Finley Leger ’29
Contributing Writer
Coming off a dominant 45-0 shutout against Williams, the Trinity football team showed no signs of slowing down on Saturday. Facing the Hamilton Continentals who rank third in the NESCAC scoring offense, first in passing offense, third in offensive efficiency and second in both third down conversion percentage and red-zone offense, Trinity relied on the exact blueprint that fueled their previous blowout: setting a fast pace, attacking early through the air and playing relentless defense to secure a 37-6 victory.
The win extended Trinity’s historical dominance over Hamilton to 31 straight wins, a streak dating back to 1994 the last time Hamilton won and improved their all-time record against the Continentals to 46-11-1.
Heading into Saturday, Trinity knew Hamilton would bring a potent offensive challenge. Hamilton entered the matchup averaging a conference-best of 331.7 passing yards per game, ranking them first in the league for passing offense behind 2025 All-NESCAC quarterback Luke Kurzum ’27 and high-powered receivers Mitchell Ivatts ’29 and Matthew Kearns ’28. However, Trinity’s game plan focused on making Hamilton one-dimensional, disrupting Kurzum without allowing explosive downfield plays, taking away receivers Mitchell Ivatts and Matthew Kearns, winning third downs to force quick punts or turnovers, leaning on a defense yielding just 4.7 points per game to prevent a shootout and carrying over the same “110%” aggressive mindset that worked against Williams.
That carryover mentality paid dividends from the start. After Trinity’s defense forced an early turnover on downs, the offense ignited. Quarterback Jaxon Carroll ’27 (#12) opened up the passing attack immediately, finding Jack Tosone ’27 (#20) over the middle for an 11-yard strike resulting in a first down. Moments later, Carroll connected with Patrick McCaffrey ’27 (#4) on a 23-yard gain for another first down. Striking while Hamilton’s defense was on its heels, Carroll capped off the fast drive by hitting Tosone over his shoulder for a 51-yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0.
Trinity’s defense quickly took control of the game script. By neutralizing Hamilton’s run game and containing Kurzum in the pocket, Trinity forced Hamilton into obvious passing downs and stalled their high-powered rhythm. Later towards the end of the first quarter, Carroll (#12) threw another deep pass to McCaffrey (#4) for 32 yards into the red zone, setting up a 32-yard field goal by Tyler Beliveau ’28 (#84) to extend the lead to 10-0.
In the second quarter, Trinity’s offensive line began wearing down Hamilton’s front. Pushing downfield after an initial completion to Nolan O’Brien (Grad Student.) (#11) and a penalty that pushed Trinity back, Carroll reconnected with O’Brien for 31 yards and dropped a 27-yard deep middle pass to Cooper Edwards ’28 (#88) down to the 1-yard line. Running back Josh Woodford ’29 (#22) finished the drive by scoring a touchdown, extending the score to 17-0.
Hamilton briefly answered with a touchdown by Connor Laverty ’28 to narrow the score to 17-6, but Trinity quickly blocked Carmelo Velardo’s ’27 extra point attempt. Following the kickoff and a 13-yard return by Cooper Edwards (#88) to Trinity’s 35-yard line, Trinity responded with a heavy dosage of power running. Leaning on Tosone (#20) to stretch the edge and carry the ball downfield, Trinity capped off a physical drive with a 1-yard touchdown by Tosone (#20) to make it 24-6.
Before Hamilton could recover, Trinity’s secondary delivered a game-altering sequence right before halftime. Defensive back Marshall Rice ’28 (#21) read Kurzum’s pass along the left sideline, picking off the throw and racing 36 yards for a pick-six to blow the game open at 31-6. Hamilton attempted a late drive before the break, but Shane Mosia ’27 (#35) intercepted Kurzum’s pass in the end zone as time expired to close out a dominant opening half.
The second half turned into a defensive clinic. Trinity’s front seven kept constant pressure on Kurzum, preventing him from connecting with receivers Ivatts and Kearns for major gains. Pass rushers Charlie Newhall ’28 (#10) and Nolan Eilender ’29 (#44) recorded key sacks, forcing an intentional grounding penalty that derailed Hamilton’s momentum.
On offense, Trinity sustained control by mixing physical running with efficient passing. Carroll (#12) connected with Nick Behrens ’27 (#2) for 29 yards, and a steady dosage of runs from Woodford (#22) set up his second 1-yard touchdown run of the day in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring at 37-6.
By taking away Hamilton’s top playmakers, controlling third downs and executing their individual assignments with precision, Trinity proved that their strategic foundation from the Williams game was no fluke. With two straight dominant performances in the books, Trinity continues to establish itself as a powerhouse this season.
