Clinton, N.Y. - The rushing attack was relentless and the
defensive unit made four interceptions as the visiting Trinity
College Bantams cruised to a 41-7 win over the Hamilton College
Continentals in New England Small College Athletic Conference
(NESCAC) football action this afternoon at Steuber Field.
Trinity improves to 2-1 with the win, while Hamilton drops to 0-3
on the year.
Trinity finished with 419 yards of total offense and limited the
Continentals to eight first downs and 107 yards. The Bantams gained
280 yards on the ground and picked off four passes. Hamilton
finished with minus-4 rushing yards.
Very little went wrong for the Bantams, who took control of the
game on the opening drive, converting a fake punt on fourth and
short in their own territory before driving the field for a score,
capped by a passing touchdown from senior QB Craig
Drusbosky (Orange, Conn.) to sophomore WR Drew
Grombala (Cincinnatti, Ohio).
On Hamilton's second offensive play of the game, senior CB
Harry
Melendez (Holyoke, Mass.) made his first of two
interceptions on the day, and returned it to Hamilton's red zone,
setting up a rushing touchdown by freshman RB Evan Bunker
(Topsfield, Mass.), giving the Bantams a 14-0 lead with
6:25 left in the first quarter.
On the ensuing Hamilton possession, Trinity's defense came up
with another stop, setting up the offense for their third score of
the quarter, this time a rushing touchdown by freshman RB
Dante Astheimer
(Pottstown, Penn.), putting the Bantams up 21-0.
Astheimer finished the game with 111 yards and a touchdown on just
eight carries.
Starting quarterback Craig Drusbosky
was 9 of 13 for 109 yards and two touchdowns in limited action, as
the big lead allowed the Bantams to give increased repetitions to
freshman QB Hedley Jennings
(Charlotte, N.C.).
After being held to no first downs in the first quarter,
Hamilton was able to get a small drive going early in the period
when senior WR Scott Kleinklaus (Fayetville,
N.Y.) appeared to be open deep in Trinity territory, but
an outstretched senior captain Ben Sherry
(Wayland, Mass.) dove to deflect the ball, emblematic of
the dominating defensive performance by the Bantams all
afternoon.
After a scoreless second period, Asthemier scampered 53-yards to
the Hamilton 1-yard line, setting up Drusbosky, who found senior
captain Michael
Galligan (Shoreham, N.Y.) open in the end zone,
increasing the Trinity lead to 27-0. On the ensuing Hamilton
possession, Sherry crossed the passing lane for an interception,
and junior RB Nana
Appah-Sampong (Lake Mary, Fla.) took over offensively
with a long run and an eventual score - Trinity's third
rushing touchdown of the afternoon - which gave the Bantams a
34-0 lead late in the third quarter. Appah-Sampong ran for 80
yards.
In the fourth quarter, after a Trinity field goal attempt
clanked off the left upright, Trinity sophomore S Rae
Haynes (Hartford, Conn.) made the fourth interception of
the afternoon for the Bantams, setting up Jennings for a rushing
touchdown - Trinity's fourth rushing score of the game - which gave
the Bantams a 44-0 lead. The Continentals would dash
Trinity's hopes of a shutout with a strong defensive stand deep in
Trinity territory, and an aerial touchdown to close out the
scoring for the day.
Junior LB Walter
Fallas (Everett, Mass.) led the Bantams
defense with six tackles, including two for a loss of three yards.
Junior DE Matt
Walker (Middlebury, Conn.) finished with two
sacks.
McCullough Shriver caught eight passes for 36 yards for the
Continentals. Starting quarterback Jordan Eck was 7 of 14 for 47
yards and two interceptions. Lance Wilson '11 relieved Eck at the
start of the third quarter and was 4 of 11 for 30 yards and two
picks. Steve Mello came on in the fourth quarter and was 3 of 7 for
34 yards. Mello tossed a 29-yard touchdown pass to Graham Sadler
down the right sideline with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter.
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Observer-Dispatch article
