Williams quarterback Joseph Reardon connected on 28 of 38 passes for 293 yards with three touchdown passes to lead the Ephs (2-2) to a 35-25 win over Middlebury (1-3). The two teams combined for 855 yards of offense on the day.
Williams jumped out to a 14-0 lead with touchdowns on each of their first two possessions. A one-yard run by Tyler Shea and an eight-yard connection from Reardon to Michael Rabiner, following an interception, were the scoring strikes. Middlebury cut the lead in half early in the second quarter as Mike Keenan connected with Tom Cleaver for a 33-yard scoring strike. The Ephs answered late in the half with a 64-yard drive capped off by a one-yard scamper by Jamaal Mobley.
Leading 21-7 at the break, Williams tacked on another touchdown on its first possession of the second half as Michael Hackett scored on a 18-yard run to make it a 28-7 lead. Following the score, an interception by Scott Secor gave Middlebury the ball on their own 48. Five plays later, Keenan found Cleaver again, this time for a 14-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 28-13 after a missed extra point. Following a defensive hold, Middlebury capped off a 14-play, 83-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run from Matt Wolf. The extra point failed again, leaving the score at 28-19.
Williams scored the backbreaker with 4:56 left in the fourth quarter as Reardon found C.J. Bowker for an 11-yard touchdown, following an interception. The score gave the Ephs a 35-19 lead late. Middlebury hung tough with another score as Eric Shanley found the end zone on a five-yard run to make it a 35-25 final.
Hackett rushed 19 times for 120 yards on the day for Williams, while Mobley caught 11 passes for 112 yards. Each player scored a touchdown to compliment Reardon's passing day. Graham Goldwasser was stellar on defense, making 21 tackles on the afternoon.
For Middlebury, Keenan completed 18 of 35 passes for 266 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Cleaver had a huge day with a career-high nine catches for 168 yards with two touchdowns. Shanley led the rushers with 66 yards on 16 carries, while Richard Decembrele had 11 tackles on the day.
