LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates football team enters the 2023 season with a strong base of talent, thanks to a massive 39-player first-year recruiting class brought in by second-year head coach
Matt Coyne. Many of the rookies will experience trial-by-fire, but in the long term, the Bobcats are building to a place where they expect to compete for NESCAC championships in the not-too-distant future.
Bates opens its season this Friday when the Bobcats host Wesleyan at 7pm on the new Garcelon Field turf.
THE PARTICULARS:
What: Bates (3-6, 2022) vs. Wesleyan (6-3, 2022)
When: Friday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m.
Where: Garcelon Field (Lewiston, Maine)
Live Coverage: Video | Stats
All-Time Series: Wesleyan leads 36-4
Previous Meeting: Wesleyan 41, Bates 10 (Sept. 17, 2022)
Offense
Quarterbacks
The Bobcats return one of the most prolific passers in school history at the quarterback position. Junior captain Colton Bosselait (Westminster, Mass.) broke the school record for touchdowns in a season with 21 touchdowns accounted for: 17 passing, four rushing, in 2022. That total surpasses the program record of 19 formerly held by Chuck Laurie '79, who set the mark back in 1978. Bosselait's 17 passing touchdowns tied him with Laurie and Jim Murphy '69 for the most passing touchdowns in one season in Bates history. His 1,817 passing yards last year broke a record set by Brendan Costa '22 in 2021, when Costa passed for a then-record 1,680 yards.
But for the Bobcats to take the next step, Bosselait will need to cut down on the interceptions. He was picked off 15 times a year ago, the most interceptions thrown in the NESCAC.
"We just have to clean it up a little bit and obviously that comes with experience and growth," Coyne said. "We understand what he can do when he's firing on all cylinders. We know we have a great quarterback and I think he's done a really good job in the off-season of just understanding the mistakes. But he's a kid that washes, rinses, repeats, when it happens. He goes out there and plays without fear, and that's one of his best attributes."
The Bobcats have a strong back-up in senior Liam Foley (Foxborough, Mass.), who started a pair of games to begin last season before going down with an injury. Sophomore Jack Perry (Newbury, Mass.) provides depth, and Bates fans should be excited about rookie Seneca Moore (Lansing, Mich.), who Coyne thinks has the potential to be a star down the road for the Bobcats.
Running Backs
First-year Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) brings some instant excitement to the running backs room, and earned the starting job thanks to his explosiveness and an impressive fall camp.
"Honestly, we were looking at him on the defensive side of the ball and we saw his first day at running back and thought, 'man this kid's special.'" Coyne said. "He's had about four or five 80-yard touchdown runs in practice already and he's got some speed to him and we feel really confident with him catching the ball out of the backfield as well."
Sophomore Jack Morrall (Hopkinton, N.H.), junior Jamil Mouehla (Harrington Park, N.J.), sophomore Xander Scavone (Ridgefield, Conn.), and sophomore Adam Steinberg (Westborough, Mass.) provide solid depth for the coaching staff to work with in the running backs room.
Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
The Bobcats have a lot to replace at the wide receiver position. Four of their top five receivers from a year ago graduated. Their leading returning receiver is the big tight end, senior captain Steven Guerrette (Bow, N.H.), who should be a force to be reckoned with in the NESCAC this season. Last year, he was effective when targeted, catching 11 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown. Senior Alex Suny (North Reading, Mass.) is another tight end who has played a lot of football for Bates.
The Bobcats' three starters at wide receiver for Saturday's game against Wesleyan are sophomore converted quarterback Sergio Beltran (East Palo Alto, Calif.), junior men's basketball player Drew Sachs (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), who joined the football team last year, and sophomore Maverick Selementi (Montclair, N.J.), who did not get in a game last year, an interesting group to be sure.
"I think the off-season was pivotal for all three of them," Coyne said. "They worked their tails off, starting with Sachs. I mean, this kid came out for the team last year, we knew right away he was going to have potential. He's worked closely with coach James Mayden and really perfected his craft."
"Sergio's one of the best athletes on the field," Coyne added. "He's twitchy, he's fast, he understands football. Converting from quarterback to receiver isn't as uncommon as people think for athletic quarterbacks because they understand coverage and routes and how to get across the field. Then Maverick had a great camp, and honestly I wasn't expecting to see this from him, it's great. His work ethic in the off-season was second to none and he's just a kid that catches everything thrown his way."
The Bobcats will also feature senior Zoo Jones (Philadelphia, Pa.), who emerged late last year with a highlight-reel catch in a win at Hamilton to close the season on a high note.
