Hartford, Conn., Sept. 27, 2012 - The Trinity College football team, which won, 37-16, against Bates last weekend in its season opener, will visit the Williams College Ephs on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 1:30 p.m. in one of the most storied rivalries in all of small college football. The Bantams, coached by Jeff Devanney (7th season, 42-7), and the Ephs are currently tied with Amherst, Middlebury, and Wesleyan for first place in the NESCAC at 1-0.
The Bantams are looking for their second straight win against an Eph team that took its opener easily at home last week, 42-7, against Colby. Trinity and Williams have dominated the landscape of NESCAC football since the turn of the century, winning seven titles between them in the last 11 years with a combined overall record of 140-24 since 2002. The year 2000 was the last time that neither team finished either first or second in the league. The teams have lost 14 games to the rest of the league during that time. Trinity, which owns a 44-game winning streak at home, won against Williams, 21-13, last fall at Jessee/Miller Field, while Williams won the previous fall, 29-21, in Williamstown. Trinity's last home loss was also to the Ephs, as Williams defeated the Bantams, 31-10, in 2001 which was the last year Jessee/Miller Field had a grass surface. Williams snapped Trinity's New England Division III-record 31-game winning streak in 2006, while Trinity ended 23-game winning streaks by the Ephs in both 1991 and 1996. All three streak-ending games took place at Williams' Weston Field. Trinity trails the all-time series against Williams, 36-32-2, but has won seven of the last 10 meetings between the teams. The Bantams are ranked No. 4 in the New England Division III Poll, while Williams is No. 9 in New England.
Giving Trinity its 17th consecutive season-opening win last Saturday, junior RB Evan Bunker (Topsfield, Mass.) rushed 27 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns, as the Bantams won their 19th in a row over the Bobcats dating back to 1979. Trinity outgained the Bobcats, 427-120, and the Bantam defense held Bates to three rushing yards on 19 carries after intermission and seven passing yards for the game. Junior RB Ben Crick (Middlebury, Conn.) rushed for 66 yards and sophomore RB Michael Budness (Belchertown, Mass.) added 42 rushing yards, 36 receiving yards, and an 11-yard touchdown catch. Trinity senior QB Ryan Burgess (Dracut, Mass.) finished 13-for-26 for 161 yards with two touchdowns and two picks, while junior WR A.J. Jones (Freetown, Sierra Leone) caught a 49-yard touchdown pass. Sophomore OLB Tom Szymanski (Dracut, Mass.) paced the Trinity defense with 10 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, while junior ILB Brett Cde Baca (Millbrae, Calif.) added seven tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, and senior S Julian Brown (Philadelphia, Pa.) notched six tackles, one sack, two tackle for loss, and a pass breakup.
The Williams College football squad, under the direction of Head Coach Aaron Kelton (3rd season), crushed Colby on Saturday thanks to 277 passing yards and three scored through the air by junior QB Adam Marske. Senior tri-captain WR Darren Hartwell caught nine balls for 92 yards and two touchdowns, while junior WR Rich Beaton added five grabs for 85 yards. Defensively, junior DB Chris Kim had a team high eight tackles, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Junior Joe Mallock collected NESCAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for kicking two field goals last weekend.