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Date: October 29, 2005
Contact: Bill Sodoma

 

Colby football holds off Bates, 24-17

WATERVILLE, Maine ---- Colby College senior running back Aaron Stepka (Bristol, Conn.) rushed for 117 yards on 29 carries as the Mules held on for a 24-17 victory over rival Bates College on Saturday in New England Small College Athletic Conference football at Seaverns Field.

Colby wins the first of the three Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) games this year. Bowdoin plays at Bates next Saturday at 12:30 p.m. The Polar Bears will then entertain Colby, the two-time defending champs, in the final game of the season on November 12.

The Mules (5-1) took a 21-7 halftime lead, but Bates (1-5) played scrappy and stayed in the game in the second half. Adam Poplaski (Cheshire, Mass.) scored on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Colon (Manchester, N.H.) to cut the margin to 21-14 with 5:32 left in the third quarter.

The Bobcats added a 35-yard field goal from Tyler Schmelz (Monmouth Beach, N.J.) with 12:10 left in the game on a drive that went 18 plays and 56 yards. Colby kicker John Goss (Shrewsbury, Mass.) put the Mules back up by one touchdown with a 29-yard field goal with 1:26 remaining. Bates was not able to get a first down on the ensuing drive and turned the ball over on downs. The teams split touchdowns in the first quarter. Colby scored first on a 3-yard run by quarterback Justin Smith (Rockland, Mass.) for a 7-0 lead. Bates battled back to tie the game at 7-7 on a 1-yard scoring run by Jamie Walker (Needham, Mass.).

Colby used nine and 10 play drives to get its 14 points in the second quarter. Jon Vacca (Quincy, Mass.) caught a 32-yard pass from Smith for one score and Stepka ran in from 7 yards out for the other touchdown. Chris Bashaw (Rutland, Mass.) had 56 yards on nine carries and added three catches for 33 yards. Smith was 12-for-21 for 163 yards. Vacca caught three balls for 47 yards.

Colon was 22-for-45 for 245 yards, while Walker rushed 28 times for 89 yards. Dylan MacNamara (San Francisco, Calif.) had seven catches for 95 yards and Anthony Arger (Reno, Nev.) caught seven balls for 90 yards. Mike Bracco (North Hampton, N.H.) led Colby's defense with 13 tackles. Andrew Heaney (Reading, Mass.) made nine tackles and Josh Berman (Lyndon Center, Vt.) had eight stops.

Dave Bodger (Lewiston, Maine) had 15 tackles to pace Bates. Terence Ryan (Milton, Mass.) had a big game with 11 tackles and three of the Bobcats' six sacks.

Colby plays host to Tufts University next Saturday at 12:30 p.m.