Offensive Line
The Bobcats have a pair of stout and experienced tackles to protect against edge rushers. Senior Peter Simplicio (West Hartford, Conn.) protects Bosselait's blind side, while senior captain Cole De Magistris (Emerson, N.J.) is the starting right tackle. De Magistris has played at numerous spots on the line throughout his Bates career, has dabbled at tight end, and is also the team's long snapper.
"They've taken on a great leadership role," Coyne said of his tackles. "Last year, having three guys that were in their fifth year, they were around them and didn't have to be as vocal, and now they've taken the interior of the line under their wings and created great relationships."
The youth on the interior features a pair of first-years and senior Tyler Castriotta (Milford, Mass.), who has earned a starting job after limited playing time the past two seasons.
"Tyler is another guy who took the off-season program seriously and he came into camp and really surprised us in a great way," Coyne said. "That's what you want to see throughout your program as you develop a culture, as you see these guys buy in. It's really nice to see him out there because he's got some experience of just playing football. But we definitely need those older guys to get our young pups comfortable out there at center and guard."
Defense
Defensive Backs
The last line of defense for the Bobcats will be a pair of first-year safeties, who according to Coyne, are "built different."
Rookies Michael Spencer (Mansfield, Texas) and Jack Morrison (Manchester Center, Vt.) come to Bates ready to add speed and toughness to the secondary.
"We understand one of the toughest things that we can't coach is experience," Coyne said. "It's a learned trait and you have to work through that. So you have to sometimes fail your way to success and you learn from it and you grow. But these guys have a nice confidence about them, they showed right away that it doesn't matter for them. They won the job. So they're out there playing and I know they're going to make plays on Saturday."
Senior Jarrin Sato (Honolulu, Hawaii) brings a lot of experience in the secondary and will take over the boundary cornerback role this season, while sophomore Presley Green (Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Fla.) earned a starting spot as well. Sato is the team's leading returning tackler, having tallied 54 total tackles last season.
"Jarrin's an unbelievable kid," Coyne said. "He's smart as can be, taking tests right now to go to Dental School, and he's taken on more of a leadership role as well. He was a safety and all summer we're saying, 'Hey, we want you at corner because we want to get these best 11 on the field.' And he's like, 'Let's do it.'"
Senior Johnny Walker (Brooklyn, N.Y.), a true walk-on who had never played football before coming to Bates, should be in the mix for playing time once healthy, as he worked his way into the starting lineup last season.
Linebackers
It's a whole new look at the linebacker position this year as well for the Bobcats.
With the graduation of two-time All-NESCAC middle linebacker Tony Hooks '23, sophomore Jackson Collins (Glen Ridge, N.J.) steps into one of the most important positions in football. He will be flanked by first-years Matthew-Michael Assivero (Ottawa, Ontario) and Ryan Rozich (Cromwell, Conn.), all of whom will be counted on for preventing opposing running backs from getting to the second level.
"Jackson is a 'Dick Butkus' middle linebacker, man," Coyne said. "He loves to hit, he loves to pad up. He's definitely a run filler and he's used to that lifestyle inside the box from playing down on the first level. He has really helped solidify the interior of our defense."
Coyne is impressed by the athleticism of the rookie outside linebackers, as Assivero can "play anywhere" and Rozich "brings speed to our team we haven't really had before" but knows it will take some time for the unit to gel.
"At times we dealt with a few injuries during camp, and when that happens it's time for somebody to step up and then we tell them, 'you don't want to ever let anybody take it back,'" Coyne said. "Internal competition is great. Obviously, we understand we're a younger overall team, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter. You're out there, you're a college football player, you're a starter, go out there and do your job."
Defensive Line
While the Bobcats are young in the secondary and at linebacker, Bates has a lot of experience on the defensive line. Junior captain Matt Juneau (Wakefield, Mass.) will play on the edge in somewhat of a hybrid role. Coyne calls Juneau a "Swiss Army Knife" who provides invaluable leadership.
Meanwhile, senior Kyle Hamilton (White River Junction, Vt.), junior Drew Kremhelmer (Warren, Mich.), and junior Finn Duffey (Scituate, Mass.) man the interior. The four combined for 104 total tackles last year, with Juneau leading the way at 37 stops.
Beyond the starting four, the depth on the defensive line is what really encourages the coaching staff. Players like seniors Alex Zunino (East Granby, Conn.) and Michael Cruz (Rollinsford, N.H.) can rotate in, along with a number of talented first-years.
