Despite leading the Trinity Bantams with less than two minutes left in the game, Wesleyan football ended up suffering a crushing overtime defeat this past Saturday at Andrus Field, falling to the eventual NESCAC champions 30-24. The loss marked the end of a successful season for the Cardinals as they finished with a winning record for the first time since 2002, good enough to tie Bates for fourth place in the NESCAC.
“It was a really tough loss, but to be able to compete with the NESCAC champions all game is a good indication of where the program is headed,” said senior defensive end and tri-captain Andy McKeon.
Both teams came into the weekend’s matchup with different objectives. Heading into the game sitting at 7-0, the Bantams had already locked up at least a tie for the NESCAC crown. However, a victory would give them their first outright championship since 2008 and sixth title overall. On the other hand, the Cardinals were looking to play the role of spoiler against their lone intrastate rival, and their efforts proved that they can compete with the preeminent team in the NESCAC.
The game proved to be a battle of will as both teams left everything they had on the field. Trinity came out of the gates firing, scoring on the first play from scrimmage with an 86-yard touchdown pass. However, the Wesleyan defense dug deep and held Trinity scoreless for the remainder of the first quarter. The Cards tied it up with 4:59 remaining in the first when quarterback Jesse Warren ’15 connected with tight end Teddy Baker ’14 for a 33-yard score. Warren completed seven of his 14 passing attempts for 73 yards, but unfortunately had to leave the game in the third quarter after suffering a broken hand. The injury forced backup quarterback Peter George ’15 into action for his first serious reps under center all season.
The Cardinals took the lead at the beginning of the second quarter when Sebastian Aguirre ’14 converted a 35-yard field goal. They did not hold the lead for long, however, as Trinity struck back on the following possession with a 49-yard passing score to make it 14-10. That’s when the ground game got going for the Cardinals. Aside from Wesleyan’s first score of the game, the rushing attack powered the Cardinal offense all day. LaDarius Drew ’15 and Kyle Gibson ’15 carried the ball an astounding 51 times, amassing a total of 172 yards, while each scored a touchdown. Gibson’s six-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter put the Cardinals on top of the Bantams, and Wesleyan took a 17-14 lead into halftime.
Coming out of the break, the Cardinals defense was rock solid, forcing the Bantams to punt on their first four possessions of the second half. Wesleyan finally yielded ground to Trinity at the 11:02 mark of the fourth quarter when they kicked a 38-yard field goal to knot the game up at 17 apiece. Nevertheless, Wesleyan broke through to take the lead late when Drew plunged the ball in from the one-yard line with 4:13 to play. With victory in their grasp, the Cards defense turned it up another notch as McKeon forced a Trinity fumble on the next possession, allowing fellow defensive end and the NESCAC sacks leader Nik Powers ’15 to swoop in and recover the ball for the Cardinals.
“Saturday was one of the best defensive efforts of the year,” Mckeon boasted about his unit’s play. “So many players made huge plays at key times, but unfortunately we gave up one too many big plays which ultimately cost us the game.”
Although the Cardinals had possession of the football with less than three minutes to play, Trinity proved in the fourth why it is the best team in the NESCAC. The Bantams immediately forced the Cards to punt the ball back after a three-and-out and launched a successful two-minute drill, capped off by a 14-yard quarterback draw play for a touchdown. That score tied up the game with 17 seconds remaining and forced both teams into their first overtime period of the season.
This was clearly a devastating development for the Cardinals, who had fought gallantly all day against the best team in New England. On the third play of overtime, the Cardinals coughed up the football after Drew fumbled, putting the Bantams in position to win on a field goal. Trinity finished the game in the end zone, completing a perfect season with a 25-yard touchdown to cap off the victory.
“Trinity is a very good football team and even though we came up short, this game gives us a lot of confidence heading into next season,” George said following the loss. “The seniors deserve a huge amount of credit for getting the football program to where it is today.”
And so the loss marks the end of the 130th year of Wesleyan football. Head coach Mike Whalen’s third year at the helm has been his most successful one thus far and the future for the football team appears to be promising. The 10 graduating seniors from this season are leaving the program in great shape and with a wealth of talent returning next season, expect big things for the 2013 edition of Wesleyan football.