 victory with neither team ever leading by more than four points. With seconds remaining, CCSU's last-gasp heave from near midcourt looked on line but clanged off the back rim, eliciting what I can only describe as the most tortured collective groan I’ve ever heard in a college basketball arena. The Red Flash bench erupted; their 34-year NEC title drought was over. CCSU, prohibitive favorites until the end, would be going home and wondering that age old question: what if?
Perhaps it’s fate that we’ll never wonder “what if” with the Red Flash. They completed an incredible run to the NCAA Tournament and to the top of the NEC, but just weeks later announced that they’d be transitioning to Division III. That announcement, of course, was delayed because the Frankies had just made the NCAA tournament. So while the missed dunk couldn’t stop what proved to be inevitable, at least it did delay it.
And we know it because of one missed dunk.
New Chargers Signee Anderson Ready to Make the NEC Miss
New Chargers signee Jaxson Anderson hasn’t played in the cold, but he’s pretty sure he can get used to it.
The Florida WR got his offer to New Haven in the fall after attending a camp earlier in the year. He got the chance to visit later in the season and loved what he saw.
“While I was up there, they made me feel super comfortable,” he said. “Coach Powell and his coaching staff basically made the atmosphere. And I saw the culture of their program and it felt like a great program, great students, great people. Everyone out there was amazing.”
He went home, talked it over, and made the call to commit.
Coach Walker was his primary recruiter for the Chargers. Anderson built a great relationship with him, but he also developed one with Coach Zamot, who will be his position coach in the wide receivers room.
Anderson compares his game to Ladd McConkey, because they’re both receivers who thrive on creating yards after the catch. “I feel like I can create space from the DB well,” Anderson told us. “I'm always trying to get more yards and make guys miss.”
We joked about the cold weather for a receiver from Florida, but Anderson did note that he skis and snowboards. So the cold won’t actually be a problem for the Charger.
He did have the chance to watch AJ Duffy this season and is excited about the chance to start catching balls from the experienced signal caller for New Haven. “I'm super excited to get a new experienced quarterback and come from high school and basically getting that quarterback that has been in college for a few years, has a lot of development.” You can’t do much better transitioning from high school than AJ Duffy as your QB1.
Anderson will join the Chargers in late summer. Hopefully, he’ll have plenty of time to adjust to the cold.
Dukes Have the Early Edge in WPIAL Recruiting
One of the things I like to watch with recruiting is how schools perform in their local area- particularly when it’s a contested zone. Southwestern Pennsylvania, also known as Section 7 or the WPIAL, is one of the most hotly contested and talent rich areas in the NEC’s footprint. Robert Morris, Duquesne, and Mercyhurst all love to scout for talent in the area and tend to sign impact players each cycle.
There’s also an old adage that local schools have an advantage with local players. This is fortunately very true. Not everyone is focused on the biggest name as much as they are on staying close to home. It’s also true that familiarity assists with recruiting- sure, Kent State might be FBS, but if you’ve grown up following the Dukes or the Colonials, are you really more impressed by a MAC school than a school you’ve seen locally have success? For lots of NEC schools, keeping players with MAC offers is part of the normal cycle of recruiting and it shouldn’t ever be a shock when an NEC school beats a MAC school for a commitment- it happens every cycle.
Last season, first year impact players from the WPIAL included Ryan Petras (Bethel Park), WR, Duquesne, who won our Rookie of the Year honors as well as the league’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Camden Lewis (South Allegheny) was also an early impact player for Mercyhurst. The highly touted TE scored a touchdown as a freshman and should see more action as his career develops. Defensively, DB Arison Walker (Aliquippa) was a standout for Saint Francis and has entered the transfer portal due to the situation there. We’ll hope to see more of him in the NEC.
This year, the first two WPIAL recruits off of the board are for the Dukes, and both look like they have potential to be impact players.
Santino LaMolinare, OL, Bethel Park
LaMolinare is one of the top rated recruits in Western PA and received opportunities at plenty of schools in the region. He played OT at Class 5A Bethel Park with current Duke Ryan Petras. Duquesne was actually his 10th offer, with schools like Rhode Island, Towson, New Hampshire, Richmond, Stony Brook, Albany, Lafayette, and Bucknell also requesting his services. Ohio also showed interest.
