TRINITY FOOTBALL HOSTS HAMILTON SATURDAY

Bantam Senior Coughlin Named as Finalist For Draddy Award

Hartford, Conn., Oct. 6 -- The Trinity College football team, which won, 34-6, against Williams College last Saturday, will host the 1-1 Hamilton College Continentals on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 1 p.m at Jessee/Miller Field. The Bantams, coached by Chuck Priore (6th season, 34-9) posted their 24th triumph in a row last weekend, breaking the New England Division III winning streak record which had been held by Williams College for 15 years. The streak is also the second longest current streak in all of college football behind Southern California (26 wins in a row). The three-time defending New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Champion Bantams have also not lost at Jessee/Miller Field since 2001 (16 straight wins).

Trinity is currently tied with Bowdoin, Colby, and Tufts for first place in the NESCAC at 2-0 and the Bantams lead the all-time series with Hamilton, 25-11-1. Trinity, which suffered its last loss to the Continentals in 1994 by a score of 22-21, defeated Hamilton, 55-6, last fall in Clinton, N.Y. Trinity has been ranked No. 1 in the New England Division III Poll for the entire season. This week’s New England Division III Poll: 1. Trinity, Conn. (2-0), 2. Fitchburg State (4-0), 3. Colby (2-0), 4. Western Connecticut (3-1), 5. Bridgewater State (3-1), 6. Maine Maritime (4-0), 7. Worcester Tech (3-1), 8. Tufts (2-0), 9. Bowdoin (2-0), 10. Curry (3-2).

The Bantams scored 14 points in the first quarter and 20 in the second frame, taking full advantage of three first half turnovers. Bantam senior quarterback Bill Schweitzer (Alexandria, Va.) completed seven out of nine passes for 140 yards with scoring strikes of six yards to junior WR Chris Polanski (Shelton, Conn.) and 62 yards to junior RB Gennaro Leo (Everett, Mass.). Leo totaled 67 yards through the air and 57 on the ground, while classmate Jordan Quinones (Pottstown, Pa.) rushed for a team-high 108 yards on 15 carries with a 15-yard touchdown scamper. Sophomore Chandler Barnard (Lubbock, Texas) added an 11-yard touchdown run and junior kicker Kevin Swiniarski (Plymouth, Mass.) booted field goals of 35 and 28 yards. Junior OLB Christian Allen (Abington, Mass.) made a team-high 10 tackles, including 2.5 for losses, while senior OLB Ryan Albrycht (Glastonbury, Conn.) picked off one pass and deflected a second that landed in the arms of sophomore DL D.J. Lanz (Suffield, Conn.).

Trinity leads the NESCAC in scoring offense (40.5 ppg, 20th in nation), scoring defense (3.0 points allowed per game, 1st in nation), and pass efficiency (182.2), while Schweitzer sits atop the league lead with a 200.9 quarterback efficiency rating, and senior captain DE Michael Blair (Plymouth, N.H.) has a league-high 3.5 sacks (5th in nation). Leo and Quinones are fourth and fifth, respectively, in the conference with 169 and 162 rushing yards and Pratt is sixth in receiving yards with 127 on five catches. Leo is also fifth in the NESCAC in all-purpose yards with 238. Allen leads Trinity in tackles with 12, included three for losses, while sophomore LB Matt Rettig (North Branford, Conn.), Albrycht, and Blair each have nine hits, and Albrycht adds a team-high four tackles for loss. Swiniarski is the league’s top kicker with nine PAT’s and three field goals (7th in nation) for 18 points. Trinity senior punter Tim Coughlin (Basking Ridge, N.J.) was selected as a semifinalist for the prestigious National Football Foundation Draddy Award, which combines academic success, football performance, and community leadership.

The Hamilton football squad, under the direction of Head Coach Peter Alvanos (5th season, 5-29), is 1-1 after a 24-19 win over Wesleyan on Saturday. Senior QB Brandon Holtslag accounted 303 of Hamilton’s 324 yards in total offense, running for 131 yards and passing for 171 more with three short touchdown rushes. Sophomore WR Joe Rinaldo added eight pass receptions for 85 yards, while senior LB Jay Rishel led the Continental defense with 10 tackles, an interception, and a sack, and sophomore DB Matt Pitarresi totaled eight tackles, four pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Hamilton also boasts the reigning NESCAC Rookie of the Week, as DL Taylor Soobitsky earned the honor with five tackles and three sacks on Saturday.