Football (2-1) has displayed strong early season results in their first three games of NESCAC play. Despite a 14-45 setback on the road against the Trinity Bantams (3-0) last weekend, the Ephs are still riding a wave of momentum from successive victories against the Hamilton Continentals (0-3) and Colby Mules (0-3).
Crucial to this initial success has been the team’s dedicated preparation, which began in the preseason. “We got here a few weeks early, and day-in and day-out, it was all football,” Luke Mangini ’28 said. “We would have practice, we would have meetings — just a lot of hard work [and] a great opportunity to get to know your teammates and to understand the work ethic that it takes to be part of a team like this.”
For the team’s returning members, preparation also included spring practices and summer workouts, quarterback Owen McHugh ’27 said. “We’d do weekly [summer] Zoom meetings to teach the fundamentals and to teach the freshmen what they’d need to know coming into camp so that they can get going,” he said.
On opening weekend, the Ephs were rewarded with a blowout 42-7 home victory over Hamilton. The Ephs’ offense exploded in the second quarter with four touchdowns, while the defense held the Continentals to only 202 yards of total offense, in comparison to the Ephs’ 459.
McHugh finished the game with five touchdown passes and 242 passing yards, throwing touchdowns to four different receivers. He credited his success to the offensive line and receiver depth. “The O-line played amazing that game,” he said. “[They] gave me a lot of time in the pocket, and all types of guys contributed in the receiving game.”
Mangini, who led the team with eight tackles, said that the team’s defense strengthened its performance by practicing against the Ephs offense. “Getting to play against an amazing NESCAC offense and competing with the guys we got to compete against … is really what I think got us to where we needed to be,” he said.
The following week, the Ephs earned a hard-fought 24-19 victory on the road against Colby. The team’s early 14-0 lead nearly evaporated in the second half, but Brady Carroll ’27 intercepted a pass from Colby with 14 seconds remaining, securing the Ephs’ win and a 2-0 start to the season.
Although a few mistakes briefly put the game’s outcome in jeopardy, the team’s confidence improved after the win. “We learned how to handle the adversity in the game, the ups and downs, how to just remain level and stay together and fight until the end, and that’s what we did,” receiver Cameron Lee ’25 said.
During the game, McHugh put together another strong performance, completing 16 of 18 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown, in addition to 70 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Lee noted McHugh’s contributions to the team’s offensive success. “He just makes a bunch of plays — it’s that simple,” Lee said. “He’s a hard worker, he grinds, so to see him balling out is good to see. It’s good as a receiver because he’s always putting the ball in the right spot and making plays for us.”
Following the two wins, the Ephs journeyed to play against defending co-NESCAC champion Trinity with enthusiasm. “We were pretty pumped up going into Trinity,” McHugh said. “Obviously, they’ve been pretty good over the last few years, and they know that and they let people know, so it got us pumped up and gave us a lot of confidence.”
Harnessing this energy, the Ephs jumped out to a 14-0 lead against the Bantams. However, Trinity began to pick up momentum in the second quarter, capitalizing on a pick-six and a fourth-down stop to take a 21-14 halftime lead. The Bantams eventually triumphed in a 45-14 victory.
While the outcome was not favorable, the Ephs took lessons from the loss. “There is a lot to learn from that game: making sure that we communicate effectively, making sure we’re executing in the ways we need to execute,” said Mangini, who led the team with nine tackles. “There will be games that go that way, and they’re amazing opportunities to learn and get back at it.”
Lee, whose 46 receiving yards were second on the team, echoed Mangini’s sentiment. “We’ve gotta learn from that,” he said. “We can’t lose a game and not learn from it because that would be a waste. We’re gonna get grinding, the film is up, everyone is dialed in, learning from their mistakes.”
Despite the tough defeat, the Ephs remain motivated by their strong start to the season. “We have to continue to work to get better every single day and every single week, but we know we have the tools to win,” McHugh said. “It won’t be easy, but if we just take it one week at a time, focus, and put all of our energy into that opponent, I think we can be successful.”
Mangini expressed a sense of gratitude for the team and enthusiasm for the rest of the season. “I’m honestly just excited to keep working and getting better, and to keep having the opportunity to win, and I think that’s the mentality around the team as well,” he said. “There’s just really a great culture here that I’ve never experienced before, and I owe that all to my teammates and coaches.”
The Ephs will next play the Bowdoin Bears (1-2) at home on Saturday at 1 p.m.