But if you’re a Dukes fan, you really love that he had an opportunity at Robert Morris as well and chose the other hometown school. RMU and Duquesne often spar for the same local prospects, and since it’s become clear that LeMolinare wanted to stay home, the implicarton here is that the Dukes won a one-on-one battle with the Colonials.
Duquesne tends to be deep on the offensive line and has been experienced, so LaMolinare may not see action in his first season. But like another local Duke, Zae-Mear Correll (WR, Clairton, Class of 2025), you should expect to see him on the field as a key contributor in the future.
Will Martin, LB, Seton LaSalle
When we wrote about Martin’s commitment, we had a pretty funny anecdote from the scene and one that probably doesn’t happen every day. The Duquesne coaches were arguing while giving out the offer for if Martin would play offense or defense for the Dukes! He was incredibly valuable for both sides as he led the Rebels, especially in the WPIAL Championship Game.
Martin lined up as a Wildcat QB in a package the Rebels called “Psycho” and ran in 3 TDs to win 21-14 over Steel Valley.
Do the math here. 3 TDs. Rebels won 21-14. The Psycho was the offense.
Martin had offers from MAC schools including Toledo and Eastern Michigan, but committed on the spot when he got the Duquesne offer. The commitment surprised the coaches, but obviously in a very good way. Martin choosing the Dukes was one of the key wins in the early signing period for any NEC school.
It’s not that it’s rare for an NEC player to have MAC offers. The timing of this one was special, though, as those MAC offers came in and Martin considered them. But when the Dukes came calling, Martin committed on the spot.
There’s recruiting wins, and there’s WINS. The way Martin chose the Dukes? That’s a WIN.
We’ll continue to provide recruiting analysis for the NEC schools as the offseason rolls on as part of the usual magazine prep.
New Haven and Marist Schedule “77 Classic” Through 2032
New Haven football has locked in a regional rivalry that feels like a throwback to what college football is supposed to be.
Athletic Director Devin Crosby confirmed exclusively to NECBlitz.com that the Chargers will face Marist every season through 2032, officially making the new rivalry an annual meeting for the next several classes of Chargers. The game is called the “77 Classic,” a nod to the 77-mile drive between Poughkeepsie and New Haven.
“We’re going to host Marist… and play them every year up until 2032,” Crosby said. “This will be a regional football game versus Marist, 77 miles away. That’s really important.”
The series will open the season each year on opening Friday night, with the 2026 edition on August 28. The early season, Friday night timeslot will give the matchup a permanent primetime feel.
Even better for local fans: the game will rotate sites every other season, alternating between New Haven and Poughkeepsie.
This is exactly the kind of game the region needs.
In an era where schedules are often filled with one-off buy games and long-distance travel, New Haven and Marist are leaning into geography, tradition, and accessibility for fans, student-athletes, and regular students who might want to take a football road trip. And when you play annually, bad blood develops naturally.
“It’s important for higher education, for college athletics,” Crosby said. “Regional football matters.”
The schools will evaluate the agreement after the 2027 season, but the intent is clear: this is meant to be a long-term fixture on the schedule.
Mercyhurst Lands Fredericksburg, VA DB Nigel Asamoah
We had a chance to catch up with one of the newest Mercyhurst Lakers. Coming all the way from Fredericksburg, VA, Nigel Asamoah signed in the early period to play defensive back for the Lakers. Specifically, he’s going to get a chance to be a cornerback.
When we spoke to Asamoah, he was able to tell us a little about his commitment and how he chose the Lakers with his official visit still around the corner.
I hammer it home all the time: at our level, recruiting is still about relationships. While Virginia isn’t exactly in the same geographical zip code as Erie, defensive backs coach Elijah Altizer was an assistant at Old Dominion and from Virginia. When we asked Asamoah if that played into the recruitment, he agreed immediately. “Yes, it definitely did. Once I heard about him living in VA and coaching at ODU, we connected more,” he said, “just growing up in the same state and whatnot.” He cited Coach Altizer as one of the big relationships he developed through the process as well.
