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Volume aaa, Number 7 |
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Football sets sights on CBB
BOBBY DESAULNIERS
COLUMNIST
Bowdoin football has something no other team in the NESCAC has - Bates and Colby are its final two opponents. These three teams make up a small subdivision of the league, the CBB.
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| Men in black: The offensive line takes a break at practice. If the Bears hope to win the CBB title, the o-line must dominate. (Evan Kohn, Bowdoin Orient) |
But, for the Bears, the bout for the CBB title is quite simply in tournament fashion. If the Bears win the last two games, they win the CBB and claim superiority over their Maine rivals.
It seems that when the CBB title bouts come around, all else seems to fade to the periphery. The records of the three teams become meaningless. The memories of this season blur to reveal only the enduring strength of the three teams from Maine. These three teams exist in their own league.
Weather factors also make the CBB a special title. No other team battles in Maine for the last two games of the season as Bowdoin does. Therefore, a new level of intensity must be brought to finish out the year. Luckily, intensity is not hard to find on the Bowdoin squad.
For the past two years, Colby took the CBB title. This year, the odds are quite different. The 0-5 Bates Bobcats beat the Colby White Mules 19-14 last week in Lewiston. As it stands now, Bates and Bowdoin are the only teams in the CBB that have the ability to go undefeated and take the title.
In their last meeting Bowdoin lost to Bates in overtime, 38-35. The Bears were down 35-14 at the end of the third quarter, but managed to score 21 points in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime. Although the Bears finished the day without a victory, their second half surge proved their desire to taste victory.
Since that day, it is safe to say that both teams have improved. Both Bates and Bowdoin have been playing their opponents more competitvely this year than in years past. This Saturday will truly be a test to see which program has come further in the last year.
As for Colby, they have had a mediocre season at best. Two years ago, Colby finished tied for first place in the league. That was then. This is now.
As they stand now, the Mules carry a record of 2-4 with the loss to Bates on Saturday. The upcoming showdown against Colby is an important game for the Bears, as they finish out their season in lovely Waterville.
The CBB brings competition to a new level for Bowdoin, Bates, and Colby. Quotes from football players in the Lewiston Sun Journal affirm a certain team captain's confidence in their upcoming bout against the Bears.
On the flip side, the Bears have always been a humble team. You will hear no unfounded threats in this article. The crack of the helmets and the cheering of the fans wearing white and black will be the only sounds this Saturday.