LEWISTON, ME – In their fourth road game in five weeks, the Williams Ephs (6-0) used a balanced offensive attack to defeat the Bates Bobcats (1-5) in a 38-21 contest in which they never trailed.
Down 17-0 at the half after a blocked field goal and a failed fourth-down attempt in Williams territory, the Bobcats attempted to mount a comeback in the third quarter. After Bates defensive back Mohamed Coulibaly intercepted a pass from Williams quarterback
Bobby Maimaron '22, Bobcats quarterback Brendan Costa threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Liam Kelly to narrow the deficit to 17-7.
A 47-yard kick return by running back
Mario Fischetti '25, however, immediately turned the momentum of the game back in the Ephs' favor. Three plays later, running back
Joel Nicholas rumbled 36 yards into the end zone for his longest carry of the day, and the Ephs tacked on two more touchdowns on their next two possessions to extend their lead to a comfortable 38-7 towards the beginning of the fourth quarter.
"I was really happy with the guys' effort coming up here," said Eph head coach
Mark Raymond following the Ephs' sixth straight win. "We faced a tough team, but we came out here with a W and I'm really proud of the guys today."
The Ephs have now scored at least 28 points in all six of their games this season, and have scored at least 35 points in each of their past three. The defense has been just as strong if not even stronger: in their last four games, Williams has allowed just three points in the first three quarters. Though they've allowed 21 points in the fourth over the same time span, they never had less than a three-possession lead in the fourth quarter of any of those games.
Bates received the ball to begin the game and drove within the Williams 10-yard line, aided by an aggressive fourth-and-3 conversion in Williams territory followed by a 31-yard pass from Costa to running back Chris Capo. However, on second-and-goal, the Ephs stuffed running back Caleb Bolden for a seven-yard loss, forcing a field goal attempt that was blocked by Eph defensive lineman
Ian Devine '23. Bates' first drive lasted a full 6:25, but yielded no points.
On their first offensive play, the Ephs dialed up a deep pass. Wide receiver
Cameron Lee '25 ran a streak route over the middle of the field, beating defensive back Jarrin Sato on a hesitation move. Quarterback
Bobby Maimaron '22 placed the ball perfectly, and Lee, about a step behind Sato, caught the ball in stride for a 55-yard gain. The Ephs, however, were held to a field goal on the drive and took a 3-0 lead.
After a Bates punt, the Williams offense went back to work, running an efficient nine-play touchdown drive that culminated in a four-yard touchdown run by
Joel Nicholas. The Bobcats decided to go for it on fourth down again on their next drive, but Williams defensive lineman
Calvin Jackson spoiled the play, chasing Costa from the pocket, tipping the quarterback's pass, and intercepting it more than ten yards behind the line of scrimmage.
The Ephs capitalized on the turnover, driving to the Bates 17-yard line, where they faced a third-and-9. Maimaron corralled a low snap, looked to his right, and scrambled up the middle, only to find Bates linebacker and NESCAC tackle leader Tony Hooks waiting for him around the left hash. Maimaron, however, evaded Hooks with an impressive juke move to the left and sprinted into the end zone untouched, giving the Ephs a 17-0 lead that they'd take into halftime.
After extending their lead in the third quarter, the Bobcats scored two late touchdowns to make the final score of 38-21.
The Ephs once again thrived in both the running and passing games, rushing for 189 yards and passing for 195 more. Aside from the early-third quarter interception, Maimaron enjoyed yet another stellar game, going 10 of 15 (66.7%) for 184 yards and a touchdown through the air and adding 37 rushing yards and his spectacular touchdown scramble on the ground. Nicholas, Fischetti, and
Dan Vaughn '22 split the carries in the running game, combining for 171 yards on 30 attempts (5.7 YPC) and three rushing touchdowns. For the first time this season, wide receiver
Mike DeGasperis '23 led the Ephs in both receptions (4) and receiving yards (61).
"We have some great ball carriers," remarked Raymond on the Ephs' committee-based approach to the running game. "Those three guys are all capable running backs, so it's been a luxury to keep those guys fresh." Raymond was also excited about the growing rapport between Maimaron and DeGasperis in the second straight game that star wide receiver
Frank Stola '22 has missed due to injury. "Mike's been steady. Bobby trusts him, and he's always been in the right spots and has become a go-to guy."
Costa completed 19 of 38 (50.0%) of his passes for 231 yards (6.1 YPA) and two passing touchdowns, and also ignited the Bates rushing attack with 18 carries for 104 yards and a rushing touchdown. No other Bobcat carried the ball more than six times or rushed for more than 12 yards.
"[Costa] is very dynamic and very tough," said Raymond when discussing how the team prepared against Bates' quarterback. "But I thought that the defensive coaches had a great plan for him, and the guy executed it really well."
Next week, the Ephs will return home to face undefeated Trinity (6-0) in a matchup that has significant implications for the NESCAC championship race.