Even though it was clear Asamoah had other options (per 247Sports, those options included Wofford, Maine, and ULM), the conversation between them convinced the talented cornerback that he belonged on Lake Erie. “Coach Elijah said this place would be perfect for me. The scheme, academics- all of that just made it seem like it was a great place to be, and he had plans of moving me back to corner,” Asamoah told us. “When we were on the phone he made it seem like I was already committed to his school- very chill and just made it feel like home.”
He talked it over with his family and made the decision to commit the day after receiving his offer. He compares his style of game to Emmanuel Forbes, a cornerback currently on the Rams that spent several seasons as an All-SEC performer at Mississippi State and playing for Washington in the NFL.
Asamoah hasn’t taken his official visit yet, but is slated to shortly. Erie, fortunately, is due to hit a balmy 32 degrees this weekend. Or, as we call it up here, “football weather.”
Opinion: Abandon Playoff, Return to Regional Championships
All of the drama about the college football playoff at the FBS level has been good for business, and I worry the same will soon be said about FCS. That is, if it hasn’t been already.
The FBS level is dominated by the playoff conversation to the point that it excludes other leagues and teams- even during the games that are currently being played. That latter fact is one of the reasons we’ve started leaning into radio in the first place. I announce the Redshirt Sports Top 25 during the broadcast, but it’s never in the context of letting the top 25 overtake the game. We don’t discuss playoff implications aside from the ones pertinent to the game that’s being analyzed. This is in stark contrast to major networks where there might even be a vested interest in promoting specific teams for the playoff. It’s a mess, but it does generate clicks and conversation. The issue is that it steers the conversation towards the playoff, and not towards the other schools in FBS. Over 100 won't make the playoffs, and they all have stories worth talking about.
The FCS playoff is likely not far behind, if it isn’t there already. There wasn’t much outrage towards the amount of MVFC teams that made the playoffs, but when the conversation is led by and directed by outlets with an interest in Big Sky and MVFC fanbases, well… would you expect that?
When it comes to fanbases, bigger is really only better from a financial standpoint. Passionate fans are everywhere. We certainly have them in the Northeast.
Since this tends to be the point where I get accused of this, no, I do not think the NEC should have more teams in the playoff. I think the problem is actually participating in the playoff at all.
Okay, okay, hear me out.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I wonder about the likelihood of the autobid remaining in the future. The conversation in FBS always seems to veer towards whether or not specific conferences or groups of conferences deserve a bid to the playoffs, anyway.
How long before that comes to the FCS? Or even more radical changes as the G5/6 is forced to react to predatory maneuvers by the big conferences?
And so, opinion: abandon the playoff, get out before it loses the soul of college football, and start holding a regional bowl game.
This is something the NEC has done in the past with the Patriot League prior to either school participating in the NCAA playoffs. Now that they do participate, though, there would have to be some added creativity here. I think I’ve got it, though.
The conference champion hosts the best remaining regional team. This season, Central Connecticut State would host Monmouth. It probably would have been a big game, but it definitely would have been a good one. And, financially, there’s probably a better chance of attracting Eastern oriented companies to sponsor this than the cut received from ESPN and the NCAA at large.
I don’t think this solves every problem. In terms of perception, there’s a chance this actually exacerbates it. The usual cascade of voices will either ignore the initiative or imply that the NEC felt it couldn’t compete in the playoffs, and so decided to abandon them to play in a game the league felt it had a chance to win. But to me, this isn’t really about winning. Given enough time, the league will post playoff wins and in the past two seasons CCSU has almost upset Rhode Island in the playoffs. The perception is probably the issue more so than the actual level of competition. A top NEC squad can compete with the top of the country. This has been demonstrated and will continue to be demonstrated. Whether or not anyone decides to acknowledge it is a different problem.
