Panther Pigskin Torn by Trinity Bantams

Author: Neil Onsdorff

After coming off a fantastic homecoming win two weeks ago against Bates, the Panther football team made the trek to Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., only to suffer a painfully heartbreaking loss.
Middlebury fell to Trinity for the first time in five years. The 22-20 loss had to be the toughest loss in a season filled with devastating defeats. The Panthers opened the game with offensive ease much like they have every game this year. Quarterback Michael Keenan '05 and company capitalized on a Craig Pitman '04 fumble recovery on the Trinity 19-yard line. After two plays and a nine-yard run by running back Billy Lazzaro '03, the Panthers had themselves a 7-0 lead.
On Trinity's ensuing drive, they progressed down the field like an advancing brigade, crushing defenders in its wake. As Trinity faced a first and goal on the third yard line, most Bantams fans predicted easy score. But the Panthers showed signs of former Middlebury superstar linebacker Andy Steele '01, and behind huge stops by Wills Allen '03 on third and fourth downs, they managed to stop Trinity on four straight plays. Allen finished with 14 solo tackles in a day where the defense was on the field for a remarkable 84 plays.
Unfortunately, the Panthers were unable to muster any defensive stops on the next two drives as Trinity scored both a field goal and a touchdown, leaving the score Middlebury 7, Trinity 9. As the first half was winding down, the Panthers got themselves a great return to their own 40-yard line by Dominick Didomenico '06. Six plays and just 50 seconds later, the Panthers found the end zone after Keenan hooked up with wide-out Tom Cleaver '04 for a nine yard scoring strike. Cleaver had three catches on the drive for 40 yards. The Panthers went into half time with momentum, confidence, and a 14-9 lead.
Middlebury's first drive of the second half resulted in disaster. An early interception led to a costly Trinity touchdown and left the Panthers staring down the wrong end of a one-point game.
On Trinity's next drive Middlebury was handed a golden opportunity to once again take the lead as linebacker Rich Decembrele '05, snagged a duck-like pass out of the air for a dazzling interception. But, like struggling to solve an elaborate puzzle, Middlebury's offense was unable to put a drive together and was forced to punt after only three plays.
The Panther's lack of any sustained offensive pressure kept the defense on the field for the majority of the game. By game's end, the once strong and resilient defense had been worked to the bone. Trinity was able to take advantage of this as it put together a 70-yard drive. Relying heavily on the ground attack Trinity punched the ball into end zone for the go-ahead score.
Middlebury refused to go down without a fight. When the team got the ball back with just under eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the offense put together a steady drive. Helped by a big penalty and some gutsy calls by both Coach Bob Ritter and quarterback Keenan, the Panthers were able to score on a 26-yard leaping catch into double coverage by wide-out Denver Smith '03. With the score 22-20 in Trinity's favor, Middlebury went for the two-point conversion. Stopping the remarkable comeback was, nonetheless, an outreached claw, as the Bantam's defender reached up and knocked the potential-game tying pass down to the ground.
As precious seconds ticked off the clock, the Panthers defense did everything in its power to get the ball back to the offense — and it almost did. It looked to all that Keenan and the offense would get a chance to work their two-minute magic as the Panthers defense forced Trinity into a punting situation. As Middlebury set up for a potential big return the Trinity snap sailed back toward the punter and only as sheer bad luck would have it, the ball hit the ground twice, forcing a startled Trinity punter to pick it up and gallop towards the first down marker. The punter made it with ease. With that, any chance of a comeback was crushed, along with the spirits of all on the Middlebury sideline.
What makes the situation even worse was that this was not the first time this had happened during the course of the game. On two of Trinity's other scoring drives throughout the day, the team first faked a punt for a huge first down, and then was given one by the referee on a fourth and 11 as a 15 yard roughing the kicker penalty kept a stopped drive going.
After the game, player comments were scarce but coach Ritter said, "It was obviously a painful loss for the entire team in a season that has been marked by four gut-wrenching last minute defeats. We did not play a flawless game on Saturday, but showed tremendous effort on both sides of the ball to put us in position to win."
Ritter was clearly upset over the defeat, but he believes that the team will be capable of turning things around next week.
"It was an awful feeling to leave Hartford with a loss," he said, "but I am confident that we will bounce back on Saturday as we take on the Hamilton College Continentals in the annual Rocking Chair Classic."
The Panthers will look to attack Hamilton early in order to avenge last week's loss. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.