Football (1-0, 1-0 NESCAC) held on for a 24-17 win over the Hamilton Continentals (0-1, 0-1 NESCAC) on the road Saturday afternoon. A strong running attack and solid defense helped the Ephs build a sufficient cushion to hold off a fourth-quarter push by the Continentals and bring home an opening-day victory.
The Ephs have dealt with significant roster deficits due to injury this season, according to Jon Oris ’26. “Between last season and the beginning of this season, we had a few injuries that hurt us,” he said. “As we got into preseason, the numbers just started to dwindle, so it’s been on the fly adjusting to these injuries and getting ready for week one.”
Finding a replacement for last year’s starting quarterback Owen McHugh ’27, who is among the injured, was an especially important task for the team. According to Oris, four players battled for the quarterback spot during the preseason.
“I didn’t know who was going to be starting coming into the first week, and I don’t think we let that affect our mentality too much,” linebacker Luke Mangini ’28 said. “I think that we knew, no matter who stepped out there week one, that we were going to have to get the job done.”
The coaches ultimately decided to go with Owen Johansen ’27, who, while an experienced quarterback in high school, began his college football career as a tight end. “Owen Johansen proved he should be the starter,” Oris said. “He’s a really good athlete, he’s got good arm talent. I’m looking forward to seeing how he develops over the year.”
Despite the offseason tumult, the Ephs started strong against the Continentals. After a scoreless first quarter, Oris broke the deadlock with a five-yard rushing touchdown in the second. Leonardo Maiuolo ’27 kicked a 26-yard field goal to add to the lead, and the Ephs’ defense stymied the Continentals en route to a 10-0 halftime scoreline.
The Ephs’ lockdown defense defined the whole first half, as they held the Continentals to just 76 yards of offense before the end of the second quarter. “The defense was the side of the ball that set the tone for the whole day for us,” receiver and cornerback Holden Gering ’27 said. “It starts with the preparation, going over what coverages we’re going to be running. I think we just have a really experienced group.”
The second half initially looked like more of the same defensively. Neither team scored in the third, as the Ephs’ defense stopped a long Hamilton drive in the red zone and forced a missed field goal, reflecting the “bend-don’t-break” mentality that Gering described as essential to the team’s identity.
After the missed field goal, Johansen put together an impressive drive nearly solo, with a brilliant 30-yard scramble along the sideline followed by runs of eight and nine yards. He capped the drive with a 13-yard scamper into the end zone, giving the Ephs a 17-0 lead right at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
“[Johansen’s] a dangerous player — he’s dynamic,” Oris said. “It’s good to have a quarterback like that, because that holds defenses honest and opens up more opportunities to spread out the offense.”
The Ephs’ balanced rushing attack continued to gash the Continentals’ defense in the fourth quarter. After a long Hamilton touchdown, the ensuing Eph drive saw Oris and fellow running back Matt Bott ’28 take five carries in a row, each for over 10 yards, before Oris punched home a five-yard touchdown to give the team a resounding 24-7 lead.
The Ephs finished the day with 258 total rushing yards, more than the team collected in any game last season. Oris led the way with 102 yards on 20 carries, while Johansen put up 84 yards and Bott added 57. “The offensive line did a really good job of executing,” Oris said. “They made the blocks and opened up holes for Owen, Matt, and I.”
The game tightened in its final 10 minutes as the Continentals scored another touchdown to make the score 24-14, before regaining the ball with a chance to further cut the lead. “I think all of us understand…that any away game in the NESCAC is going to be difficult, and we are going to face adversity,” Gering said.
Still, the Ephs were able to battle it out. “At the end of the day, we got the stops we needed,” Gering said. The Ephs did just that, forcing Hamilton’s offense into a momentum-deflating field goal with 1:40 remaining and then recovering the critical onside kick to take back possession and ice the 24-17 victory.
After the season-opening win, Head Coach Mark Raymond’s message in the locker room was positive. “[Coach] was very proud of the effort,” Mangini said. “It’s always difficult to go on a road game in college in your first game of the season and beat a well-coached team, and that’s what we did.”
However, the team knows that there remains room for improvement, especially after the fourth-quarter hiccup. “As a defensive unit, replicating what we did in those first three quarters and learning from the mistakes in the fourth quarter is really important,” Mangini said.
Looking ahead, the Ephs take on the Colby Mules (1-0, 1-0 NESCAC) at home on Saturday, with the game kicking off at 1 p.m. The Mules are coming off of an impressive 13-6 win against defending NESCAC champion Trinity.
Despite the pressure of this matchup between 1-0 teams, the Ephs are confident and collected. “I think it’s important to take it week-by-week,” Oris said. “I think [Colby] will be a big test for us, but we’re ready for it.”
