Season Predictions

Cole Jacobson: These predictions get harder to make every year. Now four years removed from playing in the league, there’s not anyone left the CSFL that I played against except perhaps some original members of the Class of 2022 who took fifth years as a result of the canceled 2020 season. So with that in mind, I think I’m justified to start things off with perhaps the most cowardly prediction I’ve made on this website, or any other: Cahsid Raymond for MVP.

I know it’s the equivalent of throwing money on the Warriors to win the championship during the Kevin Durant era, but I don’t care. Sometimes, there’s no need to zig where the others zag, and this is one of those times. As a freshman, Raymond was already in the conversation for this award, leading the league with 926 rushing yards and, perhaps even more impressive, a staggering 8.5 yards/carry. He is as explosive of a runner as the league has seen in a long time, and he has a very good shot to become the CSFL’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Navy’s Eric Wellmon did so in 2014. And let’s not forget that he can sling the rock as well, finishing 3rd in the league in both passing yards and passing TD a year ago. Plain and simple, he is capable of doing things in this league that no one else is, and he’s the leader in the clubhouse to take home the league’s most prestigious individual award. I don’t quite think Mansfield is a championship contender yet, but that program is on the rise (three consecutive .500+ seasons from 2018-21 after not doing so once from 2008-17), and if the Mounties can get a signature win by beating Army, Navy, or Penn for the first time, that would send Raymond’s already promising MVP odds through the roof. 

Still, just like the Warriors failed to win in 2019 after their avalanche of injuries, there’s no guarantee that the favorite takes it home, and there are several other key names worth keeping an eye on. Though 2021 CSFL passing yards leader Dennis Riordan transferred from St. Thomas Aquinas to NCAA Division III Western Connecticut State, the league has some other quality returning QBs such as Penn’s Andrew Paolini and Navy’s Brandon Atwood. Navy RB Alex Totta, of SportsCenter fame from his epic 2019 run at Cornell, has a good chance among offensive skill players, as do wideouts like Army’s Donovan Mannion and STAC’s Makhi Matthews. If a defensive player wins it, Penn LB Lewis Evans would be my pick to do so, but Army LB Luke Gigliotti could make a run as well, taking a greater leadership role in that defense following David Dickerson’s graduation. So while my money is on Raymond, there’s no shortage of proven veteran talent on his tail.

On the team side, I say the CSFL sees its first repeat champion since Army in 2012-2013, as Navy takes the championship after doing so last year. One reason for doing so comes in the Midshipmen’s schedule. In both my 2019 and 2021 predictions for this website, I wrote that Army had the easier road to the championship game based on the division it played in. But the landscape of the league has changed. Caldwell is entering its second season in the North division, which is also inhabited by a rapidly improving Mansfield program, while South division schools like Penn and Chestnut Hill don’t look like what they were three or four years ago. As I wrote in 2019, when one team has an easier path to the title than most other contenders, that team’s title changes get a boost. While the team I am referring to with that statement has changed, the message stays the same.

But, as always, what’s more important than that is the personnel on the field, and it’s hard to top what Navy brings back in that regard. The Midshipmen do have some holes to fill on the defensive side, graduating five of their top eight tacklers from a year ago, but they are always extremely physical and disciplined on that side of the ball, and I believe their returning offensive talent is what gives them a slight edge over fellow returning finalist, Army. Brandon Atwood’s 72.2 completion percentage led all QBs with 10+ attempts last season, and Navy averaged 40.3 points per game in his three starts last year, including a regular season win over Army.

Combine his presumed return to full strength with the presence of RB Alex Totta, last year’s top eight receivers in terms of yardage, and an offensive line that returns four of five starters, and you have the ingredients for an offense that can and will pick up the slack from whatever defensive regression might occur. Army QB Mikal Willeke showed some promise playing behind JC Watson last season, and his progression could certainly throw a wrench into the title conversation, but as of now, I’m going with the program with more proven returning talent.

As for my old Penn program, while I obviously hope this turns out not to be the case, I simply don’t think there’s enough on the offensive side of the ball to contend for a championship. Penn’s going to be a good team, as it’s simply what the program does; there have only been two losing seasons in the entire 21st century, and that standard shouldn’t change. But fresh off playing in the team’s Alumni Game (a 16-6 win for the current varsity team), I believe the team’s losses on offense will be too steep to overcome. Andrew Paolini is in the conversation for best returning QB in the league, but losing their top three skill position players and three of five starting offensive linemen is a difficult proposition for the Quakers to face. 

What Penn does have going for it is inarguably the strongest front-seven the school has had since my class graduated. Penn did not have any senior DL or LB on the roster in 2021, and that has led to a group that is experienced and talented in 2022. Of Penn’s five returning players to earn some type of All-CSFL status in 2021, four are front-seven players (Cameron Janock, Travis Legum, Jake Inserra, Lewis Evans). Our alumni offense only scored six points and gained 92 total yards, and while some of that was due to self-inflicted mistakes, we also have to give credit where it’s due — this defense really has some kids who fly around, and that’s what will lead the team to a winning season. Last year’s Penn squad was eliminated in a loss to Navy when it allowed 372 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, but that will not be the team’s Achilles heel this time.

As a miscellaneous prediction outside of CSFL MVP/team champion, I am picking Bellarmine to win the inaugural Midwest Sprint Football League championship. This is based on absolutely nothing besides the fact that their school name sounds cool, since we have no prior data to judge any of these schools on. The California high school named Bellarmine Prep has produced some notable NFL talent, so I’m going with the Kentucky-based sprint football program that has nothing to do with that until I have a reason to say otherwise.