Kevin Stone

More than just the Brice Cowell Musket on the line when Maine & UNH meet Saturday

November 20, 2024

When UNH travels to Orono this weekend, the Wildcats and Black Bears will be playing for the same trophy, but two very different things as well. Rick Santos’ team enters with a chance to finish the season with eight wins and maybe an at-large FCS playoff berth if enough teams in the Top 25 slip up on the final weekend of the season. Meanwhile, Maine’s resurgence under Jordan Stevens could……

Alumni perspective on the firing of Don Brown & state of UMass football

November 19, 2024

0 comment

By Ryan Barry NEFJ Staff When UMass lost their season opener to Eastern Michigan this year I came home fairly despondent after a long day in Amherst. I put all my things away, grabbed some leftovers, and sat with my wife while she watched television. “Long day?,” she said. “Yeah, they lost 28-14 and never really had a chance, everyone was pretty surprised, I thought it’d be different this year,”…

In awkward spot, Shane Montgomery just looking to get Minutemen over the finish line

November 19, 2024

0 comment

Image courtesy of UMass Athletics It’s been a crazy 24 hours in Amherst, but nothing Shane Montgomery hasn’t seen before. If you’re a coach long enough, you deal with hirings and firings all the time. So, when he joined Don Brown’s staff earlier this year as the new offensive coordinator, somewhere in the back of his mind, Montgomery always had to know this could be a possibility given the state…

Despite vast difference in records, Bryant-URI could provide fireworks

November 19, 2024

0 comment

The Governor’s Cup is one thing, but Bryant-URI is meaningful too. The Rams will make the short trip to Smithfield to take on the Bulldogs in the regular season finale for both teams this Saturday. With a win, 15th-ranked Rhody will finish 10-2 and lock up an at-large bid into the FCS postseason, giving the program its first playoff berth since 1985. Meanwhile, Bryant limps in at 2-9, but a…

Local college coaches keep a close eye on high school playoffs

November 18, 2024

0 comment

Rhode Island and New Hampshire have quite a bit on their plates right now. Rhody is about to end a 39-year playoff drought and could get a home playoff game. UNH has a chance to win eight games and possibly get an at-large bid into the FCS postseason. While 99.9% of the attention is on their respective rivals (Bryant and Maine) this week, there’s one thing that requires constant attention,…

UMass relieves Don Brown of his duties

November 18, 2024

0 comment

With two games left in the season against Georgia and UConn, the Don Brown Era has come to an end. UMass AD Ryan Bamford announced that Brown will no longer lead the program in a statement on Monday morning. Offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery will be serving as the interim head coach for the road trip to Athens and finale at home against the Huskies. Bamford also said an immediate national…

Rams 28, Patriots 22 – Pats making progress but still come up short in another loss

November 17, 2024

0 comment

AP Photo/Steven Senne FOXBOROUGH – So, at the very least, there’s clear growth with this 2024 Patriots team. The only problem is, the NFL is a results based business and Sunday was another disappointing finish. Drake Maye was picked off at the Rams’ 48 with 1:55 left, ending a potential game-winning drive and securing a 28-22 victory for Los Angeles. The Pats dropped to 3-8 with another loss, but this…

New England college round up – Week 12

November 17, 2024

0 comment

What a weekend around the region. Harvard clinched a share of the Ivy League title with a walk-off field goal, URI moved a step closer to a playoff spot, UNH mounted a huge fourth quarter comeback to keep its postseason hopes alive, Holy Cross had a wild win to keep pace in the Patriot League and BC hung tough with No. 14 SMU before falling on the road. If you…

No. 14 SMU 38, Boston College 28 – Eagles’ upset bid falls short

November 17, 2024

0 comment

Image courtesy of Michael Aimsworth/AP Given the week BC unexpectedly had, things could have been a lot worse in Texas on Saturday. The Eagles lost to 14th-ranked SMU 38-28 in a game where BC had the ball and a chance to tie or take the lead with two minutes remaining. In the end, there are no moral victories and the Eagles are now 5-5 with two home games against North…

MIAA D6 Quarterfinal: (7) Swampscott 13, (2) Stoneham 7 – Big Blue stun Spartans to reach Final 4

November 16, 2024

0 comment

By Tyler Amaral NEFJ Staff WOBURN – No. 7 Swampscott had the ball at the Stoneham 13-yard line with 11 seconds left in the game, trailing by one point. The Big Blue remained poised and perfectly executed a rollout pass play for the game-winning touchdown from sophomore quarterback John von Barta to senior receiver Jay Domelowicz, stunning the second-seeded Spartans 13-7 to advance to the Division 6 state semifinals. “I…