HARTFORD, CONN -- Ephs Football struggled after a promising start on Saturday afternoon, losing on the road to the Trinity Bantams by a 45-14 margin. The Ephs fell to 2-1 this year after back-to-back wins over Hamilton and Colby, while Trinity advanced to 3-0 on the young season.
Both teams entered play on Saturday riding a wave of early momentum, especially Williams. The Ephs were looking to nab a statement win against the defending co-NESCAC champions in the Bantams.
Early on, the Ephs seemed to be on their way to a successful afternoon. After nearly fumbling on the opening kick-off, the Eph offense took over on their first drive of the day and went to work. Sophomore quarterback Owen McHugh continued to utilize his speed, making defenders miss on multiple lengthy scrambles to get the offense rolling downfield. McHugh also showcased his impressive arm, finding junior tight end Riley O'Connell for a 23-yard strike to set Jon Oris up for a two-yard touchdown run and put the Ephs ahead 7-0, with 8:59 left in the first quarter.
The Trinity offense initially could not find much breathing room, stalling out on two successive drives in the first quarter. At the first quarter break, the Eph held a 127-34 edge in total yards and a 7-0 lead. Eph head coach Mark Raymond highlighted this impressive start. "I think we had a good plan going in, and guys executed very well," he said. "We were aggressive and making plays, guys were clicking on both sides of the ball really well."
The start of the second quarter reflected more Eph dominance, as McHugh capped off a steady, 11-play drive on offense with a nine-yard read-option scamper, running untouched into the end zone to give Williams a 14-0 lead at the 12:21 mark in the second quarter. The first half saw McHugh shine, and excluding sacks, he was the Ephs' leading rusher with 69 yards gained, including the second quarter touchdown run.
However, the tide of the game would turn quickly. On its next drive, Trinity was able to convert a 4th-and-1 from midfield, with quarterback Zander Zebrowski finding receiver Sean Clapp over the middle for 22 yards. On the very next play, Zebrowski hit Nolan O'Brien streaking up the right sideline for a 28-yard touchdown to pull the score to 14-7.
The Bantams defense then began to exert some pressure, sacking McHugh on the Ephs' next drive to force a 3rd-and-13. On that play, pressure got to McHugh and his pass was intercepted by Charlie Cooper and returned for a long touchdown to tie the game at 14. In less than three minutes, the Bantams had made up a two-touchdown deficit.
The following Williams drive displayed some promise, as the Ephs pounded the run with Oris and Mario Fischetti to drive into Bantam territory. On 4th-and-1 from the Trinity 29 yard line, however, Fischetti was stopped short and the Ephs turned it over on downs. The Bantams received the ball and ripped off three big plays, including two passes from Zebrowski to O'Brien, to score in just over a minute of game time and take the lead, 21-14, with 1:08 left in the half.
The Ephs were unable to score on their ensuing possession, and went to the half down 21-14, despite at one point holding a 14-0 lead. Coach Raymond did not think any definitive turning point occurred in the second quarter. "They're a good team, so they're gonna get theirs," he said. "We just have to minimize the big plays, and we didn't do that. They got some big chunk plays in the pass game, got a pick-six, and we just need to respond better."
The third quarter saw the Bantams continue to push against the Ephs. Zebrowski led Trinity downfield to open the half, hitting Max Roach for a six-yard touchdown pass to make it 28-14 with 11:00 left in the third quarter.
Trinity would add to the lead after stopping the first Williams drive of the second half, with a 29-yard field goal from Matthew Jumes making it 31-14 with 2:46 left in the third quarter. The Ephs then had a quick three-and-out, and on the next Bantam offensive play, Zebrowski found O'Brien over the middle and O'Brien turned on the jets to score a 62-yard touchdown. With 1:44 remaining in the third quarter, the score was 38-14.
O'Brien had a strong game, finishing with nine catches, 212 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. Zembrowski would eventually throw for 366 yards and four touchdowns, with the duo giving the Ephs trouble all game. Clapp added 72 receiving yards. "They have two really good receivers, O'Brien and Clapp, and at some point you're gonna have to pick your poison and they were able to shake loose on us a few times," Raymond said.
Trinity's defense also increasingly found success when pressuring McHugh in the second half. The Bantams finished with four sacks, and refused to give the talented quarterback room to operate later in the game. "Their defensive line put a ton of pressure on us, making it difficult for [Owen] to make throws," Raymond noted.
In the fourth quarter, Trinity tacked on a final touchdown, with a nine-yard run from Tyler DiNapoli capping a strong game from the running back and making it 45-14 with 6:41 left. From there, both teams primarily ran the ball, and the clock struck zeroes to solidify a Trinity victory.
For the Eph offense, McHugh finished 14-of-21 for 168 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. Sophomore receiver Jack Kennedy led the team with seven receptions for 58 yards, with senior Cameron Lee chipping in 46 yards on two catches. On the ground, Fischetti and Oris worked as a committee, with Oris compiling 58 yards on 12 carries and Fischetti gaining 49 yards on 12 carries. Defensively, first-year Luke Mangini led the team with nine tackles.
The Ephs will look to rebound at home, at 1 p.m. this coming Saturday against Bowdoin. Bowdoin is 1-2 on the season, coming off of a 28-21 victory over Hamilton.
