Coast Guard at Springfield football preview capsule
Oct. 8—WHEN — Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Where: Stagg Field, Springfield, Mass. (spectators are allowed)
Records: Coast Guard 2-3 overall, 0-1 NEWMAC; Springfield 1-3, 0-0.
Players to watch: Coast Guard: QB Tafari Wall (80-for-154, 991 yards, 6 TDs, 9 INTs), RB Jared Colletti (108 carries, 555 yards, 3 TDs; 18 catches, 186 yards, 2 TDs), TE Matt Ross (20 catches, 152 yards), WR Damaso Jaime (19 catches, 352 yards, 3 TDs), LB Michael Palermo (48 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 1 INT, 5 quarterback hurries), LB Connor Healy (36 tackles), LB Ethan Lasher (4 INTs), DB William Price (3 INTs), K-P Finnegan Hall (11-for-13 XP, 5-for-9 FGs, 37.6 yards per punt).
Springfield, QB David Wells (8-for-22, 184 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs; 45 carries, 162 yards, 2 TDs), FB Tim Callahan (67 carries, 357 yards, 4 TDs), RB Isaiah Cashwell-Doe (24 carries, 227 yards, 2 TDs), LB Aidan Lewin (42 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks), DB Kyle Niehr (36 tackles), DB Ronnie Beard (1 INT).
Analysis: Springfield opened the season with four difficult opponents — Western New England, Rowan, Union and Husson — all on the road, accounting for the Pride's 1-3 record. Now, Coast Guard must stop a Springfield triple-option attack which is averaging 315.3 rushing yards per game, led by 225-pound All-NEWMAC fullback Tim Callahan. "It changes a lot," Coast Guard freshman linebacker Ethan Lasher said. "We don't have as much pass responsibility (on defense) as we usually do." "Totally different. Totally different," Coast Guard coach C.C. Grant said of defending the run-based triple-option. "If you said to me before the season, based on your defense, what two games are you most concerned about, it would be Springfield and Merchant Marine just because it's the option. Most of the other type of teams run some type of spread. ... Because it's such a different teaching, so different from anything else that we do normally, there's a lot of teaching this week." ... Coast Guard, meanwhile, has also created a strong running attack this season behind 5-foot-9 junior Jared Colletti, who is averaging a league-best 111 rushing yards per game, coming off a career-high 195 yards in last week's loss to Norwich. "He's got unbelievable ability," Grant said of Colletti. "Besides his speed, I would say one of Jared's greatest attributes is that he can make a play when there's no play there to be made. On Saturday on one of the plays, he reversed the field when nothing was there and he picked up like 12-15 yards. ... He has the ability to make people miss. I think people misjudge sometimes how fast he is." ... Coast Guard's three losses are by a combined 11 points. ... Springfield has won seven straight against the Bears, including the last meeting in 2019, a 20-14 Pride victory. ... Springfield is coming off a bye week, having lost to Husson 26-21 on Sept. 25. The Pride, picked to win the NEWMAC by the league's coaches, are coached by Mike Cerasuolo. ... East Lyme grad Cam Hart is listed on the Springfield depth chart as the backup to senior Ryan Deguire at halfback. Blane Hart, Cam's twin and another former East Lyme standout, is also on the roster at halfback.
— Vickie Fulkerson
