LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates football program continues to grow under third-year head coach
Matt Coyne. With 50 underclassmen ready to make an impact, and key leaders entering their fourth and even fifth years at Bates, the Bobcats are primed to take on the NESCAC this season, starting Saturday when they visit Amherst for a 1 p.m. kick.
THE PARTICULARS:
What: Bates (0-0) at Amherst (0-0)
When: Saturday, Sept. 14, 1 p.m.
Where: Pratt Field at Lehrman Stadium (Amherst, Mass.)
Live Coverage: Video | Stats
All-Time Series: Amherst leads 29-5-2
Previous Meeting: Amherst 17, Bates 7 (Oct. 7, 2023 in Lewiston, Maine)
Offense
Quarterbacks
Senior captain Colton Bosselait (Westminster, Mass.) is back to lead the Bates offense this season. He tallied 1,313 passing yards over the course of eight games a year ago, throwing 11 touchdown passes to go along with eight interceptions. Bosselait recorded a completion percentage of 50.45%.
Bosselait has thrown for 3,574 yards in his 21 games as a Bobcat. Another strong year would put him in the top three in Bates football history for career passing yards. His 32 career passing touchdowns are 18 shy of the Bates record.
"Colton is our guy," Coyne said. "What he's gone through, having an experienced crew his sophomore year, but then having a completely new group of receivers last year, really impacted our offense. We talked about that this off-season, of just doing your 1/11th. And being a senior, he has played a ton of football and at quarterback you need guys out there that have been in the fire."
The quarterback room also features sophomore Seneca Moore (Lansing, Mich.), junior Jack Perry (Newbury, Mass.), and first-year Sean Greene (Bedford, N.H.). Moore got playing time as a rookie, appearing in eight games while completing 12 passes for 109 yards. The Bates track star also impressed with his feet, rushing for 106 yards, which was second on the team.
"Seneca has developed in the passing game," Coyne said. "He's developed his skill set, running the ball, and moving. He's a different athlete and we're very fortunate to have him there. Just like the rest of our quarterback room, he's continuing to develop. They have all really put in the work for that."
Running Backs
Sophomore Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) had an impressive debut last year when he scored two touchdowns against Wesleyan. Injuries slowed him down a bit, but Lynskey still led the team with 250 rushing yards on the season. He also had two receiving touchdowns to go along with 131 receiving yards.
Juniors Adam Steinberg (Westborough, Mass.) and Jack Morrall (Hopkinton, N.H.) return in the backfield as well, having chipped in 86 and 57 rushing yards respectively a year ago. Adding in first-years Ryan DeMayo (Concord, Mass.) and Tyler Walcott (Glen, N.H.) provides Bates with more depth.
"I think you want to have as many backs as possible because durability is everything and we're excited to see that whole room come together," Coyne said. "Ryan's coming back from an injury and he's looking great, his confidence is back and he's a heck of a player. But so are all of them, so we're excited for the possibilities."
Wide Receivers
Junior Sergio Beltran (East Palo Alto, Calif.) is the leading returning receiver for the Bobcats, having tallied 52 catches last year for 598 yards and four touchdowns. His 52 receptions ranked third in the NESCAC and third all-time at Bates for a single season. Junior Matthew Holmes (Carpinteria, Calif.) notched 12 catches for 182 yards and one touchdown, including a breakout performance against rival Colby, when Holmes caught six balls for 110 yards and a score. Senior Drew Sachs (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), sophomore Jake Walters (West Lafayette, Ind.) and junior Maverick Selementi (Montclair, N.J.) are returning contributors as well.
Bates fans can also expect to see a lot of new faces at receiver this year, with a number of first-years expected to contribute right away.
"We have a bunch of younger guys that are learning the craft, very talented individuals," Coyne said. "It's a lot of people, and they all put in that effort, they all put in the work."
Tight Ends
Fifth-year senior captain Steven Guerrette (Bow, N.H.) is a massive target for Bosselait, and is coming off a terrific 2023 campaign. He caught 27 passes for 322 yards and three touchdowns on the year, and is one of five Bobcats taking advantage of their extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Steve's been great and he's tough as nails," Coyne said. "You're never going to feel 100% until about three weeks after the season. So Steve, he takes on a lot of that workload, plays through a lot of little dings and nicks and things of that nature. And he's a high-caliber all-conference type player."