But as there’s more and more talk of private capital getting involved in the FCS playoff, there’s certainly a risk that the voices will start rising to include even more MVFC and Big Sky schools and to exclude the OVC-Big South and the NEC, among others. I really don’t think this is a stretch. If the playoff leaves the control of the NCAA or if there’s ever a push for an alternative tournament- maybe even one that includes the G5/6- the issue is bound to rise.
At the very least, there’s a need to be prepared for a contingency.
If the league is committed to staying in the playoff, then be ready to push. I think the fight is probably coming. But much like some other conferences at our level have found ways to have a meaningful postseason without having to participate in the playoff, it’s high time that the NEC at least has a plan in place to give our schools something real and meaningful to play for. An Eastern Bowl.
Regionality is what made college football beautiful in the first place. Let’s at least consider the possibility of leaning into that once again.
Staying Home: Wagner Signee Kevin Gumb Wants to ‘Represent the Island’
There’s only so many chances to be a true “Hometown Hero” in college football. Plenty of players get the chance to stay in state or close to home, sure. But the option to actually be from Staten Island and then play for the school on Staten Island? It’s a rare opportunity.
Kevin Gumb didn’t let the opportunity slip, signing to play for the Wagner Seahawks and further his academic career today.
Gumb, listed as an RB/LB, was compared to Cam Skattebo by Red Zone sports earlier this season. The Monsignor Farrell standout from Staten Island, NY didn’t receive many opportunities to play D1 ball at the highest level, but he got the one that counted with the hometown school believing in his ability. He’ll now head down the street to help with the further rebuilding of a storied Wagner program that rattled off a 4 game conference win-streak late in the year. Behind that was a big back already on the roster in Andre Hines.
Is there something about big backs playing ball in the cold?
Gumb laughed off my suggestion, and he’s right. A hard nosed runner with the rock will translate just about anywhere.
It certainly already worked on Staten Island for the signee. He rushed for 1,083 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground his senior season. But it’s not set in stone that he’ll be playing RB for the Seahawks. “Right now, I'm not sure,” Kevin said. “I hope to play running back there. But, wherever they need me, I don't really mind.”
When we asked him about staying home, he told us that the Wagner offer is motivating for more reasons than just staying at home. “They believed in me the most since they're the only team that really offered me,” he said. But that geographical aspect is just as big. “Just so I stay close to home, all my family can come to the games and stuff, just to represent the island, really.”
Wagner is far from the only NYC area school in the NEC. It’s got to be about more than just representing New York City when you’re a Seahawk. Getting local juice like Gumb will help ensure that the fine print is more than just about playing football somewhere in New York City.
When you’re a Seahawk, you’re on Staten Island’s football team. And Gumb will be there, playing wherever he’s needed, to make sure of that. He’ll be part of another generation of Wagner football players representing the Island.
He’s unsure of any signing day ceremony plans currently, but we’ll have updates as those arrive.
For Jaylen Mack, CCSU Is the School That Took a Chance on Him When No One Else Would
There’s no shortage of good football players to come out of the St. Louis area, and there’s no shortage of conferences with Missouri comfortably in their footprint for football. You would think that with the OVC schools clustered in the area that the top players would be comfortably locked down, and we’d never see any of them out east.
You would think.
And yet CCSU was the first Division I offer for RB Jaylen Mack. Mack had only been named player of the year in his conference, put up staggering rushing numbers for two years straight, thrived as a four down back, and even showed receiving chops out of the backfield.
I can’t explain why this is how it all went down, but the Blue Devils are sure happy it did.
Mack, a senior from Liberty North in Lake St. Louis, MO, racked up over 1,700 all-purpose yards this season with 1,070 rushing yards and 411 receiving yards. He also became Liberty North’s punt returner. In other words, he was the guy they gave the ball to when they needed things to happen. He did pretty well with it.
We had the chance to catch up with Mack to ask about how he’d fit in at CCSU and what brought a running back from Missouri to Connecticut.
