Sports
Continentals erase 21-point halftime deficit but fall short in OT
By Will Rasenberger ’19
October 1, 2015
Hosting Tufts University in their season opener, the Continentals came within one minute of completing a miraculous three-touchdown comeback and snapping their 20-game losing streak. Quarterback Chase Rosenberg ’17 connected on three touchdown passes to send the game into overtime, but a pair of missed field goals ultimately proved the difference as Hamilton dropped its home opener 24-21.
The game’s starting quarterback, Brandon Tobin ’18, sustained what could be a season-ending injury. The Continentals hoped Tobin, a transfer from Pace University, could seize control of the starting position.
Given the team’s comeback, the team and fans who were at the game on Saturday, had plenty of reason for excitement and optimism. “We’re going to be past Tufts once we watch the game film,” running back Marcus Gutierrez ’18 said. “And we’re very confident that we’ll have some wins this year.”
The Tufts Jumbos dominated the first half of Saturday’s game. Hamilton’s defense had trouble preventing the Jumbos from executing running plays. Coach Dave Murray believes that Tufts’ running backs played very well and deserve credit, but Hamilton could have done a better job tackling. The Continentals also had trouble running the ball effectively in the first half.
To make matters worse, quarterback Tobin was roughed up and had to leave the game late in the first half. According to Murray, Tobin likely tore his ACL and will be out for the rest of the season. “I’m really upset at the way it went down,” said starting running back LaShawn Ware ’18. “From my standpoint it was really bad. It just sucks that it had to be him.”
At halftime, the Continentals were down by three touchdowns and knew that they had to act decisively if they wanted to stay in the game. “We knew going into halftime that we were going to have to make a big comeback,” Rosenberg said. During half-time, Murray advised the team to work one play at a time. Murray’s men didn’t give up hope. They believed that they could come back and win. Incredibly, they almost did.
Hamilton’s comeback began when James Taylor ’17 intercepted a Tufts pass on Hamilton’s 45 yard line. The Continentals’ first points came when just two plays later, Rosenberg threw a long pass to wide receiver Charles Ensley ’17 for a 53 yard touchdown. In a span of 12 plays, Rosenberg threw three touchdowns to tie the score at 21-21 and force overtime.
Although the Continentals lost in overtime, the team played well throughout the second half, and there were many aspects for Murray and fans of Hamilton football to praise. Rosenberg threw for over 300 yards and set the Hamilton record for most yards per attempt and for most yards per completion. The second half was also the first time in the history of Hamilton football that two receivers, Ensley and Donahoe , had over 100 yards in one game. Tyler Hudson ’19 had 15 tackles, and contributed to “shutting down Tufts and stopping all the run plays and forcing long and 3 situations,” as Gutierrez put it.
The team only had one turnover the entire game. In addition, the Continentals committed relatively few penalties and had four sacks, matching last season’s total.
“The entire second half we held the momentum and camaraderie we built,” said Ware. “Our backs were against the wall and we responded in a good way.”
If the Continentals can learn from their mistakes and make necessary adjustments, there is little doubt that they can begin realizing their goal which is, “moving our way up to the top and forming a new culture, so that when other NESCAC football teams come to Hamilton in the future, they know they’re in for a fight,” according to Gutierrez.
The turnout for the game was the best since last year’s homecoming game against Bowdoin, when the crowd swelled with visiting parents. “We had a terrific crowd, and even when we got behind the crowd stayed,” said Coach Murray. “I felt like I was at Gillette Stadium the fans were so loud.” Fans cheered in the stands and Yik Yak was abuzz throughout Saturday’s game, suggesting a greater level of student investment in the success of the football team than in previous years.
The Continentals will face more tough competition in the next couple of weeks. Hamilton’s next two games are against Wesleyan and Trinity, two of the NESCAC’s strongest teams last year. However, according to Rosenberg, “everyone is very optimistic about the rest of the season.” The team will work on tackling and running the ball in the upcoming weeks and hope, as Gutierrez put it, “to strike while the iron is still hot” next Saturday against Wesleyan.