An Inside Look at Amherst Football

Before their Homecoming match against Wesleyan, I interviewed the Amherst College football team’s quarterback Marek Hill ’28, wide receiver Carter Jung ’26, and defensive back Luke Harmon ’26. Special thanks to them for their willingness and graciousness throughout the interview process.

This interview has been edited for clarity and accuracy.

Joey: I’m here today with Marek Hill, Carter Jung, and Luke Harmon of the football team. Marek, you had your first career start against Colby last week. Tell me about it, what was it like?

Marek: You know, I’m blessed and grateful for the opportunity to start in my freshman year. It didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, but we did some really great things on offense. I feel that we were able to click in the second half, and I’m looking forward to continuing that success today.

Joey: Like you said, it may not have been the result you wanted, but there was definitely a lot of success offensively. In your case, you already have the highest passer rating and completion percentage on the team. You’ve racked up three total touchdowns in three games, only one of which you started. What have you, your coaches, and your teammates done to help you develop your abilities in your first season?

Marek: It started in the spring when I came here and over the summer, developing connections with the guys on Zoom, and meetings with our offensive coordinator and QB coach Coach Malik Grove to install the offense. But more importantly, we worked on the defense that we’d be playing and started from there.

Joey: Alright. Let’s address the elephant in the room. As a freshman, you’re the starting quarterback in the school’s homecoming game, probably the most viewed sporting event every year for Amherst. The expectations and pressure, I assume, are pretty high for you. Do you feel that pressure, and if so, how will you deal with it?

Marek: There’s obviously pressure every time I step out on the field, but I’ve played in some big games before. I won a state championship in my sophomore year and played in my city championship game in my junior year. Pressure has always been something instilled in me by my dad. He played in many big games as a former D1 quarterback. He tells me, “You’re gonna have butterflies, but if you focus that feeling on the task at hand, it’ll work in your favor.”

Joey: Now Carter, you’re second on the team in receiving yards, and you had the most receptions on the team last week against Colby in Marek’s first start. What’s your connection with Marek like on the field, and how do you envision helping each other develop your offensive skill sets moving forward?

Carter: Our connection on the field started in spring, like Marek was saying, and even off the field, which is a really important factor. Just talking through things together, studying film, and going over plays and specific looks the defense will give us. Whether it’s on the field or not, we communicate a lot. When I get out there, I like to yell out the coverages. And I know Marek obviously knows them and relays it back to me to make sure we’re on the same page. I could run the best route in the world and run it against the wrong coverage, and Marek will look like he’s at fault there, putting the ball somewhere I should’ve been. And going forward, I think we need to continue stacking reps, whether that’s throughout the week in practice or on game day.

Joey: It’s fair to say that you are most likely the best kickoff returner in NESCAC. First in the league in kickoff return yards and sixth in all-purpose yards. How have you been so successful this season in returning, and how do you plan to take advantage of your skills against Wesleyan today?

Carter: Wesleyan’s kicker is alright. He’s nothing special in particular, so I’ll hopefully be able to return the ball out of our side of the field a lot today. Also, I’d like to thank Coach Eddy Augustin and Coach Kenneth Maxwell, who have really helped me watch film, study up, and get the guys blocking for me in the right places. My job becomes a lot easier when they can get a body on a body and create some lanes for me to run through.

Joey: Right. Now to Luke. Statistically speaking, you’ve been a monster on defense. Sixth most in the league for total tackles, tied first for interceptions, and sixth in passes defended. What has contributed to your success so far in the season?

Luke: The coaches have put me in a spot to make plays, and the guys I’m out there with have really been great and opened up the field for me. I’ve been able to make the plays that have presented themselves, and it’s been a lot of fun.

Joey: Wesleyan, one of the best teams in NESCAC, has elite offensive threats to account for. What did the defensive preparations for the team look like throughout the week, and how is the defense planning to approach this game?

Luke: We’re going to be very aggressive. Like you said, a lot of offensive threats. It’s going to be a great challenge for us, but we’re prepared. Despite having some injuries, I think these young guys are going to step up, be very aggressive, and lock Wesleyan up.

Joey: Now, some questions for the three of you. What’s one thing you will take from this season into the next?

Carter: I’d say the resilience and the ability to bounce back. One game in particular that sticks out to me is Middlebury. We were down by three scores at halftime, and we came into the locker room collectively and decided that this was not going to be the way we went out. We put all our energy and effort into climbing back into that game, and although it didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to, it really showed flashes of excellence in our offense. Moving forward and throughout the season, I think we’re just going to continue doing our bread and butter. Sticking to what we’re good at and dialing in the things we aren’t as good at. That way, when it comes to game day, it becomes much easier.

Joey: Absolutely.

Marek: I know this is a very quarterback answer, but we’re not really focused on next season right now. We’re focused on winning today against Wesleyan. But from what I’ll take going forward, it’ll be the connection we’re building with our brothers and being able to fight in the face of adversity. As Carter mentioned, with Middlebury as an example, there have been games where we went into halftime and were able to regroup, the defense made great stops, and the offense went out and scored—just being able to do that and start faster in the games to come.

Luke: I think we got a lot of momentum; next season should be very promising. We have to finish these three games the right way, playing strong defense and getting a lot of points on the board. With that, I believe we’re going to bring great energy into next year.

Joey: My last question: how are you feeling about today’s game?

Carter: I felt something different in the air today. This whole week, I’ve had a special feeling that we were going to do something great. You know, the weather is perfect. I personally thrive in environments that are packed, loud, and have lots of fans. “Pressure either bursts pipes or makes diamonds,” as Coach Maxwell says to us, and I like to live through that.

Marek: I’m going to say the same thing. I love playing in big moments, I like making plays, and I’m really excited to get out there today against a really good Wesleyan team.

Luke: I feel good. A lot of us have been talking. Obviously, we’re the underdog today. We’re going to be overlooked by this team, and I think that plays to our advantage.

Joey: Absolutely.

Luke: The most dangerous man is the one who has nothing to lose, so that’s sort of the mentality for today. I really think we’re going to bring it and surprise these guys.

Joey: No doubt. Well, thank you three again for sitting down with me, and best of luck in today’s game.

Marek: Of course, thank you.

Carter: Yeah, we appreciate it.

Luke: Thank you.