On the latter point, relationships are everything in recruiting and there was a big one that brought him to CCSU. Mack credits his relationship with RB coach Canaan Brooks at CCSU as being pivotal. One particularly important point? Brooks is from St. Louis and obviously has a lot of comfort with the schools in the area. He recruited the St. Louis running back and having a home connection always gave CCSU the edge, although Mack was impressed by the culture overall as well. “Having that tie with him, with him being from St. Louis and recruiting the St. Louis area a little bit,” Mack said, “it kind of shifted me a little more that way.”
My eyes lit up when I saw the receiving numbers along with the rushing yards. It looked like an Elijah Howard statline, which is something that apparently the CCSU staff noticed, too. When Mack saw the schemes, he immediately felt comfortable stepping into that kind of role. “Watching them play, analyzing their schemes, I feel like I fit that perfectly and I'm excited to be a part of that,” he said.
A back who wants to be on the field for every situation, Mack compared his game to powerful backs like Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. It’s a good comparison to have. He’s shown the ability to brush off the first tackle and keep moving forward. When the weather gets cold, that’s an important skill to have.
And as for what it meant to get the D1 call from the Blue Devils?
“The school took a chance on me when nobody else would. So I owe them the world for that,” he said.
He’ll start repaying CCSU for their faith in 2026.
NECBlitz Cannot Solve The T-Shirt Problem
Believe me, I’ve tried.
Like many fans of FCS ball, I’ve watched Homefield Apparel pick up partnerships one by one with large schools, slowly making their way down into the G5 ranks and releasing vintage apparel in “drops.” I don’t mean to criticize Homefield- this is not their fault. I’ve worked with them personally before and have only good things to say about them.
But for schools in the NEC, Division II, and Division III… well, Homefield ain’t walking through that door to give you the kind of cool vintage apparel we’re after.
I call this the “T-Shirt Problem.” Homefield frequently sells tees to people who aren’t really even fans of the team. The designs are so cool that anyone might be interested in a Hawaii Rainbow Warriors tee, regardles of affiliation. It’s a boon for Hawaii and the teams get more visibility. They might even pick up a few new fans because of it.
But these effects are not felt by schools that do not get approached by Homefield.
I put a lot on myself in this website, but I decided that rather than waiting for someone to design cool retro shirts, it was time to do it myself. And in doing so, I knew I needed to obtain licenses.
There are multiple college football licensing companies, but the biggest is CLC and they were the first I approached. I made mock ups and a prototype of a very cool New Haven Chargers 1997 Lambert Cup tee, submitted it, and paid the $250 fee just to submit a request.
In the grand scheme of things, when we’re talking about money and large companies with designers and accountants, well, $250 is not a lot. The problem only comes into play when you remember who is submitting it and what the intentions are.
NECBlitz is not a large organization. In fact, it is one person. Regarding intentions, well… I saw a gap not in the market but in school perception and wanted to address it as, well, I have for a lot of our projects. There’s no NEC Football Preview Magazine- address. There’s no NEC Football based website- address. There’s no volleyball media day- address. In this case, there aren’t retro shirts that can give fans something cool to wear. I worked to address it. You don’t expect to make a lot of money on these things. In my case, I can pull back the curtain enough to tell you that, well, I don’t.
(You can click the “Buy Me A Coffee” icon in the bottom right hand corner! Sorry.)
So you’re already behind the 8-ball a lttle bit here. You now need to make $250 worth of sales to break even, and breaking even is everything when it comes to being able to continue this work. That means making sure the price of the product is healthy, because you also have to pay generally a 12% royalty. If you’re going after a passion project to serve a need for an entire fanbase, you’re trying to keep prices as low as possible because, you know, ethics. But what can you do?
So you move forward and submit the applications. The designs were great, and so they were approved. It is here you face the insurmountable hurdle.
At this point, I was given the notice that I would need to produce the insurance, a manufacturing form (I think; I ended up working with two different licensing firms, and this may have been the other one), and a requirement to order and apply holographic stickers.
This would not be such a problem if our model wasn’t designed specifically to work within the limitations of what NECBlitz is- a one man organization that already represents 60-80 working hours a week during the season, and another 60-80 during the closing days of the magazine.
