LEWISTON, Maine -- Coming off a strong defensive effort in the season opener at Amherst, the Bates football team welcomes perennial NESCAC power Trinity to Garcelon Field this Saturday for a 1 p.m. kick.
Bates (0-1) is looking for its first win over Trinity (1-0) in football since 1979. The Bantams have won the last 27 meetings on the gridiron.
Through one game, the Bates defense ranks second in the NESCAC after holding Amherst to just 190 total yards last Saturday. Sophomore linebacker
Ryan Rozich (Cromwell, Conn.) leads the way with nine total tackles, which was tied for the fifth-most in the conference last week. His two tackles for loss ties for the second-most in the NESCAC through one game.
Sophomore running back
Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) had the third-most rushing yards in the NESCAC last week, carrying the ball 20 times for 78 yards.
Trinity had a lot of success through the air last week in their first game of the season. Graduate student quarterback Zander Zebrowski has been biding his time to earn the starting job, and made the most of his first opportunity by completing 84.4 percent of his passes for 304 yards and a touchdown last week against Colby, by far the highest completion percentage of any NESCAC quarterback in week one.
THE PARTICULARS:
What: Bates (0-1) vs. Trinity (1-0)
When: Saturday, Sept. 21, 1 p.m.
Where: Garcelon Field | Lewiston, Maine
Live Coverage: Video | Stats
All-Time Series: Trinity leads 41-7
Last Meeting: Trinity 52, Bates 7 (Hartford, Conn. | Nov. 4, 2023)
TRINITY'S LAST TIME OUT:
The Trinity College football team jumped to a 17-0 lead en route to a 17-7 victory over visiting Colby College in their 2024 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) opener last Saturday.
After a slow first quarter that featured a Trinity turnover just outside of the red zone, graduate student quarterback Zander Zebrowski capped a six-play, 54-yard drive by leaping past multiple Mules into the end zone to put Trinity up 7-0 early in the second. Following a Colby punt, the Bantams went on a ten-play drive down the field with a field goal from senior Matthew Jumes sending the Bantams into the half with a 10-0 lead.
With 9:42 remaining in the third quarter, the Bantams ripped off a quick four-play, 59-yard drive, punctuated by a 29-yard touchdown connection from Zebrowski to senior Matt Laughlin to put Trinity ahead 17-0.
The Trinity defense limited the Mules to 237 yards, including just 54 yards rushing. Senior Ma-Lyke Davis logged a career-high six tackles with a sack and a career-high three pass breakups. John Fiore tallied a career-high six tackles along with graduate student Sean Ryan, while junior Charlie Cooper registered a career-high five tackles with a career-high two pass breakups. Senior Kevin Keogh added five tackles and a sack in the win.
Zebrowski racked up a career-high 334 yards of total offense, completing a career-high 29 passes for a career-high 295 yards with a touchdown, along with a career-high 39 rushing yards and a score. Junior Tyler DiNapoli rushed for 50 yards on 11 carries, while Jack Tosone had a career-high six carries for a career-high 25 yards. Senior Sean Clapp and Nolan O'Brien grabbed a game-high seven catches each, while McLaughlin logged a career-high 90 yards on four receptions with a touchdown.
BATES' LAST TIME OUT:
The Bates football team's defense held Amherst College to just 190 yards of total offense, but the Mammoths were able to defeat the Bobcats 19-7 in Saturday's season-opener for both teams on a hot day at Pratt Field.
It's the fewest yards allowed by a Bates defense in one game since 2015.
Sophomore linebacker
Ryan Rozich (Cromwell, Conn.) led the way, finishing with nine total tackles, including five solo stops and two tackles for loss. Sophomores
Matthew-Michael Assivero (Ottawa, Ontario) and
Michael Spencer (Mansfield, Texas) added five tackles apiece.
Down 3-0, the defense set up the offense for a go-ahead score. Facing first and 10 at their own 42, Amherst quarterback Mason Morrow connected with Sam Gerber in the flat for a four-yard gain. But first-year
Marquez Narvaez-Estrada (Montgomery Village, Md.) jarred the ball loose with a big hit. The ball popped up in the air and Spencer came down with it for a fumble recovery and a Bates first down at the Amherst 46.
Sophomore
Ryan Lynskey (Cranford, N.J.) ripped off a run of 10 yards and first-year
Jeff Vidou (Cornish, N.H.) sliced through the Amherst defense for a 17-yard gain. Then on a second and five at the Amherst 13, senior captain
Colton Bosselait (Westminster, Mass.) found sophomore
Ryan Gleason (Millbury, Mass.) in the back of the end zone for the latter's first collegiate touchdown reception. Sophomore
Marcos Ruiz (Haskell, N.J.) made the extra point and Bates led 7-3 with 5:36 left in the first quarter.
The Bobcats (0-1) held a 7-3 lead through the first quarter, but the Mammoths (1-0) took a 9-7 edge with 10:59 to go in the second quarter on a Mason Morrow two-yard touchdown run. They did not surrender the lead, as Bates struggled to get anything going on offense.
