Sports
Learning to defend our turf: Football garners three wins for the first time in over a decade
By by Dave Meisel '13, Sports Staff Writer
December 1, 2011
Hamilton’s 28-15 home victory against Bates on Nov. 12 stopped a five-game losing streak and served as a happy ending to a season with marked improvement.
The Continentals got off to a quick start in 2011, with a 24-16 win over Tufts on Sept. 24 and a 7-6 victory versus Wesleyan on Oct. 1. While they couldn’t sustain this early season magic, the Continentals’ final victory gave them their first three-win season since 1996, when they finished 5-3.
“We’re really happy,” said senior defensive end Conner Smith. “It was a great way to finish off the season, and there are great things to come [for the team].”
Indeed, the Continentals can take some positives out of this 3-5 finish. They ended the season in a four-way tie for fifth in the NESCAC, along with Bates, Colby and Wesleyan.
Outside of a 35-0 loss to Trinity on Oct. 8, Hamilton never looked overmatched. The team was in every game,and allowed over 20 points just one other time: they lost 40-21 at Middlebury on Nov. 5.
The Continentals finished fifth in the NESCAC in scoring defense at 19.9 points per game and third in passing defense at 157 yards per game. Though they finished seventh in rush defense, only Tufts faced more rushing attempts during the season, so the Continentals’ play against the run was stronger than their 150 yards-per-game average. Individually, Mike MacDonald ’13, Dan Peters ’13 and Ian Milne ’15 were standouts. MacDonald and Peters were both second-team All-Conference selections.
MacDonald, the team’s middle linebacker, finished with 88 total tackles (45 solo) and 9.5 tackles for loss, both of which led the team. He also racked up four sacks and blocked a field goal.
Peters displayed excellent play at safety. His 65 tackles (32 solo) were second on the team, and his three interceptions led the team. Outside linebacker Milne was the team’s rookie sensation. The edge rusher finished with 42 tackles (30 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, and a team-leading five sacks.
The Continentals’ offense was what held them back. They scored just 101 points, and during a five game stretch from Oct. 1 to Nov. 5 they scored just four touchdowns. Their run game, which was much improved in 2010, did not show much. James Stanell ’14 led the team with 380 yards on 112 carries with five touchdowns. Their passing game showed some improvement, as Jordan Eck ’13 completed 63.8 percent of his passes. Eck’s top receiver was Garrett Hoy ’13, who caught 37 balls for 383 yards and doubled as the team’s punter. But Hamilton could rarely move the ball with any speed or consistency. The offense did little more than dink-and-dunk and averaged just 3.8 yards per play.
Next season, Hamilton’s success will be predicated on its offensive improvement. The offense has to be able to move the ball more and turn the ball over less, as the team finished with the league’s worst turnover margin at -8. Despite losing their top two cornerbacks Dylan Isenberg ’12 and Ted Finan ’12, the Continentals retain most of their defensive starters, including MacDonald, Peters and Milne. But as Smith said, there is promise for this team, after posting the program’s best season in 15 years.