It’s early in the season for the Stony Brook Seawolves football team as they’re still in the process of discovering their niche this season. According to their statistics at home, they’re looking to defend their home turf in LaValle Stadium this fall.
The team has faced a tough schedule four games into the season facing two ranked opponents in their division on the road with James Madison and William & Mary. They gave up 59 points combined in their first two road games (21 against James Madison and 38 against William & Mary).
However, it’s a different story when the Seawolves play at home. They dominate offensively and defensively averaging 34.5 points on offense and allowing 7.5 points on defense.
Heading into his 10th season as head coach of the Seawolves, Chuck Priore intends on achieving another winning season in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). This will be the 17th season of his coaching tenure. He remains two wins away from 100 career victories and one win away from 60 career wins at Stony Brook.
The Seawolves offense sustained a tremendous loss in their best offensive player, junior running back Stacey Bedell, after he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury at William & Mary. Priore will have to now rely a bunch of backs in Anthony Anderson, Tyler Fredericks, Donald Liotine and Isaiah White to fill in the huge void for Bedell. Bedell had rushed for 326 yards on 43 carries with four touchdowns in two games this season. His career-high three touchdown game came in their home opening 38-9 victory over Central Connecticut State.
Priore has been switching it up at the quarterback position swapping between senior Conor Bednarski and redshirt freshman Joe Carbone. The redshirt freshman from New Jersey has earned the primary position in the first four games as a Seawolf with 391 passing yards, one passing touchdown, three interceptions, and two rushing touchdowns. On the other hand, Bednarski has not shined in his four appearances, and does not the turn the ball over as much as Carbone. The senior from California in his first four games has thrown 260 passing yards, for one touchdown and an interception. Coach Priore seems to like the scheme of play letting both quarterbacks each play half of the football game.
As as far as wide receivers go, the 5 foot 9 inch transfer out of Moorpark College in California, Ray Bolden, has been racking up receptions along with exceptional receiving yards. In his first four games in the CAA for the Seawolves, he had at least five receptions for 50 yards or more. So far in the season, he has 25 receptions for 318 receiving yards along with two touchdowns. He’s definitely made a statement thus far.
On the defensive side of the football, the players who stand out the most are sophomore defensive back Tyrice Beverette and senior free safety Naim Cheeseboro who are both making spectacular plays left and right for Stony Brook. They both have combined 53 tackles through four games this season (Beverette, 30/Cheeseboro, 23). Both have had their season-highs in tackles in the games they lost. Beverette had 14 tackles in the loss to James Madison and Cheesboro made 10 tackles in their shutout loss to William & Mary.
The team definitely has the potential to be great this season. It all depends on the level of consistency and them playing the game for 60 minutes.
The Seawolves hold an undefeated record at home and have their homecoming game approaching against the Towson Tigers on Oct 17 at LaValle Stadium at 6pm. This should be their most challenging game of the season.
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