Our model was to use a print on demand service to manufacture, sell, and ship the tees. I guess I could have bought blank tees and iron on logos, taken each order individually from maybe Gumshoe, and then shipped them myself. To be honest, though, I don’t have the bandwidth to do that and I’ve already contributed $250 dollars of risk. A company can take on more, but NECBlitz just can’t.
First and foremost, this is a one person operation that happens to do the work of entire departments in writing articles, producing radio, interviewing coaches, writing a magazine, managing a 90 year old trophy, designing apparel… you name it. But taking on an insurance policy is, well, pretty much something you would do as an apparel company.
Even if this hurdle were able to be crossed, taking on even more financial risk, I would then have to somehow get the holographic stickers on a product that our model specifically requires that I am never around. This is no longer a financial problem but a physical impossibility. So, at least with the CLC, the process has no choice but to end right there.
What I’ve learned from this is that for at least this particular licensing company, the deck isn’t stacked against outfits like NECBlitz- it’s specifically designed to keep them out of the space. I don’t know if it was designed by larger firms or designed for larger firms, but the ultimate cost here is that through no fault of their own, I’m unable to produce apparel for New Haven, because the system in place is made in such a way that it is impossible for me to do so. It seems intentional, but that’s a feeling, not a fact.
Did I mention that licensing even one school costs anywhere from $150-$250 depending on the licensing company, and therefore licensing for 9 schools… well, unless something changes dramatically, you can forget about it.
There are other licensing companies and some even are in charge of licensing out NEC schools. I do think that in the next calendar year we’ll have some apparel out and we’ll be able to give some schools the love they deserve. How many depends on magazine sales and donations- a strange case where you’re selling products to fund products, but there you go.
It’s a tough defeat for me when NECBlitz consistently and habitually punches way above its weight class, but as it turns out, there is something that NECBlitz can absolutely not pull off- giving fans what bigger outfits will not, when the system looks designed to keep them out.
NECBlitz All-NEC Teams Unveiled
NEC Blitz is proud to release our All-NEC teams- the first such teams released this season. Additionally, we have given awards for Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year.
QB Brady Olson CCSU
RB Elijah Howard CCSU
RB Brian Trobel Mercyhurst
WR Joey Isabella Duquesne
WR Dylan Evans Mercyhurst
TE Chaz Middleton RMU
OL Cameron McLaurin Duquesne
OL Brian Beidatsch Jr Duquesne
OL Brady Anderson Wagner
OL Donnie Hardin LIU
OL Karl Khuns CCSU
DL Jack Dunkley Duquesne
DL Logan Barnes Wagner
DL Scoop Gardner, Jr. LIU
DL Luke Kelley New Haven
LB Charles Battaglia Stonehill
LB Malachi Wright CCSU
LB Geno Calgaro SFU
DB Robert Dickerson RMU
DB Trey Watkins LIU
DB Christopher Jean CCSU
DB Dallas Harper Duquesne
QB Luca Stanzani LIU
RB Ness Davis Duquesne
RB Andre Hines Wagner
WR Jeremiah Colclough Wagner
WR Kevonne Wilder New Haven
WR Zachary Kim Stonehill
OL Isaiah DeLoatch CCSU
OL Nick Crespo Stonehill
OL Tommy Brandt Duquesne
OL La-Quann Gaddy CCSU
OL Connor Van Tassell SFU
DL Jonas King Mercyhurst
DL Ethan Appolon Wagner
DL Kevin Kurzinger Duquesne
LB Gavin Taylor CCSU
LB Mitchell Robinson, Jr. RMU
LB Tyson Meiguez Duquesne
LB Jack Stoll CCSU
DB Sam Martin Wagner
DB DJ Cerisier Duquesne
DB Antonio Epps Duquesne
DB Brodie Williams New Haven
Red Flash Portal Tracker Launched
We want to make it as easy as possible for Saint Francis players to find new homes with the transition from Division I to Division III. To do that, we’ve launched the Red Flash Portal Tracker.
It lists player names, positions, eligibility, and HUDL info. We’ve been in contact with several coaches already and are hopeful that these efforts make a difference for Red Flash players searching to continue their scholarship football career.
