BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University football team has been picked to finish second in the Bogan Division as the New England Football Conference (NEFC) Preseason Coaches’ Poll was announced today by NEFC Director of Media Relations, Roger Crosley.
The Bears will open the season on the road versus Mount Ida College on Saturday, September 4th. BSU will then play three straight home contests versus UMass Dartmouth (Sept. 11), Plymouth State (Sept. 18) and Framingham State (Sept. 25) with those games being played at Bridgewater-Raynham High School due to the Swenson Field construction delays.
Head Coach Chuck Denune returns for his sixth season at the helm. Coach Denune has directed his teams to a 37-13 record as well as three ECAC bowl game appearances over his first five seasons. Last season, the Bears posted a record of 7-3 and finished tied for second in the Bogan Division standings with a 5-2 divisional mark.
Maine Maritime is the preseason favorite to capture the Bogan Division title as the Mariners received five of the eight first place votes. Rounding out the top five are Bridgewater (three first place votes), Westfield State, Mass. Maritime and Coast Guard.
With only seven of 22 starters returning from the veteran laden team of 2009, Coach Denune will look to some outstanding incoming freshman and a very talented group of transfers to help the Bears contend for the Bogan Division title and a spot in the NEFC Championship Game in 2010.
The Bridgewater State offense is led by senior running back Justin Fuller (Berkley, Mass.) who was recently named to Division III preseason all-america teams in three separate publications. Fuller, a 2009 D3football.com All-Northeast Region Third Team selection, rushed for 1,375 yards and 19 touchdowns in his first season at Bridgewater. He ranked fifth in all of Division III in rushing and sixth in scoring as he helped the Bears amass a school record 3,057 yards on the ground.
Only two other starters return to the offensive lineup as senior center Chris Grande (New Bedford, Mass.) and sophomore right tackle Mike D’Attilio (North Attleboro, Mass.) will anchor the offensive line in 2010. Grande, who was named to the All-NEFC Bogan Division Second Team in 2009, started all ten games a year ago while D’Attilio started each of the last six.
Senior guard Andrew Carr (Winchester, Mass.) and sophomore guard Kurt Merrick (Mashpee, Mass.) will push for spots in the offensive lineup, as will junior back Josh Paulson (Martha’s Vineyard HS), sophomore back Nick Pistacchio (Johnston, R.I.) and sophomore wideout Matt Monahan (King Philip HS).
Junior Michael Pettus (Concord Carlisle HS) placed ten of his 22 punts inside the 20-yard line a year ago and averaged 33.4 yards per punt. Pettus will also battle for the place kicking duties along with sophomore Brian Smith (Lowell, Mass.). The pair combined to convert 28 of 36 extra point attempts a year ago.
Coach Denune has four starters returning on the defensive side of the ball. Senior safety John Farroba (North Attleboro, Mass.), senior defensive end Garrett Dyer (Easthampton, Mass.) and sophomore defensive tackle Paul Melicharek (Glen Rock, NJ) started all ten games for the Bears in 2009, while junior defensive back Kevin Laudano (Wallingford, Conn.) started the first four games before his season was curtailed due to injury.
Farroba notched 44 tackles with an interception and three pass breakups in 2009 while Dyer recorded 29 tackles (three for loss), forced two fumbles and recovered one. Melicharek put together a solid rookie campaign as he made 32 tackles with five of those going for loss. He also forced a fumble and recovered one. Laudano registered 17 tackles, an interception, four pass breakup and two forced fumbles in just six games.
Junior defensive end Jacob Curren (Bishop Feehan HS) played in all ten games at defensive end and could crack the starting lineup when the season begins. Curren registered 17 tackles, a pass breakup and a forced and recovered fumble. He also intercepted a pass against Worcester State and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown.
Some key newcomers to the squad include sophomore transfers Mike McCarthy (Martha’s Vineyard HS) at quarterback, Mike Martini (Mashpee, Mass.) at tight end, Chris Chamberlain (Easton, Mass.) at linebacker and Chris Constantine (Hingham, Mass.) at running back. McCarthy and Martini come to BSU via Division II Merrimack University and St. Anselm College respectively, while Chamberlain and Constantine were both at FCS power UMass Amherst. Junior safety Eric Sundberg (Plymouth South HS) also transferred to Bridgewater from Plymouth State.
McCarthy was a Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic honoree in 2008 and played in the Shriners Football Classic. Constantine was selected to the Globe and Herald as well as the Patriot Ledger All-Scholastic teams in 2007.
Possible impact freshman on offense are wide receivers Eric Howlett (Oakmont Regional HS) and Ethan Barnes (New Bedford HS/Bridgton Academy), offensive linemen Adam Bernstein (Miami Sunset HS) and Mike Duran (Bridgewater-Raynham HS) and running back Kyle Brodeur (West Springfield, Mass.). Both Brodeur and Howlett played in the Shrine Chowder Bowl Classic, the Central and Western Massachusetts All-Star Game, this past June.
Key newcomers on defense include linebackers Brendan Baptiste (Taunton, Mass.) and Kevin Donahue (King Philip HS), defensive lineman Tate Doehler (Apponequet HS) and cornerback Justin Holmes (Catholic Memorial). Donahue was chosen to both the Globe and Herald All-Scholastic teams in 2009 and played in the Shriners Game. Doehler was a Boston Herald All-Scholastic selection a year ago, while Baptiste played for the Middleboro Cobras in the New England Football League over the last three seasons.