Matson manages his time

Middlebury captain Andrew Matson was an All-NESCAC selection last season in helping the Panthers to their first outright conference title. (Caroline Monninger/For the Globe)

A doctor and a football player may not seem to be a match, but Middlebury senior wide receiver Andrew Matson spends his mornings in biochemistry classes and his afternoons at football practices.

Despite the busy schedule, Matson is determined to graduate pre-med and even more determined to live up to the responsibility of being the captain of the defending New England Small College Athletic Conference champions.

"It's something that's very manageable, if you plan your time wisely," said Matson, a Rhode Island native. "I think it keeps your life in a nice balance. It makes you really focus. When you come back from practice, you can't mess around too much."

Middlebury will host Bowdoin tomorrow in its season opener. Matson is one of nine returning offensive starters for a team that went 13-3 the last two seasons. He may be the Panthers' lone captain but he doesn't consider himself the team's only leader.

"We have a lot of guys who are leaders in their respective areas of the field," Matson said. "It's not like I feel like I have to bear a lot of the weight on my shoulders."

Before Matson graduated from Moses Brown School in Providence, he knew he wanted to find a college where he could pursue his goals of becoming an orthopedic surgeon and playing football. Middlebury was the right fit.

He also is an outfielder for the Panthers' baseball team in the spring. Despite the added activities, he maintains a 3.6 grade-point average and has been a District 1 Academic All-American and an NESCAC All-Academic choice.

Matson credits part of his ability to balance his schedule to roommate Brian Marcks, a senior safety who also is a pre-med major. The two are taking similar classes and are able to help each other, Matson said. This summer, Matson took the MCAT and he has applied to 11 medical schools.

Every now and then Matson or Marcks fields requests from teammates - some serious, some joking - to diagnose a twinge or subtle pain.

Matson said he stays far away from making educated guesses when it comes to injuries.

"We're not in medical school," Matson said. "We're just trying to get there."

To keep everything in perspective, Matson said he doesn't look beyond the responsibilities in front of him each day. It's an approach often echoed by Middlebury coach Bob Ritter.

"What's so remarkable is that [Matson] doesn't cheat anything," Ritter said. "He's putting in time watching film with coaches. He does all the things he needs to do to make himself a great football player. At the same time, he's done all the little things he needs to do to be a great student in a very challenging major."

Last season, Matson established himself as a go-to receiver while the Panthers surprised many by winning their first outright conference title at 7-1.

Among the highlights was defeating Trinity, 23-14, for the first time in six seasons. Dismal weather conditions stretched the game into a 3-hour-30-minute event.

"That game was kind of the climax to our season," Matson said. "Trinity is usually one of the stronger teams in the league, and we beat them in dramatic fashion . . . It only reiterated how good we could be if we all played together."

Matson ended the season an All-NESCAC selection after leading Middlebury in receptions (31) and yards (423). He was tied for the team lead with seven touchdowns.

Quarterback Donald McKillop, last season's NESCAC Rookie of the Year, said Matson and his other teammates helped him feel comfortable stepping in as a freshman.

"Looking back, the classes didn't make that big of a difference," McKillop said. "Everyone was working for the same thing."

As another season begins, Ritter reminds his team that opponents will not be surprised by the Panthers' success this year.

"It was a great year last year and a lot of fun, but it's not going to get us any wins this year," Ritter said. "If anything, teams will be more motivated to play us, and we have to raise our level accordingly."

Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com