For the first time since 1988, Bates College Football won against Middlebury College.
Saturday, October 26 saw Batesies lining the stands of Garcelon Field in excitement for another Saturday football game. Parents, families, and dogs lined the perimeter, eagerly watching each pass as Bates scored the first touchdown in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Middlebury received three points off a 30-yard field goal and seven more from a touchdown off a nine-yard run. Bates responded with an impressive 27-yard pass to bring the overall score to (14-10) with Bates in the lead.
The game was tense as Middlebury entered the final quarter leading the scoreboard, thanks to a 1-yard run in the third quarter. Bates was only one field goal away from tying scores. However, Middlebury continued to pull further into the lead with a 25-yard field goal, bringing the overall score to (20-14) with only less than 10 minutes remaining.
Bates pulled through, surprisingly, with a final 14-yard pass to take the victory.
Each of Bates’ points resulted in impressive passes from quarterback Colton Bosselait ‘25 from kicks by K/P Marcos Ruiz ‘27. Sergio Beltran ‘26 (recently named NESCAC Offensive Player) and Maverick Selementi ‘26 scored impressive points from these passes.
As for defensive movements, Bates effectively pushed back against Middlebury resulting in several turnovers. Linebacker Matt Juneau ‘25 recently was named NESCAC’s Defensive Player of the Week. In the game against Middlebury, Juneau effectively had nine total tackles and six solo stops.
However, the win wasn’t a surprise for some.
So far, the Bates Football team’s 2024 season has been filled with defeating the “difficult to beat” teams and defying all odds. For the record, Wesleyan’s football team is ranked second in NESCAC, the only loss (out of seven games) is the September 28th game against Bates (24-13).
It was only expected that they wouldn’t go down against Middlebury, ranked in the top five NESCAC, without a fight.
In their next game at Garcelon Field on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 5:30 p.m., the Bobcats will face Bowdoin College. Currently, Bowdoin and Bates both are tied for a record in the NESCAC with two wins and five losses.