How to Scoreboard Watch 11/22/25
We’re almost at the final Saturday of the season, and the NEC Championship and an AQ to the playoffs still is hanging in the balance. No matter what game you’re watching on Saturday, you’ve got a lot of other action to follow. The players on the field may need to take care of business first, but as a fan you’re more than allowed to keep tabs on what else is happening- you’re probably even encouraged to do so! It’s the final week of a pennant race and the excitement is going to be both on your field and the fields you follow via the scorebug on NECBlitz.com. (You can also follow this on ESPN, but if you’re following the NEC I assume that you’re not really into ESPN’s coverage of the big schools exclusively).
Mercyhurst at CCSU
This is the big one- the only game where both teams are competing for a championship on the same field.
If CCSU wins: The Blue Devils clinch an outright NEC title and the AQ spot to the FCS Playoffs. This likely means a chance to compete for the Lambert Cup as well.
If Mercyhurst wins: The Lakers will clinch a share of the NEC Championship. They are ineligible for postseason competition, but they do get to hang a banner. CCSU will have to scoreboard watch Duquesne at RMU to find out if they get the autobid. They cannot win the title outright with a Mercyhurst win.
Duquesne at RMU
In this Pittsburgh rivalry, Duquesne is still alive for the AQ spot as well as a share of the NEC title. RMU is eliminated.
If Duquesne wins: The Dukes will have to scoreboard watch Mercyhurst at CCSU. If the Lakers win, the Dukes earn the autobid and a share of the NEC Championship. If the Blue Devils win, Duquesne cannot win a share or autobid.
If RMU wins: The CCSU Blue Devils win the autobid regardless of other result, along with a share of the championship with at least Mercyhurst and possibly Wagner.
Wagner at LIU
In the Boroughs Brawl, Wagner is alive for a share of the championship but cannot win the autobid.
If Wagner wins: The Seahawks will have to scoreboard watch Mercyhurst at CCSU to find out if they win a share of the NEC Championship and a banner. If the Lakers win, Wagner will win a share of the Championship. If the Blue Devils win, CCSU earns the autobid and the outright championship regardless of result.
If LIU wins: The Sharks are eliminated from NEC Championship contention, but will be comforted by eliminating their rival regardless of other results.
Saint Francis at Stonehill
There are no championship implications, but it is Saint Francis’s final Division I football game and last chance to earn a win on the season.
Competition’s Not a Dirty Word
Credit: Cameron Horning
We had the Lakers projected to go 1-6 in conference.
I didn’t see it. In my conversations preseason with Coach Riemedio, he stressed competition at positions along the offensive line and throughout the team. The Lakers were losing first team WR Cameron Barmore to Arizona in the Big 12 and while I had a lot of confidence in the skill positions on offense, it takes a lot more than that to win football games. I knew the Lakers were solid at QB, RB, and WR- granted, I didn’t know how solid at WR they were- but defensively I wasn’t sure what they really had and the offensive line was still being bolstered by transfers.
I think part of the problem was that word, too- “competition.”
It used to be a key part of college football. Recruits come in and almost always go the distance at their selected school. They have to compete for playing time, compete for starting positions, even for jersey numbers- and that competition was always good for a team. But in today’s transfer-heavy world, we see competition and I think the first thought isn’t that this is a good thing for building a football team so much as a sign that they haven’t found the guy to walk in and be handed a job yet.
It’s almost as though there’s a stigma with competition now.
But the Lakers built their team, competed, and by fall camp were ready to go. We knew they had the skill players, but they hadn’t been able to upgrade anywhere else and so even if they played well, they certainly wouldn’t be heading into conference play with momentum. But that’s not what happened.
The Lakers rolled into Youngstown with the Penguins expected to win easily. But Mercyhurst competed for 4 quarters and could have even won the game. Then they took Sacramento State and Montana State into the 4th quarter. Even in these losses, the Lakers were competitive.
Hey, there’s that word again.
