By EVAN JARASHOW
Staff Writer
 

Co-Captains Brendan Cullen '98 and Dave Barbour '98 lead the team on both sides of the ball. Cullen is the anchor of the defensive line and one of the feared defensive ends in the NESCAC. Barbour has turned himself into an impenetrable offensive guard, and the man that many plays will depend on for blocks and pass protection. As the elected leaders of the team, they will be called upon to fill their roles time and time again. But no two players can win games by themselves, leadership comes from each player at any given moment. The other seniors on the team will be summoned to guide the younger players; Ryan MacDonald, Chris Snow, Greg Donoghue, P.J. McGrail, and Pete Marino must step it up to help the Bobcats regain winning ways.

The team has suffered the loss of two outstanding players in Mike Holte '97, the career leader in tackles, and Dan Hooley '97, the school's all-time leading passer. But, their replacements are more than up to the challenge of stepping into key roles. Sophomore inside linebacker Frost Hubbard was the NESCAC defensive rookie of the year in 1996, and was second on the team with 102 tackles. He should replace Holte quite nicely, and the team may not miss a beat. Chris Snow steps into the driver's seat this season, taking over for Hooley at quarterback. He has had some limited playing time in past seasons, but seems more than ready to take over the offense.

This Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on Garcelon Field, the Bobcats open the season against Trinity. The team's matchup against Trinity last year was perhaps the best game of the season. Although the 'Cats came out on the losing end, the game was never put to bed. Bates was down by only two points, 13-11, with under five minutes remaining, until Trinity managed to put it in the end zone to take a 20-11 lead. Despite a great effort by the Bobcats in the closing minutes, that was how the game finished. What kept them in the game was their incredible defense; they held All-New England running back Ray Jones to only 86 yards rushing, one of his most ineffective performances of the season. Similarly, on Saturday they must contain Trinity QB Joe Mullaney. He is a very effective runner with the ability to read the defense; he must be halted if the Cats are to win.

This year the 'Cats will undoubtedly turn to their defense to keep them in the game, but they will also call upon senior running back P.J. McGrail to provide the much anticipated ground game. Last season, McGrail was a solid performer, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Despite being sidelined with injury for much of last season, he has looked quite promising this preseason. To further aid the team on Saturday, Coach Rick Pardy is counting on the wide receivers to have big games. QB Chris Snow needs to get the ball outside to Jason Coulie, Paul Fantasia, and Paul Erickson to open the field up a bit, and keep the Trinity defense off balance. "We have to be disciplined out there, and we must execute on each and every play," said Pardy.

It's hard to say exactly what the rest of the season holds in store for this year's edition of the Bobcat football squad. It's hard to be too optimistic given the shortcomings of recent years, but there is something special about this year's team. According to Coach Pardy, this team has enthusiasm, excitement, determination, and a solid character. The youth of this team can be sighted as both a strength and a weakness. They obviously lack the experience of a more veteran team, but their coach insists that they have more enthusiasm than he has ever seen. Director of Sports Information Adam Levin agrees: "They are young, and very talented, and they should benefit from the experience of their captains, and the defensive line."

Bobcat fans should watch the seniors on this year's team, and observe their leadership on the field. Underclass notables include running backs Shawn Nee '99 and Marlon Gresham '01; they could be important members of this team, especially if McGrail goes down. At inside linebacker, pay attention to Bob Rosenthal '01, as he has looked quite promising so far in the preseason. Also on defense, watch out for Chris Kuppens '99 at tackle, as he could make a big impact.

Get ready for what will hopefully be an exciting season of Bates football. From the sounds of things, the team's fortunes may finally be looking up. Coach Pardy echoed the sentiments of virtually everybody on campus when he said, "We've really got to take one game at a time, and even one play at time." Hopefully this year's newfound exuberance will translate into something very positive.