WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Coming off a season that began with great promise and ended with a pair of heartbreaking defeats, the Williams College football team is anxious to kick off the season and shake off those late-season disappointments. Head coach Mark Raymond certainly believes he has the roster to compete for the NESCAC title, which will be coveted even more this year with a trip to the NCAA Division III Playoffs on the line for the first time in league history.
"I know the players are excited about the opportunity to go to the playoffs, but my job is to keep them focused on the here and now, the things they can control," Raymond said. "Fortunately, we have a really good group of leaders, captains [Holden Gering, Owen Johansen and Michael Sheskey] who have done a great job with the team, even over the summer to make sure everyone is working toward our common goal."
The focal point of this team — and pretty much most football teams — is the quarterback. Part of the reason for the tough luck at the end of last season was quarterback health. Senior Owen McHugh returns to the gridiron after missing the 2025 campaign with an injury, and he would like to get a chance to improve upon his sophomore numbers that included over 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air.
But his classmate and captain Johansen demonstrated he was up to the task last year in McHugh's absence, throwing for 1,038 yards and 10 touchdowns, while running for 495 yards (8.4 per carry) as he suited up for six of the first seven games and earned All-NESCAC Second Team honors. Having two exceptional quarterbacks is a luxury that Raymond is happy to have.
"McHugh is a tremendous athlete, a great worker and preparer," Raymond stated. "He looks to be right where he left off during our preseason practices as well. With Johansen, we have a special athlete who could play just about anywhere on the field, so we need to find a way to cut both of these guys loose."
Another luxury for Williams is the receiving corps, which is made up of an experienced and battle-tested bunch. Junior Zach Walls exploded on the scene last year as one of the leading receivers in the NESCAC, earning first-team all-conference honors, with 30 catches, 761 yards and a conference-best eight touchdown grabs. Senior tight end Jimmy Montesano caught four touchdowns in the first three games before going down with an injury, but he is back and ready to be a force once again.
Add in a healthy senior Brady Stahelski (15 catches, 302 yards and 2 TD in 2024), junior Henry Machnik (14 for 175 yards, 3 TD) and sophomores Daven Bailey (8 for 98) and Dominic Wadland, and the Ephs have a good mix of targets at which to throw.
The biggest loss among the offensive skill players is at running back. Jon Oris, an All-NESCAC First Team selection, graduated following his performance as the second-leading rusher in the league, and replacing those 93.4 yards per game on the ground is not a simple task. Junior Matt Bott nearly matched Oris on a per carry basis, however, at 5.2 yards per carry, so the coaching staff is optimistic the squad can remain as the top rushing team in the conference.
A trio of first-year running backs — Quinn Rucker, Aiden Clark and Matt Fabiano — have shown great promise as well during preseason camp and will get plenty of opportunities to show they are ready for the collegiate game.
"I feel we have a great balanced attack, but we pride ourselves on being a tough, physical team who can run the ball," Raymond said. "And with our strong receiving threats, our play-action game should be effective."
The running and passing game will only be as good as the offensive line up front, and with a lot of experience there, the outlook is very promising. Sheskey, a fifth-year captain, is back after missing last season to be the keystone at center, and he joins returning starters Cam Maguire (fifth-year), Will Robke (senior) and Declan McKiernan (junior) to provide a formidable group. Junior Owen Fitzsimmons and senior Ethan Shames are seasoned veterans as well to enter the mix.
On the other side of the ball, Raymond would like to tighten things up and lock down teams more effectively this year. That's where Gering comes in. After playing on both sides of the ball as a receiver and defensive back in previous years (earning All-NESCAC honors as a DB in 2024), the captain will focus on being the difference-maker he can be on defense this fall.
Two other senior defender backs give the Ephs some solid experience in the secondary in Wyatt Cotton and Brady Carroll. Cotton was second on the squad in passes defended last year (two interceptions, seven pass breakups), while Carroll was third in that category (one pick, five PBUs). They also ranked in the top seven on the squad in tackles.
Raymond expects senior Luke Thorbahn, junior Andrew Kreakie and sophomore Lucas Cardinale all to be in the mix in the secondary, along with a couple of newcomers that will push for some time. Keeping legs fresh back there should help improve the pass defense.
Among the linebackers, the Ephs are happy to have juniors Zakkai Moore and Luke Mangini back on the inside. The duo ranked as the top two tacklers on the team and among the top five in the NESCAC with 78 and 70 stops, respectively, the most by any Eph in seven years. Both players were disruptive forces in the backfield as well with Mangini leading the league with 15.5 tackles for a loss and Moore adding 9.5 more, good for fourth, and the pair combined for 6.5 sacks as well. "Those two have logged a lot of downs and both have great football IQs," Raymond noted.
Sophomore Connor Acheson is ready to build upon a strong rookie campaign in which he posted 48 tackles, third on the squad, with six going for a loss. There are also a few seniors — David Hyde, Christian Reavis, Nathan Rodi — who are working hard to stand out, while the younger linebackers are hungry to make an impact.
The defensive line will be anchored by a pair of returning All-NESCAC performers in juniors Ben Yedid (first team) and Will Gale (second team). Yedid was a terror on the edge with a team-high six sacks while matching Mangini's three forced fumbles. Gale provided the most tackles among the lineman from his tackle position with 40 stops and even had the lone blocked kick on special teams.
Joining Gale in the middle of the line will be senior Will Baker, while senior Jon Marvan — who is switching sides of the ball from running back — has impressed during preseason workouts to warrant a starting nod on the outside. But keeping the line fresh will be key to maintaining pressure on the quarterback throughout a game, giving ample opportunities for junior Nick Dlugos and a few first-years to make their mark.
The kicking game will continue to be held down by senior Leonardo Maiuolo, a second-team All-NESCAC punter each of the past two seasons while also consistently converting his PAT attempts last year in his first season handling double duty. Senior Wyatt Olson is also a capable kicker who can step into either role.
As has been the case for nearly 40 years, the entire schedule is made up of NESCAC opponents, so every team has to be ready from the opening kick. Williams will open the season at home on Sept. 19 against Bowdoin, a team the Ephs have beaten in 26 of the last 28 meetings. But that doesn't mean Coach Raymond and his charges can expect to roll to victory.
"There is so much talent spread out among the league that the parity has never been greater," Raymond said. "We have to take care of the ball out of the gate and be disciplined, prevent the big plays which are usually a result of mental errors and missed tackles. But if we can play to our abilities and eliminate those mental mistakes, we will be competitive with any team in the league."
