Jonathan Jones wins 9th annual Ron Hobson Good Guy Award

December 18, 2024

In what’s become a yearly tradition right around the holidays, the latest Ron Hobson Good Guy Award was presented by the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan on Wednesday morning following Jerod Mayo’s weekly press conference. Jonathan Jones received this year’s award after winning a vote amongst the Patriots beat reporters taken about a week ago. Jones becomes the ninth Patriot to win it since it was first presented in 2016, joining…

Read More >>

BC staff making noise in the transfer portal

December 17, 2024

Bill O’Brien’s first dip in the transfer portal as head coach at BC is off to a pretty damn good start. After locking up speedy wide receiver VJ Wilkins from Campbell over the weekend, FAU tight end Zeke Moore and Ball State running back Vaughn Pemberton joined the program on Monday night. Then, on Tuesday, the staff made its biggest splash yet. Alabama quarterback Dylan Lonergan – who had 22……

Read More >>

Former Holy Cross center Christo Kelly is Bill Belichick’s 1st portal signing

December 17, 2024

Image courtesy of UNC Athletics One day, you’re helping Holy Cross to a share of its sixth straight Patriot League title, the next, you’re being recruited by the greatest coach in NFL history. It’s been a whirlwind month or two for former fifth-year senior Christo Kelly. As a team captain and veteran leader of the Crusaders, Kelly had all the answers whenever his teammates needed them and even some for…

Read More >>

Dartmouth’s Ejike Adele named Ivy League’s Asa Bushnell Cup Defensive POTY

December 16, 2024

Image courtesy of Dartmouth Football The prestigious Asa S. Bushnell Cup for the Ivy League’s Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year was announced and presented in New York on Monday and Dartmouth brought home some more hardware. Ejike Adele earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, beating out Columbia’s Hayden McDonald (DB) and Harvard’s Ty Bartrum (DB). Adele is now the Big Green’s first Bushnell Cup winner since the…

Read More >>

Cardinals 30, Patriots 17 – Putrid effort coming off the bye leads to another loss

December 15, 2024

Image courtesy of the Arizona Cardinals  Rock bottom appears to be wherever the Patriots decide it is at this point. New England hit a new low again on Sunday, getting manhandled by the Cardinals despite the somewhat respectable 30-17 final score. The Patriots were never really in the game and even started pointing the finger postgame when it comes to continued offensive struggles, particularly in the red zone. Drake Maye…

Read More >>

CIAC Class M State Championship: (4) St. Joseph 21, (2) Brookfield 20 – Cadets hold on with late two-point stop for thrilling title win

December 14, 2024

By Craig Boland NEFJ Staff EAST HARTFORD, CT – With 3:00 remaining in the fourth quarter of the CIAC Class M state title game on Saturday and second-seeded Brookfield down by seven to fourth-seeded St. Joseph, wide receiver Daniel Ciriello  tossed a first down to tight end John Lopes to keep Brookfield alive on a crucial fourth down conversion. Ciriello snagged another sideline fourth-down conversion on the same drive and…

Read More >>

CIAC Class S State Championship: (2) Ansonia 58, (5) Bloomfield 12 – Chargers roll to program’s 22nd title

December 14, 2024

By Craig Boland NEFJ Staff EAST HARTFORD, CT – The CIAC Class S state championship game on Saturday was clearly going to Ansonia before many fans even had a chance to sit down. Jazhari Lawson of Ansonia intercepted a Cameron White pass early in the first quarter and fumbled on the return, but the ball bounced into star lineman Jacob Romanowski’s hands. He took it the rest of the way…

Read More >>

CIAC Class Class SS State Championship: (1) Killingly 48, (3) Sheehan 33 – Killingly finishes perfect with program’s fifth state title

December 14, 2024

By Matt Spalding NEFJ Correspondent EAST HARTFORD, CT – The opening game at Rentschler Field in the 2024 CIAC State Championships was one that will not soon be forgotten. Undefeated Killingly entered Friday looking to defeat Sheehan and win yet another state championship. Sheehan was prepared, and what ensued was a classic, topsy turvy Class SS state championship game that ultimately ended with the top seed taking home a 48-33…

Read More >>

Harasymiak adds first few coaches to new UMass staff

December 13, 2024

New UMass head coach Joe Harasymiak announced a trio of staff additions on Thursday in a statement released by the program. Joe Castellitto (Special Teams Coordinator), Tre Bell (Cornerbacks) and Kayon Whitaker (Defensive Analyst) are all joining this new era of Minuteman football. Castellitto spent the previous two seasons at Dartmouth  under the late Buddy Teevens. Castelitto joined the Big Green as the special teams coordinator and nickels coach initially….

Read More >>

BC players weigh-in on Belichick joining the ACC

December 12, 2024

Image courtesy of BC Athletics  While BC and North Carolina don’t technically play against each other again until 2028, this is going to be fun. Bill Belichick is of course joining the ACC as the new head coach at North Carolina, meaning Bill O’Brien is now back in indirect competition with his former boss and mentor. The prospect of the two of them squaring off in the ACC title game…

Read More >>