LEWISTON – Bates College doesn’t have to dig far into the memory bank to unearth hope for next Saturday’s football season-opener at home against Trinity.
True, the Bantams have enjoyed back-to-back undefeated seasons and carry a 22-game winning streak into Garcelon Field. But turning around troubling trends is something the Bobcats have done splendidly in recent seasons under coach Mark Harriman.
Two autumns ago, Bates beat Williams for the first time ever. Last year’s victory over Wesleyan ended a 17-game losing streak against the Cardinals that dated back to 1982.
“You gain a lot from winning those kinds of games,” Harriman said.
Bates football has progressed remarkably in eight seasons under Harriman. In the six years before the Westbrook native’s arrival on campus, the downtrodden program won a total of two games.
One notable obstacle remains, and that’s the first winning season since 1981. Ten returning offensive starters and seven defensive veterans make five wins a realistic goal for Bates, which went 2-6 in 2004, provided the Bobcats hold their own in a rugged first half that includes the Trinity showdown and road trips to Williams and Wesleyan.
Sophomore Brandon Colon is back at quarterback after winning New England Small College Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year honors and invigorating the Bates offense. Colon won the starting job in Week 3 and completed just under 50 percent of his passes.
He threw for five touchdowns and rushed for three. Colon also set Bates’ single-game completion record against Colby, when he connected on 28-of-52 for 294 yards.
“Colon really made our offense complete,” Harriman said. “We’ve always been able to run the ball for the most part, but he gives us a different dimension.”
Jamie Sawyer, a junior, continues Bates’ recent tradition of having one of the league’s premier running backs. Sawyer was dogged by injuries throughout last season, but he rushed for 181 yards and two TDs in a win over Hamilton.
Sawyer finished as NESCAC’s seventh-leading rusher for the season despite the bad wheels.
“There were only two games in which he was healthy enough to run the way we know he can,” Harriman said.
Junior Dylan McNamara is the top returning receiver in a group Harriman calls the most athletic of his tenure. Up front, three-year starting lineman John Pambianchi should help give Colon time to throw and Sawyer room to roam.
Local standouts Dave Bodger of Lewiston and Ron DiGravio of Farmington anchor the defense at linebacker. DiGravio moves across the line of scrimmage after leading the Bobcats with almost 500 yards rushing as a freshman.
Junior linemen Terence Ryan, who had seven tackles for loss last season, and Eric Obeng, the Bobcats’ leader in sacks, also return.
“Our goal is always to beat Bowdoin and Colby and win the CBB title,” said Harriman. “We’re still at a point as a program where we need to play every game like it’s the only game on our schedule.”
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