Volume CXXXIII, Number 3 September 21, 2001 f

Reflections on Opening Day for football
SEAN WALKER
Staff Writer

As the Bowdoin Football Team takes the field tomorrow against Middlebury, many random thoughts will float through the players' minds: plays and assignments, key Middlebury opponents, and the nerves of opening day.
For the seniors, it will be the last opening day, when the crowd's excitement is at its peak and a clean slate hasn't been tarnished with losses or missed opportunities. Bowdoin football has defined the fall season of many graduating players, and tomorrow's game will mark the beginning of the end.

First year Jesse Demers, left, stretching out at practice this week. (Karstan Moran, Bowdoin Orient)

"It's the opening game of our final season. We all want to start off on a good note, because none of us will ever play again," said senior Chris Sakelakos. "We've worked hard and deserve to win."

For these men, it's a new season, with new goals. The Bears are confident that they can erase last year's disappointments, even after taking an early non-season loss to Williams last Saturday.

According to senior Travis Cummings, last weekend's scrimmage revealed the Polar Bears' need to eliminate simple mistakes in order to have a fighting chance tomorrow. "We need to take another step forward as a team to play well against Middlebury," he said.

The Bears will rely on starting quarterback Justin Hardinson '03 and the strength of their offensive line. Victory seems to be an important goal for the players, but not the end-all. "I'm not worried about our team morale, because our players have a lot of character and confidence," Cummings said. "We haven't really thought about losing."

In order to earn this victory, the Polar Bears have to hurdle a rather daunting opponent. Middlebury handed Bowdoin a 28-14 loss in last season's opening matchup, and went on to win six of its next seven. A 28-21 defeat at the hands of Colby's White Mules was the only black spot in the Panthers' 2000 campaign, which concluded with a 7-1 record.

Despite losing some key players to graduation, Midd's defensive scheme is still in place, with a multiple seven-man front and four-man secondary. The Bears are looking to force Panther mistakes while executing Head Coach Dave Caputi's game plan.

Aside from preparation, the team also is looking forward to the pure fun of the upcoming game. "There's nothing better than playing a football game on Whittier Field, next to the pine trees, a grandstand that has been there for almost a hundred years, and the overwhelming smell of barbeque from the tailgaters," said Cummings. "Everybody is excited, and I can't wait for our first years to experience their first home game here."

For the Polar Bears, these will be just a few of the images flooding their minds as the players take the first step onto Whittier tomorrow at 1:30 PM. Come watch them take a shot at those Panthers and Bowdoin's 112-year-old history book.