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Teammates rallied around Corey Burns and his family in the offseason. |
Castleton University President David Wolk has a deep personal appreciation for what Tufts defensive lineman Corey Burns and his family are going through. And he is grateful for the Tufts team's role in bringing awareness to Alzheimer's disease.
Burns's father Bernie was stricken with the early-onset Alzheimer's in 2010 and was moved into a care facility this summer.
Wolk lost his wife Diane to early-onset Alzheimer's this summer.
The Tufts team used the longest day of the year (the summer solstice) to raise money for fighting the disease and to bring about awareness of it. The entire team participated from sunrise to sundown. They had a schedule where at least three members of the team were running stairs for an hour all day long. Those unable to participate for the full hour ran 96 stairs someplace, 96 being Corey's uniform number.
"It is great that they did that and are bringing awareness to it," Wolk said while tailgating before his school's homecoming game against Alfred State on Saturday. "Alzheimer's is kind of taboo to talk about, the way cancer used to be."
Wolk saw his own campus rally around him and Diane in the same manner.
"There was a fundraising component to it but we were really doing it to show Corey and his family that we were behind them and to bring awareness to the disease," Tufts coach Jay Civetti said. "It has impacted a lot more people than you think and not just old people."
There was another thread between Tufts and Castleton on Saturday. They each won.
Tufts defeated Hamilton 24-21 on Willie Holmquist's 28-yard field goal in overtime.
It was a special win for the Jumbos because it represented another step in the resurrection of a program that had been through leans times prior to last season. This was their first road victory since 2009.
Chance Brady led Tufts by rushing for 117 yards and two touchdowns and Burns had a sack.
Tufts jumped out to a 21-0 lead.
"It had been a long time since we were up by 21 and that brought a new challenge," Civetti said. "My hat is off to Hamilton. Their kids fought back."
Castleton beat the Pioneers 35-20 before a crowd of 4,117 as George Busharis threw four touchdown passes, three to Soren Pelz-Walsh.
"We're always going over routes between classes or even getting here early before games," Busharis said. "Soren is the hardest working kid I know of."
MASCAC Showdown
The two teams picked to battle it out for the MASCAC title met with Framingham State outgunning Western Connecticut 39-34.
Western Conn. coach Joe Loth had called Rams quarterback Matt Silva one of the best in the country and he riddled his defense with 450 passing yards while throwing for four touchdowns
Silva already has 19 TD passes this season.
"Every year he has gotten a little bit better," Framingham coach Tom Kelley said of his senior. "He knows the offense and he reads defenses exceptionally well. Not many at this level can do that."
The game at Western Connecticut had been one of those that puts circles on calendars. It was viewed as a marquee matchup long before the season. That also meant it was a game meant for Silva.
"He plays his best when the bright lights are shining and the bullets are flying," Kelley said.
The Rams scored the first three times they had the ball and built a 19-0 lead. Kelley knew it was not over and that his team would still be in a dogfight.
"Western Connecticut is a very good football team," he said.
Silva and his receivers make headlines. Undersized center Nicks Stanfield makes the Rams go, Kelley said.
"He is outstanding. He makes us go. He makes all the calls up front. He is a coach on the field," the coach said.
The game on the Colonials' home turf figured to be a tough hurdle for the Rams, but Kelley said his teams seem to thrive on that situation.
"We have been a very good road team," he said.
Midd gets big road win
Middlebury opened its season on the road by edging Wesleyan 28-25. It was a quality win over a team that had been 7-1 each of the last two seasons.
Every Saturday in in the NESCAC is important with the teams playing only eight games.
"A goal of the team is an outright NESCAC championship and it is probably going to take an undefeated season to make that happen," said Middlebury receiver Matt Minno.
Panther quarterback Matt Milano threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns. Tim Patricia led the defense with 12 tackles and an interception that he returned for 19 yards.
Quick kicks
There were some 200-yard rushing games. Western Connecticut's Michael Nicol was a workhorse with 38 carries and 205 yards. MIT's Adis Ojeda rushed for 262 yards and three scores in a 51-26 victory over Maine Maritime. Mass. Maritime's Kenny Pierce logged 202 yards on the ground with four touchdowns. ... Framingham's Tevin Jones had 187 receiving yards with two touchdowns. ... Fitchburg State overwhelmed Bridgewater State 35-3 with Garrett Dellechiaie throwing two TD passes and Luis Feliz collecting 12 tackles along with an interception. ... Ash Ergle had 14 tackles for Mass. Maritime. ... UMass-Dartmouth's Jakarrrie Washington burned Plymouth in the Corsairs' 29-13 win. He rushed for 112 yards and also had 78 receiving yards. ... Tufts' Holmquist was not the only one to kick a game-winning field goal. Coast Guard's Tyler Henning booted one from 37 yards with three seconds left to beat Salve Regina 21-20. ... Amherst's Reece Foy passed for 286 yards in a 37-14 win over Bates. ... Sonny Puzzo had two TD passes and Paul McCarthy two interceptions to help Trinity to a 34-0 win over Colby. ... Austin Lomman passed for 288 yards and two touchdowns to help Williams to a 27-7 win over Bowdoin. ... Western New England went to 4-0 by whipping Curry 49-10. The Golden Bears are ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division III New England Poll. ... MIT''s Ben Bold had nine tackles and forced and recovered a fumble. ... Endicott's Sam Ouellette threw three TD passes in the Gulls' 42-14 victory over Nichols.
The big games
The league games begin in the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference. Castleton's trip to Bangor to meet defending champion and preseason favorite Husson could be the one to watch.
Castleton coach Tony Volpone knows that his team will have to play far better than it did against Alfred State to have a chance against the Eagles.
"We had breakdowns in every facet of the game," he said.
Norwich's ECFC opener looked like an easy one at one time. Once. Not now. Becker is coming to Northfield with a couple of wins including one over an MIT team that was nationally ranked before the season.
Williams is at Trinity in a battle of 1-0 teams and that looks like it will be the game of the day in the NESCAC.
UMass-Dartmouth's trip to Framingham is the top game this week in the MASCAC.
