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Date: October 1, 2005
Contact: Bill Sodoma
Colby football at 2-0 after win over Middlebury
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. --- Colby College put on another fine display of defense and got a solid outing from its backup quarterback in taking a 20-7 victory over Middlebury College in New England Small College Athletic Conference football Saturday at Middlebury's Alumni Stadium.
Colby improves to 2-0 on the season heading into next Saturday's 1 p.m. game at Wesleyan.
Colby's first-string defense still has not given up a touchdown this season. Williams got a lone touchdown in the Mules' 35-9 win last Saturday, but Colby mainly had reserves in the game when the Ephs scored. Middlebury (0-2) got its touchdown on a blocked punt and return for a touchdown.
Mike Bracco (North Hampton, N.H.) led Colby with a pair of interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown to give the Mules a 14-0 lead in the third quarter. Bracco also had six tackles and two pass break-ups.
With starting quarterback Justin Smith (Rockland, Mass.) out of the game with an injury, Colby senior John Bateman (Westwood, Mass.) stepped in and threw for 158 yards on 15-for-28 passing and two touchdowns. Bateman was making his first collegiate start and he had thrown just four passes heading into this season.
Senior tight end Roddy Ames (Cotuit, Mass.) caught two passes, but both went for touchdowns. The Mules went 76 yards on six plays on the opening drive after Middlebury won the coin toss and elected to kick. Bateman hooked up with Ames on a 56-yard scoring play just four minutes into the game.
Defenses took over from that point and neither team could manage a point the rest of the half. The first 10 minutes of the third quarter also was scoreless until Bracco picked off Middlebury quarterback Tiger Lyon and returned the ball 53 yards for the touchdown to give the Mules a 14-0 margin.
Colby sealed the game about four minutes into the fourth quarter when Bateman found Ames on a 11-yard scoring play for a 20-0 margin.
Middlebury did cut the lead to 20-6 when Scott Secor blocked a punt and Nathan Shreve picked up the loose ball and rambled 7 yards for the touchdown with 8:21 remaining. The Panthers did have three more possessions, but could not put up points against Colby's defense.
Michael Tomich (Houston, Texas) and Rob Jacobs (Mequon, Wisc.) both had four catches for Colby. Aaron Stepka (Bristol, Conn.) rushed 21 times for 73 yards and Chris Bashaw caught three balls for 25 yards and rushed 13 times for 33 yards.
Brian Liberty (Hollis, N.H.) and Josh Berman (Lyndon Center, Vt.) both had eight tackles to lead Colby. Conor Sullivan (Rye, N.H.) had a pair of sacks among his six tackles and Steve Kiely (Hingham, Mass.) had three tackles for loss among his six stops.
