2016 Around the East columns

November 17, 2016 Upstate-to-West Palm combination serves Statesmen Hobart receiver Brandon Shed hails from sunny West Palm Beach, so handling winter in upstate New York is something he wasn’t prepared for. But his quarterback, Shane Sweeney, calls Geneva, N.Y., home.

November 11, 2016 On the island Alec Mortillaro has a big assignment on Saturday, but it won't be his first. And hopefully for St. John Fisher, it won't be his last, either.

November 3, 2016 Taking care of the little things Stevenson has an opportunity to accomplish some big things this season. But as this young program matures, the players understand that it's a collection of small things that need to happen before a MAC championship, and a playoff berth, are of utmost importance.

October 26, 2016 Frostburg State aims to flip the script Last season, the Bobcats started 5-1 in the NJAC but lost its last three games and slipped to a 6-4 finish. This year, Frostburg State hopes to turn that around.

October 20, 2016 Mariners navigating unexpected path Merchant Marine has played a bunch of close games, but after going 3-6 last season, the Mariners have found a little bit of late-game heroics and could make a big splash this weekend against a conference rival.

October 12, 2016 Saxons angling for return to playoffs Alfred might be a bit under the radar right now, but the Saxons are poised to make more noise if they can survive the balanced Empire 8 schedule.

October 6, 2016 One columnist's midseason awards Believe it or not, this weekend marks the halfway point of the 2016 regular season in Division III football. After games conclude Saturday night, just five weeks remain until the selection of the NCAA playoff field.

September 28, 2016 Statistical rate of success: 100% When you cover football, it’s not often that you discuss things such as "hierarchical cluster analysis," even in Division III. But that's just because we hadn't spoken to James Holley-Grisham before.

September 21, 2016 Courage in the Courage Bowl "I really know what these kids are going through," says Brockport tight end Brenden Fesinger. That's because as Brockport hosts St. John Fisher in Saturday's Courage Bowl to benefit children impacted by cancer, he's living proof that you can beat brain cancer.

September 14, 2016 CNU trying to restore tradition Christopher Newport started off its Division III football program with a bang, but the Captains landed with a thud last season after entering the NJAC. This season, however, they've come out with a lot more offense and a little extra motivation.

September 7, 2016 Coming home to a second chance It turned out Shawn Miller wasn't ready for college when he started a few years ago. But after a couple of years in the National Guard, Miller was better prepared, both for life and football at Delaware Valley.

August 31, 2016 10 games to watch for 2016 In a region with some top-notch talent, some competitive conference races and two coaches already starting their farewell tours, there are some great games to keep an eye on.