The funny thing is, there were times when the Lakers made other teams look uncompetitive. A 48-14 (unofficially conference) win over New Haven comes to mind. The Lakers were far from beaten down by the test Youngstown State gave them. On the contrary, they looked like everything I had hoped for from a skill position- and much more. Dylan Evans emerged from a crowded wide receiver room as a standout, and the defense was anything but a question mark. In college football today, you look for the standout transfers, the guys who are never going to have to battle for a job. But the Lakers were full of guys sharpened by their own iron, and the defense didn’t need big names to play hard in practice and in the games.
After a rugged nonconference schedule, Mercyhurst entered conference play with some expectations just based on the games they had given YSU, Sac State, and Montana State. This was the first time this particular group of Lakers had contended with expectations. Sometimes, it’s easier toiling in your own corner than having a spotlight. Now, fans and media alike were wondering if this team who had given the big boys everything they could handle would be able to compete in conference play. But the Lakers didn’t look up. They just kept competing.
As they began their first ever Division I conference schedule, the Lakers continued raising eyebrows. They knocked off a Long Island team that had beaten FBS Eastern Michigan, and followed it up by taking Staten Island with a 19-7 victory. The no-name defense was blanketing teams like a Lake Erie snowstorm, and suddenly the Lakers were at 2-0 in conference (3-0 with the unofficial win over New Haven) and the hype was no longer possible to ignore. The game against Duquesne loomed large, and everyone with an eye on the NEC knew how big of a game this was between two 2-0 teams in Western Pennsylvania.
Just like competition teaches us in football, so does adversity. And the Lakers were about to get plenty of it.
A 37-0 loss under the lights in Erie was as disappointing as it was shocking. Just as we had begun to believe in Mercyhurst, it seemed like the Dukes gave them- and the media covering this league- a reality check. There was an aggression on the Duquesne sideline and maybe an energy that couldn’t quite be matched, even when visitors on site spoke highly about how the Lakers staff never stopped teaching. When the dust settled, it was two weeks later in a bye week. A talented Stonehill team beat the Lakers the next week 22-15, but as good as the Skyhawks played, there looked like an element of a hangover in the contest for Mercyhurst. It was as though the Dukes had managed to beat them twice.
Chances for revenge will come next season and we hope to see many more Duquesne/Mercyhurst contests. But as they stumbled into a bye week, all of the belief and optimism was beginning to evaporate for the Lakers.
But from my perspective, it sure looked like the Lakers cleared their head, finally closed the book on Duquesne, and moved forward. And that no-name Lake Show spirit was back in full force, and once again, competing.
Saint Francis gave Mercyhurst everything they could handle, having a lead over the Lakers with under a minute to go. A timely touchdown pass to Dylan Evans from quarterback Adam Urena pushed them in front and the slide was over. Mercyhurst was up to 3-2 in conference officially and had battled to the final whistle yet again. The next week against Robert Morris, the Lakers had appeared to be up to full speed again, battling hard in a close game they were able to break open as regulation wound down. Yet again, the defense held the Colonials under 20 points- something they’ve done in four conference games already this season.
Almost out of nowhere, the Lakers were 4-2, and with a win on Saturday would earn a share of the NEC championship- in just their second year in Division I, and their first year as an NEC member. For a team that didn’t have much expected of them, the feat would be remarkable. But even if they can’t pull it off, yet again the Lakers are battling to the final whistle.
Or, should we say, competing.
When I think about what makes college football great in the places where it still has the spirit that made me fall in love with it in the first place so many years ago, I think about the unexpected happening. That a group of young men on scholarship bettering themselves in the classroom can also come together on the football field, learn how to be adults, and shock the nation. This same spirit has been trampled in many of the great stages of the game, places where television revenue and the allure of chasing dollars to become a minor league have replaced why we started playing in the first place. But it isn’t dead here in the NEC.
It’s hard to keep up this pace and to cover college football at breakneck speed. If you don’t stop and find reasons to keep loving it, you’ll burn out. You just won’t do this anymore.
I’m glad there’s a 2025 Mercyhurst Lakers to remind me why I still believe. They’ve been the most fun part of watching NEC ball in 2025 for me.
And there’s no competition.