Hartford, Conn. - Junior running backs Oliver
Starnes (Ledgewood, N.J.) and Robert Jackson
(Atlanta, Georgia) rushed for a combined 181 yards and the
defense had a strong showing, as the Trinity College Bantams
defeated the Bates College Bobcats 17-7 on Jessee-Miller field in
both team's season opener this afternoon.
Starnes gained 101 yards on 19 touches, while Jackson collected
80 yards on the ground to go along a touchdown. The Bantam defense
frustrated the Bobcats rushing attack, allowing just 35 total yards
on the ground. The Bantams struck early with a first drive field
goal by senior kicker Adam Cox (Garden City, New
York), to take a 3-0 lead. On Trinity's second drive of
the game, the Bantams added seven more, highlighted by a nifty
32-yard pass from senior quarterback Eric McGrath (Lynn,
Mass.) to sophomore wide receiver Michael Galligan
(Shoreham, N.Y.), giving the Bamtams a 10-0 lead.
With under a minute left in the first half, Bates threatened to
close the gap after junior defensive back Kyle McAllister
(Exeter, N.H.) recovered a fumble, setting his offense up
on the Trinity 35-yard line. Sophomore quarterback Ryan
Larsen (Hull, Mass.) took a shot at the end zone, but
Bantam senior cornerback Harryl Smith (Ridgewood,
N.J.) made a leaping interception on the four-yard line,
denying Bates from adding points to the scoreboard.
The score remained at 10-0 in Trinity's favor until the fourth
quarter, when the Bantams added seven more after McGrath found an
open sophomore tight end Chris Hunt (Ashford,
Mass.), who sprinted down the sideline and into the end
zone for a 36-yard score, putting the Bantams up 17-0 with 6:50
remaining in the game.
On the ensuing Bates drive, Bobcats first-year quarterback,
Ryan Katon (Durham, Conn.), who entered the game
in the second quarter, marched his team 70 yards down the field,
and capped the drive with a 20-yard touchdown pass in the corner of
the end zone to senior wide receiver Mark Flaherty (East
Walpole, Mass.), cutting the Trinity lead to 17-7 with
just over three minutes remaining in the game. On the following
play, the Bobcats unsuccessfully attempted an onsides kick, which
allowed Trinity to kill most of the remaining clock, leaving too
little time for Bates to mount a comeback.
McGrath finished the game with 167 yards passing and a touchdown
for Trinity, while Katon threw for 101 yards and a touchdown for
Bates. Galligan had a team high 56 yards receiving, and senior wide
receiver Connor Wells (Haddam, Conn.) had five
catches for 55 yards to lead the Bantams receiving corps. Flaherty
led the Bobcats with 56 yards receiving, junior wide receiver
Matt Gregg (Milton, Mass.) had seven catches for
52 yards and junior wide receiver Sean Wirth (Barrington,
R.I.) had 8 grabs for 40 yards.
Trinity travels to Williamstown next week for a 1 p.m. matchup
with the Williams College Ephs, while Bates travels to Medfield,
Mass. to take on the Tufts University Jumbos. Both Williams and
Tufts are 1-0 to start the year.
box score
Hartford
Courant story
