HARTFORD, Conn. - The Trinity College Bantams scored 28 unanswered points to overcome a 14-3 deficit in the second quarter and defeat the visiting Wesleyan University Cardinals, 31-14, in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) football season finale for both teams this afternoon.  Trinity finishes the year with its first-ever 9-0 record and earns sole possession of the NESCAC championship crown.  Wesleyan closes out its year at 6-3.  Trinity rookie RB Tyler DiNapoli (West Haven, Conn.) rushed for 111 yards on 20 carries and caught seven passes for 52 more.

"I think early in the game we were playing a bit tight which I kind of expected as are players were so determined to win this game and finish 9-0," said Trinity Head Coach Jeff Devanney. "We made a few defensive adjustments at halftime and the players executed them great in the second half. That helped get the ball to our offense more and they found a rhythm.  This was a very special accomplishment for all of our seniors who stuck together through the pandemic in a missing season with this one goal in mind."

Trinity trailed 14-3 with 11:37 left in the second quarter after a pair of touchdown passes by Nick Candido.  Trinity scored its first touchdown on a 19-yard pass from senior QB Spencer Fetter (Winter Park, Fla.) to DeVante Reid (London, England), taking advantage of a bad Wesleyan punt that put the ball at the Cardinal 45-yard line to start the drive.  Wesleyan clung to a 14-10 lead at the break, as Bantam sophomore Matt Jumes (Franklin, Mass.) had drilled a 31-yard field goal late in the first quarter.

The Bantams took the lead on their first drive of the second half.  Junior RB Will Kirby (Darien, Conn.) rushed for 28 yards to the Wesleyan eight-yard line and Fetter found Clapp in the end zone on the next play to make the score, 17-14.  Trinity's defense forced two punts and Fetter followed with a 33-yard scoring strike to Reid with 2:22 left in the third quarter.  Bantam DE Noah Glantz (Scarsdale, N.Y.) made back-to-back tackles to stop a Wesleyan drive on 3rd-and-2 and 4th-and-1, and Trinity put the game away with a one-yard touchdown plunge by Kirby with 1:14 on the clock.

Fetter finished 21-for-36 for 212 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, while Candido was 25-for-38 for 295 yards, two scores, and two picks,  Kirby added 64 rushing yards, while Reid caught four passes for 62 yards, but the Cardinals managed just 49 yards on the ground on 35 carries.  Logan Tomlinson caught ten passes for 112 yards including Wesleyan's second touchdown and Matt Simco added seven grabs for 80 yards.  Matt Luttenberger caught a 21-yard touchdown pass to start the Cardinal scoring.

Trinity ILB Brian Casagrande (Madison, Conn.) led all tacklers with nine, while DB Aidan Kennedy (East Longmeadow, Mass.) had eight tackles and a sack.  Senior DL Joe Lepore (Winchester, Mass.) intercepted a pass at the line of scrimmage and returned it 59 yards to the Wesleyan 11-yard line in the second quarter but Wesleyan's Mike Thompson picked off Fetter on the next play.  Ben Carbeau and Alex Beauchesne had seven tackles apiece for Wesleyan.