Coyne describes the tight ends room of Guerrette, junior Damien DiGiovine (Westford, Mass.), sophomore Camden Zambrowicz, and rookie Bryce Carberry (Dover, N.H.) as very physical, gritty, and possessing a keen understanding of their roles.
"That's the style of our entire offense," said Coyne.
Offensive Line
Led by fifth-year senior left tackle Peter Simplicio (West Hartford, Conn.), the Bates offensive line is looking to stay healthy this year to provide Bates a strong foundation up front.
"Offensive line is one of the toughest positions to play when you're young just because that's the biggest area where biologically just strength-wise and physicality-wise, you need some time there to build that up," Coyne said. "Big Pete has been a leader in that room and he's an all-conference caliber player. But we have a couple of younger guys that are going to be out there showing their stuff."
Sophomores John Antolik (Phoenix, Ariz.), Kevin McDonald (Atlanta, Ga.), and Andrew Finn (Foxborough, Mass.) return up front, and Bates fans can expect to see rookies Matthew Pierotti (Hanover, Mass.) and Ryder Smith (Castle Rock, Colo.) get a lot of early playing time.
"There's a plethora of depth there as well that has taken the next step through off-season training and just investment into their bodies," Coyne said. "We're starting to say, 'hey, we have 8 to 10 O-linemen now that we're okay putting on the field. Coach Owen Watrous has done a phenomenal job developing our guys within our scheme."
Defense
Defensive Backs
The Bobcats have 17 defensive backs to work with this year, boosted by a big recruiting class. Sophomore Matthew-Michael Assivero (Ottawa, Ontario) moves from linebacker to corner, while fifth-year senior Johnny Walker (Brooklyn, N.Y.) moves from corner to safety. Sophomore safeties Michael Spencer (Mansfield, Texas) and Jack Morrison (Manchester Center, Vt.) are both back, as well as junior cornerback Presley Green (Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Fla.).
Spencer led the team with six pass break-ups as a rookie, and Green chipped in four. Assivero was the only Bobcat last season to grab an interception, but Coyne says this unit is much-improved from a year ago.
"Those guys are flying to the ball, they're tackling, they're using their technique and they're really taking to the coaching of new defensive backs coach Kyle Suta," Coyne said. "As you look at it from the back half, and our team overall, it's very simple, we have to continually get better year-by-year. And obviously the youth is a product of that, but these guys have taken the next step in their development. They've taken the coaching and those guys want to be great, and that's the first step."
Linebackers
Senior captain Matt Juneau (Wakefield, Mass.) is the leading returning tackler for Bates, having notched 66 total tackles last year, including a team-high 32 solo stops.
"I remember my first year here, I challenged Juneau to enhance his game play overall," Coyne said. "He accepted that challenge. And he changed himself, he changed his body, changed his mindset, he bought in. Now he's always around the ball and his energy and effort will overcome any minor mistakes. That's a quality of any good player."
Fellow linebacker sophomore Ryan Rozich (Cromwell, Conn.) had a terrific rookie campaign, finishing second on the team with 54 total tackles, including 28 solo stops. Meanwhile, junior Michael Donahue (Cohasset, Mass.) should see more playing time this season, and Coyne expects young talent such as rookies Carmel Crunk (Lancaster, Calif.) and Elias Scott (South River, N.J.) to make an impact in the linebacker corps.
"That whole room has taken the next step of development overall," Coyne said. "And I'll preach that all the time, because that's where our program is at right now. We need to take those steps as we infuse it with talent and then cultivate it and develop it."
Defensive Line
Two years ago, Bates played four defensive linemen the entire season, as Coyne inherited a program that lacked depth. That's no longer a problem.
"We feel really comfortable with about 8 to 10 guys that we're going to play each game now," Coyne said. "If somebody needs a break or goes down, it's not pull the fire alarm. It's next man up, and that's how you develop a program."
Among the defensive linemen, junior Jackson Collins (Glen Ridge, N.J.) made a big impression a year ago, notching 51 tackles, including a team-leading five tackles for loss. Senior Finn Duffey (Scituate, Mass.), fifth-year senior Kyle Hamilton (White River Junction, Vt.) and senior Alex Zunino (East Granby, Conn.) provide the Bobcats with a ton of experience up front. Duffey led the team with 1.5 sacks last season. Meanwhile, sophomore Josh Ezerioha (Laurel Run, Pa.) stands at six-foot-one, 245 pounds, having gained 27 pounds of muscle, and could be primed for a breakout season at defensive end. Junior Shane Broughton (Arlington, Mass.) moved to the defensive line and the coaching staff is impressed with what they've seen so far from him as well.
