Hartford, Conn. - Junior Craig Drusbosky (Orange,
Conn.) threw touchdown passes of 16 and 11 yards to
classmate Michael Galligan (Shoreham, N.Y.) in the
final 1:48 of the game to lead the Trinity College Bantams to a
26-21 victory over the Williams College Ephs in New England Small
College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) football action this afternoon
at Jessee/Miller Field. Trinity, ranked No. 1 in New England,
improves to 2-0 with its 12th victory in a row, its third straight
win against Williams, and its 32nd consecutive triumph at
home. The Bantams remain flawless in its 32 games played on
the artificial turf Jessee/Miller Field. Williams, ranked No.
5 in New England, falls to 1-1.
Trinity trailed, 21-13, with 1:43 remaining in the third quarter
after Eph junior Bryce Bennett (Jonesboro, Ariz.)
scored from six years away on a quarterback keeper around the right
end. Trinity senior Grant Kunkel (New Canaan,
Conn.) punted 42 yards to the Williams 10-yard line with
6:46 left in the game, and Bantam senior OLB Kyle Williams
(Bethesda, Md.) sacked Eph starting QB Patrick
Moffitt (Turnersville, N.J.) for nine yards to the
one-yard line on first down. On the next play, Moffitt was
called for a safety when Bantam sophomore ILB Walter Fallas
(Everett, Mass.) chased him to the right and he threw to
an open area for an intentional grounding penalty in the end
zone. On the field ready to receive the free kick and within
six points at 21-15, the Bantams were forced to send their defense
back on the field when the penalty was taken away after a long
conference among the officials and coaches. Moffitt punted
the ball short on the ensuing third-down play to the Eph 30-yard
line, but the Williams defense pushed Trinity back to midfield
thanks to 28 yards of Bantam penalties and forced another Kunkel
punt
With 2:43 on the clock, Trinity forced a punt and got the ball
on the Williams 46-yard line, and Drusbosky connected with senior
tri-captain RB Oliver Starnes (Ledgewood, N.J.) on
a first-down screen pass for 24 yards to the Eph 22-yard
line. On 4th-and-4 from the 16-yard line, Drusbosky eluded
several Williams rushers and found Galligan in the left front
corner of the end zone to cut the Eph lead to two at 21-19.
The Ephs stopped the two-point PAT try, but Fallas recovered a
successful onsides kick by Bantam sophomore PK Tim Costello
(Solana Beach, Calif.) to give Trinity the ball back at
their own 42-yard line.
Drusbosky converted a 4th-and 1 chance with a seven-yard pass to
junior TE Chris Hunt (Westford, Mass.) and
completed 11-yard passes to Galligan and senior WR Winston
Tuggle (Canton, Mass.) to help Trinity advance into field
goal range at the Williams 16-yard line. Williams was called
for offsides while Trinity attempted to spike the ball with 18
seconds remaining, and Drusbosky fired the gamewinning touchdown
pass to Galligan down the middle on the next play.
Drusbosky finished with 259 passing yards with 192 of them
coming in the fourth quarter on 22 completions and 44 attempts,
while Galligan totaled 97 yards on nine catches and Tuggle caught
four passes for 62 yards. Starnes led the Trinity ball
carriers with 57 yards on 16 carries and added four receptions for
33 yards. Fallas and junior ILB Francois Auzerais
(Westport, Conn.) had 12 tackles each for the Bantams,
while junior CB Harry Melendez (Holyoke, Mass.)
had a first-half interception and 47-yard return for Trinity's
first touchdown and ended the game with a pick of Moffitt.
Kunkel averaged 41 yards on eight punts, including three dropped
inside the Williams 20-yard line, and Costello made his first
career field goal from 23 yards out in the first half and booted a
32-yarder in the third quarter. Moffit finished 10-for-24 for
133 yards including a 31-yard touchdown toss to senior tri-captain
WR Nick Caro (Andover, Mass.) on the opening drive
of the game. Caro caught six passes for a game-high 99 yards
and also caught a touchdown pass of 24 yards from Eph sophomore
Matt Coyne (Bristol, Conn.) in the second quarter,
while junior RB Ryan Lupo (Princeton Junction,
N.J.). Senior tri-captain DB Ikenna Iheoma
(Holland, Pa.) and junior LB Dylan Schultz
(Lanesboro, Mass.) made nine tackles apiece for the Eph
defense.
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Hartford
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