"Playing a 4-3 defense last year with about four or five defensive linemen is tough," Coyne said. "You're almost wearing yourself out. So we have some depth. We feel comfortable with about eight to 10 defensive linemen going into the game, and that's something that we just didn't have last year."
Special Teams
When it comes to special teams, the Bobcats have an experienced punter in senior Archie Green Jr. (Upland, Calif.), who averaged 36.6 yards per punt last season, with a long of 61. Green Jr. handled place kicking duties last year, but this season rookie Marcos Ruiz (Haskell, N.J.) is expected to take over that role. Once healthy, sophomore Parker Huynh-Benningfield (Austin, Texas) will factor into the mix as well.
"All three guys have really bought into the competition," Coyne said. "With kicking it's pretty straightforward. We chart everything, we look at it and it's right there for you. Archie has been a good leader in that group and Marcos has been making 40-plus yard field goals in practice with room to spare."
Coaching Staff
The Bobcats have two newcomers to the coaching staff this year. Matt Wehrhahn joins the program as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Meanwhile, Kadeem Edge is the new running backs coach. But the other five assistant coaches all return from a year ago.
"The retention of the staff was important to me and we did a really good job with that," Coyne said. "We didn't lose any guys for lateral moves or anything like that. It was just a better situation for their families, and over time, you do have that in this profession. When we get this thing rolling, it's going to be a little harder to keep them around. That's part of the process."
BATES' PROBABLE STARTERS:
OFFENSE
OL 73 Peter Simplicio Sr. 6-5 280
OL 60 Tyler Castriotta Sr. 6-0 285
OL 66 John Antolik Fy. 6-1 280
OL 72 Kevin McDonald Fy. 6-3 255
OL 63 Cole De Magistris Sr. 6-4 270
WR 84 Drew Sachs Jr. 6-0 190
WR 6 Sergio Beltran So. 5-11 180
WR 80 Maverick Selementi So. 6-0 185
TE 89 Steven Guerrette Sr. 6-3 232
RB 4 Ryan Lynskey Fy. 5-11 190
QB 8 Colton Bosselait Jr. 6-0 210
DEFENSE
DL 90 Matt Juneau Jr. 6-1 227
DL 93 Drew Kremhelmer Jr. 6-0 275
DL 99 Finn Duffey Jr. 5-10 250
DL 98 Kyle Hamilton Sr. 6-3 245
LB 44 Jackson Collins So. 5-11 225
LB 39 Ryan Rozich Fy. 5-11 205
LB 2 Matthew-Michael Assivero Fy. 5-11 195
DB 12 Presley Green So. 5-9 175
DB 0 Jarrin Sato Sr. 5-8 170
DB 23 Jack Morrison Fy. 5-10 195
DB 5 Michael Spencer Fy. 5-10 162
SPECIALISTS
P 35 Archie Green Jr. Sr 5-11 185
K 49 Marcos Ruiz Fy. 5-8 200
WESLEYAN'S PROBABLE STARTERS:
OFFENSE
QB 19 Nico Candido Jr. 6-2 200
TB 33 Ezra Jenifer Gr. 6-2 220
TE 84 Matt Luttenburger Sr. 6-2 230
WR 0 Thomas Elkhoury Sr. 6-0 175
WR 6 Chase Wilson Jr. 6-1 180
WR 13 Liam Kennedy Jr. 5-10 175
OL 59 Justin Lockwood Sr. 6-2 260
OL 79 Ryan Caserta Jr. 6-4 275
OL 61 Liam Reardon Sr. 6-2 275
OL 62 Mario Lee Jr. 6-1 250
OL 52 Gavin Tatum Jr. 6-4 255
DEFENSE
DE 55 Declan Welch So. 6-1 240
DT 90 Mike Rowan Jr. 6-3 245
DT 95 Pat Boujoukos Sr. 6-3 270
DE 9 Colton Weier Sr. 6-2 235
LB 8 Ben Carbeau Jr. 6-1 215
LB 35 Brian Carmichael Sr. 6-2 225
LB 45 Jake Edwards Sr. 5-11 210
DB 5 Jack Nally Sr. 5-11 185
DB 4 Chris Guttman Gr. 6-0 200
DB 1 Wesley Abraham Jr. 5-10 175
DB 20 Sean Walker Jr. 5-10 170
SPECIALISTS
P 31 Gage Hammond Fy. 5-11 180
K 28 Daniel Yoon Sr. 5-10 170
