Box Score Box
Score
LEWISTON, Maine -- A fired up Bates team used its first
offensive series of the game to drive for a TD and take a 7-0
lead on the visiting Ephs in the Bobcats' home opener. The Ephs
re-grouped and stormed back to claim a 27-14 victory at Garcelon
Field.
The Ephs featured a balanced offensive attack with senior RB
Brian Morrissey rushing for 107 yards and a touchdown and sophomore
QB Patrick Moffitt throwing for 196 yards, including a 35-yard
touchdown strike to Ryan Powell that put the Ephs (2-1) on top for
good at 13-7. Powell caught 7 passes for 90 yards and a score,
while Nick Caro came up with 4 catches for 88 yards.
With the win the Ephs imroved to 2-1 and Bates fell to 0-3.
Bates opened the game with a 10-play, 67-yard scoring drive,
featuring a 21-yard rush by QB/WR Tom Beaton to the Wiliams 5,
setting up first year QB Ryan Katon's first career touchdown on a
sweep to the left.
Katon threw for 167 yards on the day with 16 completions in 34
attempts, but he was victimized by three Eph interceptions. Eph
senior Tim Batty snared two of Katon's aerials.
Immediately following the Bates TD, Williams came back with an
11-play, 60 yard touchdown drive, highlighted by a 23-yard run by
Morrissey up the left sideline that put the Ephs at the
Bates 10. Elijah Weeks scored on a 10-yard run two plays later to
tie the game at 7-7.
Bates tried to answer the Williams TD with one of their own but
Batty recorded his first pick of the day on the Wiliams 3-yard line
to thwart the Bobcats.
The Ephs took the lead for good in the second quarter when they
capped off an 8-play, 73-yard drive with an 11-yard run by
Morrissey and a 35-yard strike from Moffitt to Powell for the
TD. The PAT was unsuccessful and the Ephs took a 13-7 lead
into the locker room at the half.
After the intermission the Ephs asserted control of the contest
dominating the third quarter by outgaining the Bates 65 to
minus 4 yards. Williams recovered a fumble by Katon at the Bates 23
and took 7 plays to return to the end zone, on a 1-yard sneak by
Moffitt,
making it 20-7 Williams to start the fourth quarter.
Williams got the ball back at midfield after a three-and-out by
Bates, and blew the game open on a 25-yard scoring run by
Morrissey, making it 27-7.
With 1:10 left to play the Bobcats notchd their second TD of the
day when Katon found Matt Greg with a 10-yard scoring pass.
Eph LBs Dan Johnson and Trevor Powers led the defense with eight
tackles each. Johnson had six solos and Powers had seven.
The Ephs return home next Saturday to face 2-1 Middlebury who is
coming in off a 31-14 win over previously undefeated Amherst. A
year ago Williams hung the only loss on the Panthers' record.