Lynskey turned in a gritty performance for the Bobcats on the ground, rushing 20 times for a game-high 78 yards. The Bobcats rushed for 122 yards as a team, but only passed the ball for 60 yards. Meanwhile, Morrow completed 13 of 40 passes for 140 yards. The Bobcats held the Mammoths to just 50 rushing yards, but Amherst did score both their touchdowns on the ground, via the legs of Morrow.
Gleason caught three passes for 33 yards and a touchdown for Bates, while junior
Maverick Selementi (Montclair, N.J.) added four receptions for 22 yards. Delaney paced the Mammoths with three catches for 52 yards.
BATES' AND TRINITY'S LAST MEETING:
Trinity College scored 31 unanswered points as the host-Bantams secured a 52-7 victory over the Bates College football team.
With Bates winning the coin toss and choosing to kick to start the contest, the Bantams took advantage of the opportunity on offense, capping a nine-play, 52-yard opening drive with a successful 27-yard field goal by Matthew Jumes.
The Bobcats could only get off a total of two plays during their initial drive as a Ma-Lyke Davis interception provided possession for the home team at the Bates 31-yard line. Trinity found the end zone in four plays as quarterback Spencer Fetter hit running back Tyler Dinapoli with a short pass to the right side, resulting in a 11-yard touchdown.
Dinapoli recorded his second TD of the quarter as the sophomore dashed for a three-yard rushing effort at the horn as the Bantams inflated its cushion to 17-0.
Ryan Lynskey proved to be the offensive star for the Bobcats, leading the garnet and white with 71 yards rushing on 14 attempts.
Ryan Rozich, who grew up in nearby Cromwell, Conn., shined in his homecoming as the first-year linebacker paced Bates with 10 tackles in the effort.
BATES' PROBABLE STARTERS:
OFFENSE
OL 73
Peter Simplicio Sr. 6-4 290
OL 51
Ryder Smith Fy. 6-0 265
OL 63
Matthew Pierotti Fy. 6-2 270
OL 66
John Antolik So. 6-2 290
OL 72
Kevin McDonald So. 6-3 260
TE 89
Steven Guerrette Sr. 6-3 230
WR 83
Ryan Gleason So. 5-9 165
WR 82
Jeff Vidou Fy. 6-0 190
WR 80
Maverick Selementi Jr. 6-0 185
RB 4
Ryan Lynskey So. 5-11 195
QB 8
Colton Bosselait Sr. 6-0 195
DEFENSE
DB 2
Matthew-Michael Assivero So. 5-11 190
DB 5
Michael Spencer So. 5-11 180
DB 21
Johnny Walker Sr. 6-0 185
DB 30
Marquez Narvaez-Estrada Fy. 5-9 160
LB 18
Colin Pierce Jr. 6-1 190
LB 39
Ryan Rozich So. 6-0 215
LB 9
Matt Juneau Sr. 6-2 225
DL 44
Jackson Collins Jr. 5-11 225
DL 99
Finn Duffey Sr. 5-10 250
DL 41
Shane Broughton Jr. 5-11 255
DL 40
Josh Ezerioha So. 6-1 245
SPECIALISTS
P 97
Parker Huynh-Benningfield Jr. 5-11 180
K 49
Marcos Ruiz So. 5-8 185
TRINITY'S PROBABLE STARTERS:
OFFENSE
OL 77 John Curran So. 6-3 275
OL 72 Jaheim Scott Gr. 6-0 275
OL 65 Anthony Casillo Gr. 6-2 285
OL 71 Cortez Cole So. 6-2 280
OL 75 Christopher DeLeon-Kollmer Jr. 6-2 250
TE 9 Max Roche Gr. 6-4 230
WR 82 Sean Clapp Sr. 6-4 205
WR 11 Nolan O'Brien Jr. 5-9 165
WR 2 Matt Laughlin Sr. 5-10 195
RB 26 Tyler DiNapoli Jr. 6-0 187
QB 15 Zander Zebrowski Gr. 6-0 195
DEFENSE
DB 0 Charlie Cooper Jr. 6-0 170
DB 1 Ma-Lyke Davis Sr. 6-1 190
DB 3 R.J. Martini Sr. 6-0 190
DB 37 Dan Calderon Gr. 6-0 205
LB 50 Amari Phillips Jr. 5-10 240
LB 33 Sean Ryan Gr. 6-1 225
LB 10 John Fiore III Jr. 6-1 205
LB 48 Luca de Lancellotti Gr. 6-0 212
DL 97 Kevin Keogh Sr. 6-1 235
DL 63 Anthony DiFederico Sr. 6-1 255
DL 61 Luke Ventura So. 6-5 250
SPECIALISTS
P 91 Jack Sokol Jr. 5-6 145
K 94 Matthew Jumes Sr. 5-9 170
