The Ephs moved to 2-3 on the season after defeating the Continentals (0-5) on the road in Clinton, NY. The Williams offense accumulated a season-high 362 yards, with 221 yards through the air and 141 more on the ground. Quarterback Owen McHugh was 13-23 for 215 yards and a touchdown, a 55-yard strike to Sam Jaffe that gave the Ephs the lead with just under 5 minutes to play in the fourth. The Ephs defense then forced a stop with a minute and half on the clock, and a final first down conversion run by Jon Oris sealed the game.
The game did not start auspiciously for Williams, as McHugh threw an interception on the first drive of the game. But the damage was fleeting as Ephs defensive back Drew Michalek picked up the offense by intercepting Hamilton quarterback Luke Kurzum on the very next drive. Williams used the swing back in momentum to score on the next drive, as Oris punched it in from 3 yards out to open the scoring at 7-0. Williams then stopped the ensuing Hamilton drive, as Ephs defensive back Justice McGrail stopped Hamilton's Lucas Perez-Signini just short of the line to gain and forced a punt. Williams responded with a strong drive that featured a mix of McHugh running and finding receivers in the flat to eventually set up a 32-yard field goal from Ivan Shuran that extended the Ephs lead to 10-0 early in the second.
A fourth-down conversion from right outside the Ephs redzone led to a strong response by Hamilton, as a 1-yard touchdown rush from Nate Wildman brought the score to 10-7. Williams started to drive, but a Hamilton forced a McHugh fumble on their 10-yard line to keep hanging around. The defense picked up their quarterback yet again, as Ethan Scott intercepted Kurzum on the very next play. Scott was also the Ephs leading tackler on the day, with 9 total tackles including a tackle for loss. Williams capitalized immediately, and within three plays the score was 17-7 Ephs as the first half drew to a close.
Hamilton opened the second half with a long drive that ran 15 plays to go 88 yards and take more than seven minutes off the clock. It ended in a 22-yard field goal from Ben Waterman. The Continentals then forced a 3-and-out by Williams and started driving again after getting the ball back. A 22-yard rush from Nate Wildman brought the game to a 17-17 tie early in the fourth, the first time the score was knotted since the 0-0 start.
Both sides traded blows defensively, and a key tackle on third down by Tim Landolfi gave Williams possession with seven minutes to play. The fateful connection between McHugh and Jaffe proved to be the deciding factor in the game, as the score stayed at 24-17 after Williams forced a stop on a McGrail pass breakup on 3rd and 15. A failed fourth-down conversion was the final blow for Hamilton, and the Ephs converted a fourth down of their own on the next drive to kneel it out and clinch the victory.
Ephs head coach Mark Raymond celebrated the Ephs' grit and playmaking down the stretch. "Very proud of these guys to come away with a tough road win. We were able to make some big plays down the stretch to win it," he said. He also noted how today was a team effort. "A lot of players stepped up and made critical plays for us," he said.
Williams (2-3) comes home next weekend to face Trinity (4-1) while Hamilton (0-5) travels to Colby (3-2).