"There's a ton of talent in that room and coach Tom Radulski really does a great job with them holistically, just of their roles and their energy and their effort," Coyne said. "Now we have it where we feel like we can get to the QB with four pass rushers and that's a big piece."
Special Teams
The Bobcats return their kicker and punter from a year ago. Sophomore Marcos Ruiz (Haskell, N.J.) made 5-6 from field goal range last year, with a long of 38. He also converted 12 of his 13 PAT attempts. Junior Parker Huynh-Benningfield (Austin, Texas) averaged just over 32 yards per punt last year, with a long boot of 52 yards.
"Special teams don't get the notoriety that they should because they get thrown out there in moments where it's one play and it's either win or lose the game," Coyne said. "You don't get another chance. We feel very confident with our guys in those situations."
The Bobcats also welcome back kick returners Walters and junior Stephen Lardi (Staten Island, N.Y.) to the fold. In addition to their duties at wide receiver, they both averaged just over 18 yards per kick-off return last year, with Walters handling the punt returning duties.
Per usual, the Bobcats will play nine games, all against NESCAC foes. Home games are Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. against Trinity, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. against Tufts, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. against Middlebury, and "The Big Game" on Nov. 2 at 5:30 p.m. against Bowdoin.
BATES' PROBABLE STARTERS:
OFFENSE
OL 73 Peter Simplicio Sr. 6-4 290
OL 51 Ryder Smith Fy. 6-0 265
OL 63 Matthew Pierotti Fy. 6-2 270
OL 66 John Antolik So. 6-2 290
OL 72 Kevin McDonald So. 6-3 260
TE 89 Steven Guerrette Sr. 6-3 230
WR 83 Ryan Gleason So. 5-9 165
WR 0 Sergio Beltran Jr. 5-11 185
WR 80 Maverick Selementi Jr. 6-0 185
RB 4 Ryan Lynskey So. 5-11 195
QB 8 Colton Bosselait Sr. 6-0 195
DEFENSE
DB 2 Matthew-Michael Assivero So. 5-11 190
DB 5 Michael Spencer So. 5-11 180
DB 21 Johnny Walker Sr. 6-0 185
DB 30 Marquez Narvaez-Estrada Fy. 5-9 160
LB 18 Colin Pierce Jr. 6-1 190
LB 39 Ryan Rozich So. 6-0 215
LB 9 Matt Juneau Sr. 6-2 225
DL 44 Jackson Collins Jr. 5-11 225
DL 99 Finn Duffey Sr. 5-10 250
DL 41 Shane Broughton Jr. 5-11 255
DL 40 Josh Ezerioha So. 6-1 245
SPECIALISTS
P 97 Parker Huynh-Benningfield Jr. 5-11 180
K 49 Marcos Ruiz So. 5-8 185
AMHERST'S PROBABLE STARTERS:
OFFENSE
OL 75 Miles Roberts So. 6-3 291
OL 65 Alec Treadway Jr. 6-3 273
OL 60 Zach Walker Jr. 6-2 270
OL 74 Jack Nagy Sr. 6-4 300
OL 78 Ryan McGurn So. 6-3 255
TE 44 Michael Quartermain Jr. 6-2 225
WR 5 Carter Jung Jr. 6-1 187
WR 80 Owen Gaydos Sr. 5-11 175
WR 10 Sam Gerber Jr. 5-10 187
RB 25 Jack Roberge Sr. 5-9 195
QB 13 Mason Morrow Jr. 6-1 200
DEFENSE
DB 1 Miles Harmon Jr. 6-1 181
DB 19 Niles Riding Jr. 6-0 190
DB 21 Kevin Agnew Jr. 6-1 191
DB 27 Matt Monteleone Jr. 6-0 195
DB 16 Luke Harmon Jr. 6-1 190
LB 31 Trey Doyle Sr. 6-0 205
LB 43 Damian Carrano Jr. 6-0 225
LB 42 Ty Kazanowsky So. 6-4 220
DL 0 Kemit Fisher Jr. 6-2 275
DL 9 Anthony Leneghan Sr. 6-3 255
DL 99 Phillip Slaughter Sr. 6-1 270
SPECIALISTS
P 92 Michael Mitchell Sr. 6-0 170
K 93 Matthew Kelley So. 5-10 180
