Football Loses Heartbreaker to Bantams

The Middlebury football team has experienced an up-and-down October, and while the team has emerged with a winning record, its ultimate goal is now out of reach.

A cake walk victory back in Week 2 over Colby was soon followed by a handy defeat at perennial title contender Amherst. The Panthers bounced back by defeating Williams 36-14 on Homecoming weekend, making them 3-1 as they prepared for a battle in Lewiston, ME with Bates. A second-half offensive explosion lead Middlebury to a 41-27 victory and set up a pivotal game with Trinity on Halloween. Unfortunately for Middlebury, the game, knotted at 14-13 for much of the first half in favor of the Panthers, slipped through their hands in tragic fashion as a couple of late turnovers resulted in a 26-14 Bantam victory. Middlebury now stands at 4-2, with its championship hopes completely out the window. With Amherst and Trinity both 6-0 and set to meet this weekend, one or the other will finish no worse than 7-1 on the year and in sole possession of the NESCAC crown.

The Panthers fought back-and-forth with the Bates Bobcats on Saturday, Oct. 24, eventually securing the victory despite a mere four-point lead at halftime. Bates opened the scoring with a long first quarter drive that resulted in a field goal, but Middlebury responded with a quick strike and a 84-yard TD drive culminating in the fourth touchdown catch of the year for WR Matt Minno ’16. Bates would take the lead late in the first when slot back Frank Williams broke loose for a 39-yard touchdown run. The next four series were ugly for both teams, as Middlebury surrendered an interception and a fumble and Bates lost a fumble and missed a field goal attempt. The Panthers then went on an eight-play, 80-yard scoring drive, on which Conrado Banky ’19 caught a 34-yard TD down the left sideline by out jumping his defender in the end zone. The score would stay 14-10 going into halftime.

Milano had 276 of his passing yards in the first half to go along with two scores and two interceptions.
The second half belonged to Middlebury, which outscored its opponent 27-17 after the break. Minno, Tanner Contois ’18 and Ryan Rizzo ’17 all caught touchdown passes, making it five scoring strikes on the day for Milano. The scoring was capped off when QB Jared Lebowitz ’18 kept a read option and darted up the gut for a 40-yard scoring run.

Milano finished the day 31-53 for 405 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Minno had 10 catches for 138 yards and two scores, his second two-touchdown game of the season, and second-consecutive 100-yard receiving game. Banky also had 100-plus yards through the air and a score, and the defense had three interceptions, one apiece from Kevin Hopsicker ’18, Wesley Becton ’18 and Dan Pierce ’16.

The victory over Bates prepared Middlebury to host the undefeated Trinity Bantams with the knowledge that this game would be do-or-die for the Panthers’ championship hopes.

The Panthers began the game severely short-staffed, with starters Banky, RB Diego Meritus ’19, TE Trevor Miletich ’16, LB Addison Pierce ’17 and CB Andrew McGrath ’18 all out with injury. On Middlebury’s first drive the panthers lost receiver Rizzo to a season-ending knee injury, and late in the contest Contois went down with a serious injury, as well.

Despite these hurdles, Middlebury struck first. Contois’ first quarter TD reception gave the Panthers an early lead, which would last until early in the second quarter when Trinity’s electric return man Darrien Myers took a punt 74 yards for a score to make it 10-7 in favor of the Bantams.

Middlebury attempted to tie the game in the second quarter, but Charlie Gordon’s ’19 31-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Trinity’s Brandon Blaise, representing the sixth blocked kick against Middlebury this season.

Middlebury did put another score on the board late in the second quarter, however, as TE Dan Fulham caught an eight-yard score from Milano. That touchdown made it 14-13 with Trinity having converted on two field goal attempts.

The next 27 minutes of football were scoreless. Middlebury tried to strike first, but Gordon’s 30-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter sailed wide right, seemingly deflating the Panthers. However, Becton rose to the occasion two plays later and gave the ball back to Middlebury by intercepting a Trinity pass. On the ensuing possession, the Panthers drove 37 yards to the Trinity five, but with the issues in the kicking game and the Panthers’ confidence that they could convert, Head Coach Bob Ritter elected to go for the touchdown. Milano found an open target in the end zone but the ball was dropped, and it remained a one-point game.

The two teams traded punts back-and-forth for much of the fourth quarter, but the fateful mistake came with 4:18 left in the ball game on the Middlebury 34. RB Jon Hurvitz ’17 coughed up a fumble that Trinity was able to recover. It took just three plays for the Bantams to convert and score the go-ahead touchdown, taking a five-point lead after the two-point conversion attempt failed.

The Panthers had just 2:52 to go 75 yards and only two timeouts remaining. A defensive pass interference and a completion to Fulham took Middlebury to the 48-yard line, but the Panthers’ momentum was quickly reversed when Trinity safety Spencer Donahue picked off Milano and returned the ball 13 yards to the Trinity 41. With two timeouts left, the Panthers were able to force a Trinity punt with over one minute left in the game.

Middlebury began its last-ditch effort from its own 28 with 1:17 remaining and no timeouts. On the drive’s opening play, Milano found Minno wide open 15 yards down the middle of the field, but the usually reliable wideout failed to reel in the pass, making it second down. On the next play, needing to connect deep down the sideline in order to stop the clock, Milano targeted Emilio Ovalles-Misterman ’19, a running back-turned slot receiver thanks to all of Middlebury’s injuries, on a long corner route. Trinity cornerback Archi Jerome could not have been in better position, and hauled down Milano’s errant throw over his shoulders before planting his foot in the ground and sprinting up the right sideline for a 50-yard touchdown return and sealing the win for Trinity.

Special teams and injuries ruled the day. Trinty’s Kyle Pulek punted the ball nine times, pinning Middlebury within its own 14-yard line six times, and Myers’ punt return touchdown was momentous. As for Middlebury, the Panthers left, at minimum, nine points on the board by failing to convert in the red zone, and Middlebury is now missing five of its Week 1 starters for the season.

The Panthers, now 4-2, will look to extend their 19-game winning streak against the Hamilton Continentals at home this Saturday, Nov. 7 on Middlebury’s Senior Day.