Berkshire Gridders Join New League The 2009 varsity team. (The author, Malcolm McCain, is in the front row, second from the left) by Malcolm McCain '10 Last fall varsity football ended the season on two positive notes, one on the field, another off. First, the team beat Wilbraham &  Monson at home in a 17-6 victory. Then it was learned that Berkshire’s football program would move from the Colonial League to the Erickson League, featuring teams with traditionally strong football programs, with all but one opponent a short bus ride away. As a member of the Colonial League for the past several years, Berkshire has played Suffield, Canterbury, Cheshire, Williston-Northampton, Tabor, Westminster, Wilbraham and Monson, Gunnery and Saint Thomas More. Next year we will face teams of a different caliber: Salisbury, Hotchkiss, Taft, Kent, Avon, Trinity-Pawling and Brunswick, with Brunswick being the farthest away. “This is definitely an exciting move for our program,” said Steve Soden, the head coach of varsity football. “The level of competition is something that I am excited about. Historically these schools have fielded strong teams, and they will be a good challenge to us. The switch to the Erickson League is going to renew old rivalries with nearby schools such as Hotchkiss and Salisbury.” At the same time, Coach Soden has good memories of the Colonial League years. “While it will be a challenge to make the switch, I have enjoyed getting to know the coaches of the schools in the Colonial league, and we have had some very exciting games against them,” he said, adding that “it will be fun getting to know the coaches of the Erickson League, and taking Berkshire football up to the next level of competition.” Coach Soden's players are excited about the move as well.  “I think this is a good move for Berkshire football,” said Andrew Pfefferle '12. “But it is going to take some time to get acclimated to the superb level of competition that we will be facing in years to come.” A slot in the Erikson League became available when Brunswick joined the league this year and the league needed another team in order to balance out scheduling. By joining the league Berkshire is renewing old rivalries and hopefully starting new ones. “We have historically always played these teams,” said Athletic Director Dan Driscoll. Until Berkshire made the switch to the Colonial League, nearby Salisbury was its arch-rival, and the two played the last game of the season against each other.   Sewell during the 2008 season at Berkshire Other exciting Berkshire football news:  Matt Sewell '09 has been named to the 2010 World team for the annual Team USA vs. The World football game to be held on January 30th at 12 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The game will be televised on the NFL network. The game's promoters state that "USA Football’s 2010 Junior National Team features 45 of the country’s top high school seniors led by a nine-member coaching staff from five states. The World team’s 45-man roster spans eight countries on four continents, directed by a coaching staff representing 11 nations. All players are 19 years old or younger." Sewell recently finished a prolific freshman season for McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, where he was named a Second-Team OUA (Ontario University Athletics) All-Star playing Offensive Tackle. While at Berkshire, Sewell was named First-Team All-Colonial League, First-Team All-New England, Colonial League Lineman of the Year, and New England Class B Lineman of the Year while also earning honors-level grades each semester. After receiving multiple Division-1 scholarship offers in the United States, Sewell decided to attend McMaster University in his native Canada. Date: 1/19/2010

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