The Middlebury football team trailed 21-14 headed to Saturday's fourth quarter at Hamilton, but the Panthers outscored the Continentals 10-0 in the final stanza for a thrilling 24-21 win. Connor McClellan finished with career-high totals in rushing attempts (35) and rushing yards (216) as Middlebury retained possession of the chair for the 29th straight year.  
 
HIGHLIGHTS

• The Continentals got on the scoreboard on their initial possession of the contest, capping a 12-play, 82-yard drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown off left tackle by Nate Wildman. Carmelo Velardo booted the extra point through the uprights for the 7-0 lead with 5:31 left in the opening quarter.
• The Panther defense forced a Hamilton three-and-out on the last drive of the first stanza. Middlebury knotted the contest 4:02 later when McClellan burst through the middle of the line and juked a defender before cruising into the endzone from 19 yards. Tony Wang converted the PAT to tie the game at 7-7.
• Hamilton regained the lead on their next possession when quarterback Luke Kurzum connected with Mitchell Ivatts on a 12-yard touchdown pass over the middle for a 14-7 advantage.
• The visitors leveled the game with 59 seconds left before halftime. Brian Moran darted into the endzone from 10 yards out to make the score 14-14.
• Following the break, the Continentals grabbed a 21-14 advantage with a 12-play, 79-yard scoring drive capped by a 23-yard Jack Hoag touchdown reception with 1:49 remaining in the third.
• The Panthers pulled to within 21-17 with 11:59 left in the contest when Tony Wang connected on a career-long 44-yard field goal.
• Middlebury's defense forced a Hamilton drive to stall, taking over following a short punt at their own 35. Two plays later, McClellan took a handoff and scampered 57 yards for the touchdown. Wang split the uprights to push the Panthers to a 24-21 edge with 6:30 left.
• After a Middlebury interception along the sideline by Charlie Ozolin, the Panthers started at their own 26 and 3:30 left on the clock. The Continentals forced a three-and-out, but were penalized on fourth down for roughing the punter. McClellan rattled off a pair of runs covering seven yards, forcing Hamilton to use its timeouts. 
• On 3rd and 3, McClellan found space over the right side and dove forward for a game-clinching first down at the Hamilton 41-yard line. The Panthers knelt twice, earning a hard-fought 24-21 win.

NOTES

• McClellan finished with 35 rushes and 216 yards with a pair of touchdowns. The carries are in a fourth-place tie in the single-game records, while the 216 yards are fourth. The running back has 11 scores this fall, which sits in a fourth-place tie in a season.
• Charlie Grant led the defense with six tackles, highlighted by five solo stops, while Michael Votta concluded with five stops and a tackle-for-loss.
• Wang connected on his ninth field goal, ascending in a fourth-place tie.
• The Old Rocking Chair Classic originated in 1980 by Hamilton's Mac Bristol '43 and Middlebury's John Kirk '39, two friends who sought to revitalize the rivalry between the two schools. Following the game each year, the winning team takes possession of a rocking chair and displays it in their athletic department for the year. The school then brings the chair to the game, with the victor taking it home each year. Middlebury leads the series 36-8 and has retained possession of the chair since 1996.
• The programs met for the 67th time overall, with the Panthers owning a 52-15 mark.

Middlebury closes out the regular season on Saturday when it hosts Tufts for Senior Day. Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. from Youngman Field at Alumni Stadium.