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2006 Season Preview

The Colby football team heads into 2006 looking to build upon a strong finish to the 2005 season, which saw the Mules finish 7-1, retain the coveted CBB Championship, and earn a spot as the second-ranked team in New England Division III.

Colby returns a veteran team with 30 letter winners back. Tom Bourdeau ’07 and Justin Smith ’07 will captain the team in 2006. Bourdeau has been a key member of the offensive line, while Smith has been starting quarterback since the final three games of his first year at Colby.

Smith and running back Chris Bashaw ’08 will give the Mules a dangerous offensive backfield. Smith threw for 976 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2005 and Bashaw ran for 508 yards (5.8 yards per carry) and showed the ability to catch the ball. Casey Shea ’09 is a leading candidate to start at fullback.

While Brennan Moore ’07 moves into a full-time role at tight end, Colby has other solid targets for Smith. Matt Peabody ’07, Justin Candon ’08, Jonathan Forsythe ’07, and a host of talented underclassmen make up the receiving corps.

Bourdeau will anchor the offensive line along with Brett Sabbag ’07 and Mike Paleokrassas ’07. Younger players will need to step in and fill the void left by the graduation of some fine linemen.

The Mules will have depth at linebacker and in the defensive backfield on defense. Andrew Heaney ’07, Paul Howanitz ’07, Josh Donabedian ’07, John Murphy ’09, and Jackson Parker ’07 will all start or see quality minutes at linebacker.

Mike Bracco ’07 and Brian Liberty ’07 each earned NESCAC Defensive Player of the Week honors last year in the secondary. Bracco led the Mules in total tackles (67), solo tackles (45), and interceptions (4). Liberty was sixth in tackles and also had one interception. Greg Enos ’08 had two interceptions in a reserve role last year and will fight for starting spots with Andrew Roland ’07, Tom Daley ’09, and Alex Halls ’09.

Mike Poplaski ’07 and Scott Roulson ’07 are returning starters on the defensive line, while Kevin Bird ’09 played plenty of minutes last year.

On special teams, Brian Bachow ’09 will be one of the kickers/punters.

2005 Season Recap

The Colby football team finished second in the NESCAC and won the coveted Colby-Bates-Bowdoin title for the third straight year.

After going 6-2 under head coach Ed Mestieri in his first season in 2004, Colby improved to 7-1 this fall. The Mules won their final four games, including an impressive 28-3 road win over Bowdoin to end the season.

Senior tight end Roddy Ames earned New England Football Writers Division II/III honors and was a first team all-conference selection. Senior co-captain Dan Oliphant was named to the first team offensive line for the second straight season. Ames led Colby in scoring with six touchdowns for 36 points, while Oliphant will play for the American squad against a Mexican team in the Aztec Bowl in December.

Senior running back Aaron Stepka, senior wide receiver Michael Tomich, junior linebacker Andrew Heaney and defensive back Mike Bracco all earned NESCAC second team honors. Stepka finished his career with 3,465 yards and 27 touchdowns while earning all-conference honors three times and NESCAC Offensive Rookie of the Year. Tomich averaged 20.2 yards per catch and led the Mules in catches and receiving touchdowns, Heaney was second on the team in total tackles, and Bracco led the Mules in total tackles, solo tackles and interceptions.

Colby competes in the 11-member New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), comprised of select NCAA Division III colleges that emphasize academic and athletic excellence. The Mules also participate in an annual in-state series with NESCAC rivals Bates and Bowdoin, a series that incorporates two of the longest-running football rivalries in the nation. Colby has earned considerable success in CBB competition in recent years, compiling a 24-7-1 record since 1988.

Studying abroad in the spring is an option for Colby football players, and in the past players have studied in London, Spain, Australia, Ireland, Africa, and South America.

Colby has a wide geographical mix among its players, with student athletes from all over the United States. Many Colby football alumni remain active in the game. Eric DeCosta '93, the Director of College Scouting for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, is the youngest Director of College Scouting in the NFL. Mark Jackson '95 earned two national championship rings as the director of football operations at the University of Southern California before moving to Syracuse University last spring as the associate director of men's athletics. Colby graduates coach at colleges and universities such as Virginia, Dartmouth, New Hampshire, and the University of Chicago. Others teach and coach at the high school and prep school level.

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