“As the saying goes, ‘Beat Amherst: You’ll be happy forever.’” Those were the words of defensive captain Ethan Scott ’25, the day after football (5-4, 5-4 NESCAC) clinched a resounding shutout victory over Amherst (2-7, 2-7 NESCAC) during Homecoming. The Ephs were cheered on by a raucous crowd as they secured an early — and ultimately decisive — lead en route to a memorable win.
Team leaders noted a heightened sense of urgency, since the game was the last of the season. “There is no tomorrow,” quarterback Jack Dickinson ’24.5 told the Record, adding that he had been referencing Rocky quotes throughout the season.
The team was also motivated by two recent, frustrating losses. On Oct. 26, the Ephs lost a 24-27 dogfight against the Tufts Jumbos (7-2, 7-2 NESCAC), who concluded their season as the runner-up in the NESCAC. Last week, the Ephs conceded a last-minute touchdown, suffering a 24-25 defeat to Wesleyan (8-1, 8-1 NESCAC), who then went on to win the NESCAC.
“Those losses really stunk,” said Owen Johansen ’27, who added that they fueled the Ephs’ fire heading into their season finale.
“The best part about the Williams-Amherst game is that no matter what the season looks like for both teams, you throw the records out the window,” Scott said.
The Ephs’ spirits were also bolstered by an electric Homecoming atmosphere, as students, alums, and families packed the bleachers in support of the team.
“We finished up practice Friday night, and people were already parking — getting their tailgate spot ready,” Scott said. “Just seeing that support really does mean a lot. You definitely feel like you’re playing for a little bit more.”
Prior to this weekend’s matchup, the team’s coaches made an adjustment, swapping in Dickinson for the team’s season-long starting quarterback Owen McHugh ’27. The change proved successful on gameday: Dickinson finished with 70 passing yards, no turnovers, and a touchdown, and his 39-yard dime to Brady Stahelski ’27 put the Ephs ahead 21-0 in the fourth quarter.
“That felt pretty great,” Dickinson said. “It was a pretty cool moment to hit a dagger like that at the end of the game.”
“[McHugh] was one heck of a leader this entire week — handled himself really well,” cornerback Holden Gering ’27 said. “[Dickinson has been] the epitome of what a captain should be, and I know how special of a moment this was for him.”
In the earlier quarters, the Ephs relied on their rushing attack to take control. Johansen, who began the season as a backup quarterback before he was switched to tight end, scored on runs of 13 and eight yards in the first and second quarters, respectively.
“Given that [Johansen] is a really good athlete and he has experience at quarterback, we thought that was a good wrinkle to add,” Dickinson said, describing the decision to use Johansen to run the ball on direct snaps, instead of at tight end, where he played most of the year.
Johansen credited the team’s offensive line for his rushing success. “It’s awesome to score touchdowns and all, but it’s really all the offensive linemen,” he said. “Those plays were set up really well by them, and they made huge blocks.”
Johansen finished the game with 55 rushing yards, while running back Jon Oris ’26 led the balanced attack with 79.
Defensively, the Ephs stifled the Mammoths at every key moment. “I feel like we had our best performance front to back,” said Scott, who secured 1.5 sacks. The Ephs finished with four sacks overall, including multiple crucial ones on third-down, held the Mammoths to less than 60 rushing yards, and had three interceptions.
Gering — who was primarily a receiver last year — delivered two of the interceptions in the fourth quarter, preventing the Mammoths from any chance at building a comeback and bringing his season interception total up to five. He appreciated that his coaches trusted the versatility of the team’s players.
“I think it goes back to the coaches being able to do this and let players play to their strengths,” he said. “No matter what position group that gap is in, they’re not afraid to take from another group to plug [it].”
Scott topped off the team’s masterclass performance with a sack of Amherst’s quarterback in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Ephs’ offense to run out the clock. “It was a truly surreal moment,” he said. “It encapsulated the day.”
The Ephs were thrilled with the outcome, but the graduating senior class was especially proud. “That win meant a lot for the program — for this team,” Dickinson said. “For the seniors, we’ve gone through a lot over the past few years and being able to finish with a winning record — with a win at home against Amherst — it just felt like a very fitting end.”
To cap off the day, the players participated in “The Walk,” a tradition where the team parades up Spring Street, which has followed every Homecoming win since 1971.
“One of our rallying cries to begin the season is ‘573,’” Scott said. “From the field all the way to the top of Spring Street is 573 steps, so one of the things that you work on as a Williams football player is to take those 573 steps at the end of the season.”
For the seniors, the moment represented the culmination of their careers’ hard work. “[Ever] since you get to Williams, you’re talking about doing The Walk — and doing The Walk your senior year particularly,” Scott said. “To end on that positive note — to put out our best showing in our final career game — it was a really special moment.”
