Football sees promise in new conference

It has been eight months since the Norwich Cadets football team had played a game, and now it is back to start the 2009 season in a new conference.

This season the Cadets join the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC). The new conference has eight teams: Castleton State College (CSC), Gallaudet University, Husson University, Mount Ida University, Becker College, Anna Maria College (AMC), Maritime College State University of New York (SUNY) and Norwich University (NU).

"Our goal is to win our conference," said Shawn McIntyre, head coach of the Norwich football team.

 To some players the goal is more than just winning. "We want to win and show the new conference we aren't the old Norwich football team," said Rocco DiMeco, 20, a junior physical education major from Holden, Mass.

Norwich has had four straight seasons of losing records, and a combined 9-31 record leading to the switch in conferences. In those previous four seasons in the Empire 8, the Cadets went a combined 1-23 against Empire 8 teams.

Entering the ECFC this year means there are new rivalries. "I would have to say Mount Ida is our biggest rival, they don't like us and we don't like them," DiMeco said. This year will mark the 10th year in a row Norwich will play Mount Ida University.

Another rivalry that could grow in the next few years is with CSC. "Down the road I could see a big rivalry between Castleton and us," McIntyre said. As the two colleges will battle to see who the best team in Vermont is for years to come.

Before NU could start playing their new conference foes, they first had to go through preseason camp. "We ran a tough preseason camp this year and our players responded really well to it," McIntyre said.

"We are always one of the best conditioned teams on the field, week in and week out," DiMeco said.

During the Cadets preseason the players endured lots of drills testing their conditioning as well as their toughness. Whether it was through double sessions or lifting in the weight room, the coaches tried push the players past their peak, players said.

"The coaches made sure we knew we hadn't proven anything, and it was going to take an extreme work ethic to win our conference," said Jayson Brooks, 20, a sophomore communications major from Grafton, Mass.

After the preseason the Cadets took to the field and started their season against three non-conference teams, losing all three games.

The Cadets started their conference play off strong with a 28-6 win against rival Mount Ida University to improve their overall record to 1-3, and 1-0 in conference. The Cadets improved to 2-0 in conference play last weekend when they handily beat the Hawks of Becker College 42-2.