The NESCAC football season opened this Saturday, marking just the second year that a conference champion will be named. The top was crowded last year, with Amherst, Colby, and Middlebury each earning a share of the first-ever NESCAC crown with identical 7-1 records. If the first week's dominating wins are any indication of what the rest of the season will bring, it should be a dogfight for the title once again.
The once-unstoppable Williams Ephmen, who struggled to a disappointing fourth place overall last year with a 5-3 mark, enacted its revenge on Colby this weekend with a 28-13 win in Waterville, ME. In last year's season opener, the Cinderella White Mules shocked the Ephmen in Williamstown, 27-24. This year was a different story - the visitors were kept out of the end zone until late in the fourth quarter and held to just 90 yards rushing.
Williams set the tone early, when junior defensive back Johnny Kelly intercepted Colby quarterback Pat Conley's pass on the opening play of the game. The Ephmen then took over on Colby's three yard line, and needed just one attempt to punch the ball into the end zone for a 7-0 lead. Sophomore running back Tyler Shea did the honors, as coach Dick Farley's team began its assault on the ground. Led by sophomore Mike Hackett's 96 yards, the Ephmen combined for 162 yards on 32 attempts.
In the first half, Colby did manage to construct drives of 76 and 68 yards, but could only muster a pair of field goals. Conley put up big numbers, completing 25 of 51 for 279 yards and a touchdown, but was picked off twice courtesy of Kelly, who also had seven tackles. Joe Reardon, Conley's counterpart, held his own in the Williams pocket with 192 yards on 19-of-25 passing with a touchdown and an interception.
Just over 50 miles away in Brunswick, ME., the Middlebury Panthers were dominating the hometown Bowdoin Polar Bears in similar fashion. The Panthers also scored on their first play from scrimmage, en route to a 21-7 victory of their own. Unlike Williams, though- Middlebury's opening score was a bit more sensational, as junior Bill Lazzaro raced 74 yards into the end zone for the score. Lazzaro finished the afternoon with 142 yards rushing on 21 tries.
The score remained 7-0 until early in the second half when the visitors struck again, as quarterback Scott Roberts connected with Denny Smit at 11:32 minutes into the half. A little over six minutes later, freshman Eric Shaley capped off Middlebury's scoring with a six-yard jaunt. Bowdoin finally made some noise in the fourth quarter, capping an 11-play, 48-yard drive with a quarterback sneak. Middlebury proved that the defensive lapse was only temporary, however, as it held on to ensure coach Bob Ritte earned his first career win.
The third contest in Maine saw another home team fall as Trinity trounced Bates in Lewiston, 41-7. The Bantams found the end zone on five of its first six possessions and jumped out to a 35-0 lead at halftime. Trinity's backfield of sophomore Tom Pierandi and junior Brian Fabrizio ran the Bobcat defense into the ground, combining for 224 yards and three touchdowns.
Amherst blanked Hamilton in Clinton, NY, 24-0, in the weekend's only shutout. The Lord Jeffs mimicked last year's season opener when they also held the Continentals scoreless, 30-0. Okey Ugwonali put Amherst on the board with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter on a two yard run, sparking a 10-point second quarter. The nail in the coffin for the Continentals came in the fourth quarter, when Kevin Kennard ran the ball in to finish off a drive. Hamilton, who finished 2-6 last year, fell short on multiple scoring chances in the second half.
Next week, the main event on the NESCAC schedule will be the Colby-Middlebury contest, which kicks off at 1:30 p.m. in Vermont. Another match-up will feature two perennial NESCAC powerhouses, as Williams travels to Hartford to take on Trinity. Tufts will also head north to Bates, while Wesleyan and Bowdoin will be at Amherst.
