WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- Senior
Christian Olivieri recorded two touchdown receptions and sophomore
Colton Bosselait threw for three scores and ran for another, but the Bates football team fell 41-28 at Williams Saturday in NESCAC action.
A week after setting the Bates program record for receptions in one game, Olivieri (Hull, Mass.) caught a game-high seven passes for a team-high 77 yards and a pair of touchdowns,
including one for the highlight reels.
With Bates trailing 27-14 in the third quarter, the Bobcats had the ball and a first down at the Williams 36-yard line. Bosselait (Westminster, Mass.) rolled to his right and threw a dime deep to the end zone. Olivieri leapt over the defender and caught the ball with one hand, bringing it into his chest for the touchdown. Junior
Archie Green Jr. (Upland, Calif.) made the extra point and Bates trailed 27-21 with 4:15 left in the third quarter.
But that's as close as the Bobcats (2-5) got against the Ephs (2-5), as the Williams offense proved difficult to stop throughout the afternoon.
On just the second play from scrimmage on the ensuing drive, Dan Vaughn connected with Cameron Lee for a 66-yard touchdown and the Ephs led by 13 again.
They went up 41-21 on a 37-yard strike from Vaughn to Sam Jaffe with 8:46 left in the fourth quarter.
Bates answered with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that concluded with a short touchdown pass from Bosselait to Olivieri with 5:58 remaining, making the score 41-28. But the Ephs were able to run out the clock on their next possession, clinching the win over the Bobcats.
The Bobcats were playing catch-up on Saturday from the very first play from scrimmage, as Vaughn found Lee for a 75-yard touchdown, putting Williams up 7-0 before most fans were in their seats.
Then a Bates turnover led to a second Williams touchdown and the Ephs led 13-0 less than three minutes into the contest.
Down by two scores, the Bobcats responded with a 10-play, 92-yard drive, culminating with a five-yard strike from Bosselait to junior tight end
Steven Guerrette (Bow, N.H.) that cut the deficit to 13-7 with 4:51 left in the first quarter. Guerrette also had the big play on the drive, a 52-yard catch that got the ball to the Williams five.
The Ephs repeated their first quarter performance by scoring the first two touchdowns of the second quarter. Joel Nicholas ran the ball in from two yards out with 13:23 remaining until halftime and then Vaughn rushed for a 21-yard touchdown with 3:23 to go until the intermission.
Down 27-7, Bates got some momentum back when senior
Thomas Formus (Ridgefield, Conn.) blocked a punt, setting the Bobcats up with first and 10 at the Williams 11. The Bobcats worked the ball to the Williams three, and Bosselait ran it in, cutting the deficit to 27-14 at halftime.
The Bobcats and Ephs played to a 14-14 tie in the second half, so the first two quarters proved to be the difference in the game.
Bosselait completed 23 of 48 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw three interceptions. His counterpart Vaughn completed 11 of 20 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns. Vaughn did not turn the ball over. He also ran the ball 20 times for 93 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, senior captain
Tony Hooks (New Rochelle, N.Y.) led the way with nine total tackles (seven solo) and a sack. James Hemmer recorded a game-high 11 total tackles for the Ephs.
On offense, both teams moved the ball, with Williams tallying 430 yards of total offense and Bates finishing with 425. The Bobcats went for it on fourth down six downs but did not convert any of their chances.
Bates is back in action for Senior Day at Garcelon Field next Saturday at 1pm when the Bobcats host Trinity.
