By Kalle Oakes,Staff Writer

Cole Parlin and Ron DiGravio enjoyed an early high school reunion last Saturday afternoon at Garcelon Field on the Bates College campus.

They didn’t grow up classmates, but Parlin and DiGravio did their share to build the foundation for this season’s undefeated Mt. Blue football team coached by Parlin’s dad, Gary. And it shouldn’t surprise anyone who watched those two all-purpose athletes in Farmington that they’re enjoying the limelight in the NCAA Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference.

Parlin, a senior wide receiver at Middlebury College, earned team bragging rights. The Panthers picked up their first victory of the NESCAC campaign by belting Bates, 41-7.

Both Mt. Blue alumni played well, however, with dry weather gracing the region’s college games for the first time in several weeks. Parlin caught two passes, giving him six for a total of 69 yards on the season.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound flanker’s average of 11.5 yards per catch ranks second on the team. Parlin is rounding into shape after missing two games early in the season.

DiGravio, meanwhile, has adapted nicely in his sophomore switch from offense to defense. The 5-11, 190-pound safety made five tackles, including three solo stops, against Middlebury. He ranks third on the Bobcats’ defense with 31 tackles in five games.

As a freshman, DiGravio stepped in for an injured Jamie Walker and led Bates with 471 rushing yards. The versatility fits DiGravio’s profile. In addition to his home in the secondary at Mt. Blue, he lined up at quarterback, inner receiver, tight end and running back for the Cougars.

Also at Bates, Dave Bodger of Lewiston is well on his way to leading the Bobcats in tackles for the second season in a row. The senior linebacker stopped Middlebury 14 times on Saturday and is up to 47 for the season.

Good news, bad news

Phil Warren of Brunswick was sidelined at the end of the University of Buffalo’s football game against Toledo with an ankle injury. The Bulls hope Warren won’t have to sit long, because the 270-pound freshman hit that speed bump just as he was becoming a focal point of the offense in his inaugural Division I-A season.

Before he sat out the final minutes of a 38-15 Mid-American Conference defeat, Warren carried 10 times for 48 yards. One week earlier, in a 27-7 loss to Bowling Green, Warren led Buffalo with career-highs of 17 carries and 92 yards, scoring his first college touchdown from six yards out.

Warren leads Buffalo with 4.9 yards per carry.

Buffalo elected to keep Warren in the backfield after he played both fullback and defensive end in one prep season at Kent (Conn.) School. Warren was all-New England and shared league MVP honors there.

Warren’s low-to-the-ground style yielded more than 2,000 yards and 27 touchdowns in his senior season at Brunswick. Warren and current Florida State basketball player Ralph Mims combined to direct the once downtrodden Dragons to the Eastern Class A football championship in 2003.

Asked why he chose Buffalo, Warren said, “I saw a program on the rise, and that’s the way my high school team was,” according to the school’s Web site.

Mustangs work up Swett

If this week’s mix of rain and snow didn’t herald the coming of basketball season, Central Maine Community College sounded the alarm Wednesday night with its annual alumni games. In conjunction with those contests, the Mustangs retired the uniform number of recently graduated women’s hoop standout Ashley Swett.

CMCC continues to hoop it up this weekend with the annual Can-Am Tournament, with the hosts welcoming men’s teams from Southern Maine Community College, St. Thomas University and the University of New Brunswick at Saint John. Tip-off is 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday, with the Mustangs playing at 8 p.m. the first day and 1 p.m. in the finale.

The Maine schools will face off with the maritime schools in the tournament, which changes venue each autumn.