Williams Football Falls on Homecoming to Wesleyan

HWILLIAMSTOWN, MASS. -- Williams (2-5) hosted the Wesleyan Cardinals (6-2) in a Homecoming tilt in front of a packed crowd. The Ephs won the opening coin toss and elected to receive, setting up a drive that started at their 22-yard line. After the Ephs converted two first downs, Wesleyan forced a punt from Ephs' 38-yard line, but Eph senior Tim Brown nailed the kick down inside the 2-yard line, pinning the Cardinals deep in their own territory. The following play saw a run stuffed by Ryan Levrault force a Wesleyan safety, opening the scoring at 2-0 and giving the Ephs the ball back. Quarterback Owen McHugh then led a methodical, 11-play drive ending in an Ivan Shuran field goal to make it 5-0. On the following kickoff, Wesleyan muffed the return, giving Williams the ball inside the 10-yard line again. The Wesleyan defense stood up the Ephs, forcing another kick from Shuran to widen the lead to 8-0, a score that would hold through the end of the first quarter.
 

Both teams traded stops to open the second quarter until Wesleyan began driving with 9:45 to play until the half. Cardinals quarterback Niko Candido found Jared Lindstrom on a 52-yard jump ball to bring the Cardinals inside the Ephs red zone Candido then went to Lindstrom again on an end zone fade for a touchdown. A 2-point conversion made it 8-8. After several more drives trading blows, Williams responded loudly with a 47-yard strike from McHugh to Brady Stahelski with 3:57 to play, and an extra point from Shuran brought the Ephs' lead to 15-8. Two sacks on the following drive for Wesleyan, one by Cameron Smith and the other by a combination of Ethan Scott and Calvin Jackson, forced a three-and-out, and another special teams win by the Ephs, this time a blocked punt by Riley O'Connell, brought put them within the 10-yard line once more. Williams converted on a quick slant to Paul Harshbarger, and the score was 22-8. McHugh finished the day with 190 yards through the air on 13 of 32 passing. He was sacked five times and picked off twice. 

Wesleyan opened the second half with the ball. Candido found Thomas Elkhoury for a 37-yard pass, and the Cardinals reached the Williams 29 before an interception by Williams's Holden Gehring reclaimed possession for the Ephs. Wesleyan forced a stop following the turnover, however, mitigating the threat of the Ephs extending the lead for the moment. The Cardinals then drove again, reaching Williams territory before a pass breakup on 4th down by Gehring forced a turnover. The next Wesleyan drive also saw a turnover, as Ethan Scott forced a fumble to give Williams possession with great field position once again. It was the fourth fumble forced by the Eph defense. 

Wesleyan was able to get the ball back after Jack Nally intercepted a McHugh jump ball, and the following Cardinals drive saw a few strong throws from Candido to bring his team within striking distance as the third quarter drew to a close. The fourth quarter opened with Wesleyan inside the Ephs twenty-yard line, but Scott forced yet another fumble on fourth down to stop the Wesleyan threat. After failing to convert on their turnovers, the Ephs returned the ball to Wesleyan, and finally the Cardinals converted a scoring drive on a back shoulder fade from Candido to Thomas Elkhoury. A successful two-point conversion brought Wesleyan firmly within striking distance at 22-14. On the following drive, McHugh was stripped and Wesleyan recovered the ball, and momentum stayed with the Cardinals. A controversial pass interference call on the Ephs kept the Cardinals drive alive, and Candido connected with Matt Lutenberg for a 20-yard touchdown completion to give Wesleyan their first lead of the game at 23-22. A fumble on the following Eph drive returned possession to the Cardinals. A Candido rush touchdown made it 30-22, capping a streak of 22 unanswered points. Candido accumulated 365 yards and three touchdowns on the day.

Williams threatened on the following drive, as McHugh found several different receivers to keep hopes alive. But an interception on the goal line sealed the game for Wesleyan, and the Cardinals knelt out the final seconds.

Ephs coach Mark Raymond noted, "We had some great moments today," and highlighted "special performances… by several guys." However, he did say, "we just weren't able to get the offense going in the second half. 

Williams will travel to Amherst (3-5) next weekend, while Wesleyan be at home to face Trinity (6-1).