As the cooler temperatures indicate, fall at Colby is right around the corner. For most, this means heading back to school, resuming classes and tackling daunting stacks of reading.
But with hard work also comes play, something that the Colby College football team takes very seriously.
Led by Coach Ed Mestieri and captains Matt Hellinger '11, Nick Steele '11 and Ryan Murphy '11, the Mules are eager to begin league play. Mestieri is optimistic about the season. "The entire team has worked tremendously hard. We have a veteran group and are hoping to gain momentum through the season." He states that his expectations of the team are "always high, but justifiably so. The team has good chemistry; it's a good makeup. We established ourselves as a team that can compete within our league for a New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) or Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) title. Either of those would be a tremendous source of pride."
Players share Mestieri's positive outlook on the season. "I think we have a very good team this year. Our offense really didn't get rolling until the second half of the season last year, and I think we can continue to build on that success and carry it over for the 2010 season," Steele stated.
Quarterback Nick Kmetz '12 is equally excited for what the 2010 season will bring. "We feel like we have a good mix of talent and experience and are really excited for the season to get underway. We have been talking, thinking, and preparing for this season for a long time and it feels good for it to finally be here."
On September 25, the Mules will travel to Trinity College in Hartford, CT for the 2010 season opener. Notoriously tough opponents, the Trinity Bantams have maintained a 35-game winning streak at home.
Steele is looking forward to the challenge that the Bantams pose. "I really like our chances against a team like Trinity, as they have been quite successful in the past and I don't think they will know what hit them once September 25 rolls around." The Mules will play the Middlebury Panthers in their home opener on October 2.
The College will provide fan buses for students interested in supporting the Mules at away games. More information on the buses will be available in the coming weeks.
For those unable to attend games, First Team Broadcasting- the link to which can be found on the Colby Athletics page-will stream live webcasts of the action.
Fans are sure to be impressed by the Mules' performance, something that Steele affirms. "I think we are going to surprise a lot of teams in the NESCAC this year. Only the guys on the team understand what we are capable of. The possibilities are endless; we have a ton of talent and a bunch of hard- working guys. Our goals are set, and we don't plan on letting anything get in the way of [them]."