Football (1-2) fell 28-10 to the Tufts Jumbos (2-1) on Sept. 30, marking the Ephs’ second consecutive loss on the road. After winning the season opener at home against Colby (1-2) on Sept. 16, the Ephs came up short against Bowdoin (2-1) before falling to Tufts. The Ephs stand at 6th in the NESCAC on the heels of week four games.
The first quarter saw a fierce back-and-forth, with the Ephs’ defensive line initially halting a Tufts drive to open the game. The Jumbos fought back by forcing three-and-outs on the Ephs’ first two drives, giving its offense the chance to open the lead. With 2:54 remaining in the first quarter, NESCAC leading rusher and Tufts running back Chartellis Reece ran 28 yards to score the first touchdown for the Jumbos. After earning the point after touchdown, Tufts ended the first quarter 7-0.
In the second quarter, the Ephs tied the score at 7-7 after a 61-yard run by Mario Fischetti Jr. ’25, setting the stage for a 13-yard touchdown pass from Owen McHugh ’27 to Paul Harshbarger ’23.5. But the Jumbos earned back the lead, stringing together 65 rushing yards in a series of drives that culminated in an over-the-middle 26-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Richardson with 6:10 remaining. The Jumbos held the Ephs at 14-7 to end the half.
The Jumbos opened the third quarter by forcing another three-and-out and scoring on another over-the-middle touchdown pass, leading 21-7 with 10:14 left in the quarter. The Ephs capitalized on the next drive when McHugh connected 43 yards to Brady Stahelski ’27, setting up a 32-yard field goal for Ivan Shuran ’25 to shorten the deficit to 21-10. But the Ephs were unable to close the gap, and a third touchdown pass between Tufts players cemented the game at 28-10.
From a strategic viewpoint, the Ephs saw Tufts’s game style as physically and mentally demanding. Ahead of the matchup, the Ephs focused on practicing play with a lot of contact for the past week.
“Their style of football [and] the style that we play [are] definitely very tough,” co-captain James Hemmer ’24 said. “But truthfully, just in terms of me, that’s something that I look forward to. I think … what makes the game so fun is the challenge.”
Head coach Mark Raymond discussed how the team’s intense training program helped prepare it for the season. “Since we came to training camp, [the] guys have worked tremendously hard,” he said. “We’re certainly progressing as a team.”
Still, the Ephs are hopeful for the rest of the season. Bryce Cooper ’26 said that the team’s win against Colby made a positive impact on the team. “It was a good wake-up call for us to shake off the rust and kind of get the new identity of the team,” he said, noting that the team has been implementing new strategies this season in order to improve performance.
Hemmer expressed a similar view, emphasizing the impact of new team dynamics. With new recruits came a more energized atmosphere, he said.
In addition to the players, Hemmer praised the coach’s efforts. “How [Raymond] handles everyone on the team — it’s deeper than football,” he said. “It’s … making us better people off the field [and] preparing us for the real world beyond.”
Wide receiver Holden Gering ’27, who finished the game against Colby with two touchdowns and 56 yards receiving, prasied the team’s camaraderie. “Everybody on the team has made it a lot easier,” he said. “I love the guys, and they’re my brothers.”
Next Saturday, the Ephs will compete against Middlebury (2-1) at home. “[We’re] just taking it week by week and not focusing on the later games — just trying to win one game at a time,” Cooper said.
